James Charles, a 17-year-old New York-based makeup artist, might want to rethink the word “aspiring” in his Instagram bio. 

He’s the first ever male CoverGirl, an honor revealed Tuesday on Katy Perry’s Instagram. 

“Just wrapped another great @CoverGirl shoot. Honored to have the pleasure to announce the very first COVERBOY, James Charles! Follow him @JCharlesBeauty!” she captioned a photo of the two of them. 

James Charles, who only started trying makeup a year ago, will appear in campaigns for CoverGirl’s newest mascara, “So Lashy.” The brand explained in a press release that its newest launch is designed to work on all lash types, and shared why he’s the perfect person to front the campaign. 

“All of our CoverGirls are role models and boundary-breakers, fearlessly expressing themselves, standing up for what they believe, and redefining what it means to be beautiful,” read the statement. “James Charles is no exception. One year ago, he boldly chose to launch his Instagram to the world, using transformative, dynamic makeup looks to showcase the many facets of his personality, serving as an inspiration to anyone who might have been afraid to do the same.” 

James Charles has racked up over 400,000 followers in just one year of posting, thanks to masterful skills and an extensive array of looks, ranging from wild...

... to just plain stunning. 

Oh, and did we mention this kid’s got personality? Take these epic senior photos as proof. 

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With all of its scrunchies and Swarovski crystal, gymnastics stands out among other sports for the element of pageantry at its most prestigious levels. Some might like to see that change, but gymnast Gabby Douglas isn’t one of them.

“We all like to get glammed up. Everyone does,” Douglas recently told The Huffington Post. The star Olympian, who has become a face of the ActuallySheCan campaign for women’s empowerment with sister Arielle Hawkins, added: “It’s like a masterpiece finish.”

The rules of gymnastics glam are actually quite strict, especially at the Olympic level. Each athlete must be “well-groomed in her appearance” ― no undergarments peeking out from beneath leotards ― while not restricting her movement. The contemporary version of the sport is about the ability to flip, bend, stick a landing and look good enough for a red carpet. 

Whether or not glitter has any business participating in an Olympic sport, however, is a minefield of strong opinions. Sometimes, they’re not so sophisticated: During the Rio Olympics, Fox News decided to air a segment in which two men ― a radio host and a retired NYPD detective ― shared their expert views on the Final Five’s appearance.

But sometimes, they are. In a piece for The Atlantic, Megan Garber wrote that makeup and sparkles in athletics exemplify the questions surrounding gender roles today. The Huffington Post’s Chloe Angyal explained how contemporary gymnastics fits squarely in our comfort zone: “Even though they’re throwing themselves around in skin-tight leotards that show every line in their six-packs, they’re competing in an appropriately feminine way.” In a piece for New York Magazine, Meghan O’Rourke called gymnastics “the most dramatically feminine sport” in a way that makes her question the ethics of even watching. 

Why can’t women gymnasts wear plain spandex like the men? Why do they need makeup?

To 20-year-old Douglas and her teammates, the aesthetics of their sport have a more positive deeper meaning. Douglas agreed that makeup and crystals can give an athlete an extra confidence boost, which can mean all the difference on the mat.

“You look good, and you go out there, and you compete well,” she said. “I think we should keep it.”

Although she enjoys the pomp and circumstance of her sport, Douglas is not one to display her three gold medals around the house, or even wear them. They live carefully under lock and key because, evidently, organizers won’t replace broken or lost medals. (Which she finds strange.)

“They’re like, ‘Oops, sorry! That’s the one chance you had!’ They won’t even make you another one.”

Now retired from Olympic competitions, the athlete is setting her sights on another industry all about optics ― media. She’s set to live in Los Angeles full-time with some of her family, who are in talks to continue their Oxygen reality TV series, “Douglas Family Gold.”

For more information about #ActuallySheCan, visit ActuallySheCan.com or register at ActuallySheCan.com/Mentorship.

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The award for 2016’s most offensive pop culture Halloween costume goes to...

... the “Parisian Heist Robbery Victim Costume,” courtesy of Costumeish, the same retailer who brought the world other offensive getups like “Sexy Ebola Costume” and “Bruce Gender Olympian Costume.” 

The costume was clearly inspired by Kim Kardashian, who was robbed at gunpoint in her Paris apartment last week. The reality star was bound, gagged and left in the bathtub as “two armed, masked men” stole millions of dollars worth of jewelry and other personal items. 

The tasteless costume comes with a “white sexy robe,” long black wig, sunglasses, a gag, rope and a fake $4 million ring. But what’s more disgusting than the costume itself is its description on the website, which reeks of victim-blaming. 

This Halloween it’s all about the #Hallomeme and who better than America’s goddess of all things glamorous “Parisian Heist Robbery Victim Costume?” She has devoted her life to promoting American decadence, youth, and hedonism but all that flashy living caught up with her one night in Paris when armed men bound her, stole her jewelry and her peace of mind. This Halloween have some fun with pop culture and dress just like the Queen of Social media with our sensational “Parisian Heist Robbery Victim Costume” Costume.

Anyone in their right mind can understand that Kim’s situation was terrifying and not something to joke about, despite what one may think of the reality star. 

Yet somehow, someone thought it was a good idea to trivialize her horrific experience ― and the experiences of others who have been attacked or assaulted ― and turn it into a costume that glorifies violence against women. Gross. 

Everything is terrible. 

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Thanks in part to Alicia Keys, there’s been a surge in no-makeup celebrity selfies of late. Gwyneth Paltrow and Gabrielle Union recently showed off their fresh faces, and now America’s flower child Drew Barrymore has followed suit. Again. 

Posing in a cozy beanie on the beach, Barrymore looks lovely in the photo captioned “Happy Sunday everyone. Happy Sunday!”

A quick perusal of her Instagram proves Barrymore has been aboard the little-to-no-makeup train for quite some time, despite the fact she has her own makeup line.

In fact, it’s not uncommon to come upon a sweaty workout selfie, or a photo of her doing other normal person things like, say, voting. There was even a no-makeup selfie for for her 40th birthday.

We’re just happy to see this movement in action, no matter which natural beauty does it next.  

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After having a miscarriage and hearing countless stories of loss from fellow mothers, a psychologist has developed a special product line to help break the silence around these issues.

Dr. Jessica Zucker, who specializes in women’s reproductive and maternal mental health, created a line of “rainbow baby”-themed T-shirts and tote bags for moms and infants. She launched the line on her website today, in honor of Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month.

“With approximately 20 percent of pregnancies resulting in loss and many of these women going on to get pregnant again, the number of rainbow babies is enormous,” Zucker told The Huffington Post.

“The shirts aim to: de-stigmatize loss, put a face to the statistics and move away from shame, to own our stories, to foster connection and community,” she added. “Furthermore, these shirts are not only for women with rainbow babies. They are in fact also for women who themselves are rainbow babies!”

Zucker wants her “Rainbow Babe” and “Rainbow Mama” shirts and bags to give women a way to “express pride” about their lived experiences and identities. 

“We need not be ashamed of our reproductive histories,” she said. “Pregnancy after pregnancy loss can be quite harrowing ― these items also aim to stimulate conversations among women who have been there, who have struggled, who know what it’s like.”

The mom also wants her products to promote intergenerational discussions about pregnancy loss. 

“If we think our generation doesn’t talk much about pregnancy loss, we can only imagine just how quiet things were in previous generations,” she explained.

“My hope is that women turn toward their mothers, grandmothers, aunts, great-grandmothers and so on to learn about their reproductive histories, bolstering communication around this vital topic that needn’t remain on the fringes,” she added.

The rainbow baby T-shirts and tote bags are available for purchase at Zucker’s online shop. The totes are also included for free with any shirt purchases. All proceeds will be donated to The Birth Hour podcast, and Zucker will also be offering some product giveaways through her Instagram account.

“These items break silence, shatter taboos around this very poignant and ubiquitous experience,” the mom told HuffPost, adding that the shirts and totes “honor losses” and connect women who have gone through similar experiences.

“These items work against the shame and instead show a sense of pride for our histories/journeys and allow women to say ‘I had a miscarriage/pregnancy loss(es)’ without saying it outright,” she continued.

Zucker said she believes her shirts and totes are perfect for a demographic she calls, “reverse rainbow babies” as well.”A reverse rainbow baby is a child who was born previous to losses, with many losses taking place afterward (and no other children born),” she explained. “Clearly not everyone ends up with a rainbow baby, but many women who lose pregnancies still consider themselves mamas. These items suit them too.”

Zucker, who suffered a miscarriage at 16 weeks in 2012, has actively worked to support other women who have experienced this kind of loss. 

In 2014, she launched the #IHadAMiscarriageCampaign to de-stigmatize pregnancy loss and promote conversation around this issue. The mom encourages fellow parents to share their stories through her Instagram account.

Last year, she created a line of empathy cards for people who have experienced miscarriage and stillbirth, as well as other heartbreaking situations like early infant death, having to terminate a wanted pregnancy or giving birth to a preemie who requires intensive care in the NICU.

Said Zucker, “It is remarkable to see the statistics of pregnancy loss come to life through sharing stories of heartache and hope and in so doing, bolstering community and a sense that we are not alone.”

Amen.

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By Megan Gustashaw for GQ.

When it comes to your Halloween costume, it’s best to use your grooming situation to your advantage — whether you’re working with a bald head or a big beard. And for another matter, why be Justin Bieber when you can be Jon Snow or Summertime Leonardo DiCaprio? Here, 13 solid costumes — both timely and classic — that wouldn’t be anything without some serious scruff.

1. Jon Snow

2. Summer Leonardo DiCaprio

3. Ubiquitous Packaged Goods Macho Guy

4. DJ Khaled

5. Richie Tenenbaum from The Royal Tenenbaums

6. Abraham Lincoln

7. Chad, the evil bachelor from The Bachelorette

8. The Dude

9. Wolverine

10. Instagram Beard Celebrity Brock O’Hurn

11. Jim Hopper from Stranger Things

12. Cozy Drake

13. ... Or “Hotline Bling” Drake

More from GQ:

10 Halloween Costumes That Will Only Work in 2016

The 15 Most Stylish Halloween Costumes

How to Choose a Halloween Costume That Isn’t Racist

The Lazy Man’s Guide to a Killer Halloween Costume

What You Need to Get The Best Shave Ever

The Best Facial Hair For Your Face Shape

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Aging is something none of us can avoid ... not even A-list supermodels. Over the weekend, model Heidi Klum shared a personal photo on Instagram from a moment we all have faced ― or will face. 

“OMG .....just found my first grey” the 43-year-old German beauty captioned a photo of a closeup of her mane. 

The “America’s Got Talent” judge was clearly shocked by the milestone, but we have to say, she’s fared pretty well.

Many of the supermodel’s followers commented that they’d had gray hairs starting at a much younger age. Researchers believe that genes play a role in when a person goes gray. Looks like Klum really did win the genetic lottery.

Though the mother of four is known for her gorgeous head of hair, she ought to note that gray hair is totally hot again. Older celebs like Joni Mitchell are embracing their white streaks and even young stars are turning to dye to get the silver look.

We’re not sure if she’ll embrace the grays or dye her hair, but Klum seems to have a pretty healthy outlook about growing older.

“Would it be nice if my skin and body still looked the way it did when I was 25? Sure,” she told Redbook in an interview last year. “But the fact is, your body changes when you have children; you get wrinkles as you get older. I like that I have laugh lines from smiling too much.”

Heidi, we like you just the way you are. Grays and all.

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High school senior Anna Lehane made an intriguing outfit choice during a rally for Donald Trump in Pennsylvania on October 10.

The 18-year-old wore a T-shirt with “Grab my pussy, I dare you ” emblazoned on it.

Lehane chose to create and wear the shirt ―and attend the rally in the first place ― following the release of a recording of the GOP nominee making disparaging comments about women, specifically that he would “grab [women] by the pussy.”

“I made the shirt as a protest to people in the public spotlight on such a global platform making such disrespectful, degrading and misogynistic comments and still being taken seriously,” Lehane told The Huffington Post.

Lehane said she received both positive and negative remarks about the T-shirt.

“Many people took pictures of my shirt without permission and there were some degrading comments made ― mostly by older white men it seemed,” she told HuffPost.  

Lehane said one person called her a “communist” while another older man told her that he “always likes a good dare.” 

Lehan thought the shirt “might cause a little stir” but told HuffPost she’d wear the shirt again. She told HuffPost she eventually wants to sell the shirts.

No surprise then, that Lehane told HuffPost she’ll be voting for Secretary Clinton in November.

Editor’s note: Donald Trump regularly
incites
political violence and is a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/donald-trump-911_565b1950e4b08e945feb7326"> style="font-weight: 400;">serial liar, href="http://www.huffingtonpost
.com/entry/9-outrageous-things-donald-trump-has-said-about-latinos_55e483a1e4b0c818f618904b"> style="font-weight: 400;">rampant xenophobe,
racist, style="font-weight: 400;">misogynist and href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/donald-trump-stephen-colbert-birther_56022a33e4b00310edf92f7a"> >birther who has
repeatedly pledged to ban all Muslims — 1.6 billion members of an entire religion — from
entering the U.S.

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While it may be difficult to stay grounded in Hollywood (especially when you’re peddling gold, $15,000 dildos and the benefits of moon dust), Gwyneth Paltrow’s late father did his best to keep the actress from becoming an “asshole.” 

Paltrow recalled the tough conversation with her father, Bruce, in the November issue of Harper’s Bazaar.

“I remember when I was maybe 27 years old and kind of at the height of my movie stardom — it was around the time of the Oscar and this and that,” the 44-year-old said. “ I think I was very much believing my own hype, which how could you not? I was sitting with my dad, feeling great about my life and everything that was happening, and he was like, “You know, you’re getting a little weird …You’re kind of an asshole.”

The actress said she was “totally devastated” by her father’s comments, but noted that they were a turning point in how she carried herself. 

“It’s the difference between someone who loves you more than anything in the world giving you criticism and getting it from some bitter stranger on the Internet,” Paltrow explained. “What my dad said to me was the kind of criticism where I was like, ‘Oh, my God, I’m on the wrong track.’ I’m so grateful to him for doing that. He was such a no-nonsense guy in that sense.”  

Considering the cover star’s article is accompanied by a (satirical?) spread of the actress wearing a bikini and black-tie garb to a supermarket, we’re not sure if the message got through or if this is just her sense of humor. 

We might just be bitter strangers on the internet, but either way ― those abs are a work of art: 

To read the rest of Harper Bazaar’s interview with Paltrow, head here. Look for the “Daring” issue on newsstands Oct. 18. 

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A simple yet powerful encounter at a fantasy and sci-fi convention is showing why representation is so important for young kids. 

Last week, 25-year-old cosplayer Charles Conley shared an inspiring story on Facebook. 

Conley, who has been cosplaying since 2011, attended the multigenre convention, Dragon Con, in Atlanta this September. In his now-viral Facebook post, he wrote about his decision to dress as Batman for the convention.

“As many of you know I’ve had to deal with issues regarding bigots who can’t seem to wrap their mind around the idea of a black guy cosplaying Batman, because ‘Batman is historically white, there are plenty of black characters you could do instead,’” he wrote. “Well I cosplay Batman because I love the character and because representation matters.”

Conley said he was walking around in his Dark Knight costume when he came across a little boy with his mom. Conley explained that the boy was a person of color and wearing his own black-and-yellow Batman outfit.

“He couldn’t have been more than 5 or 6,” he said.

“This little boy saw me approaching and immediately stopped dead in his tracks, tugging at his mother’s hand,” the cosplayer recalled. “I could see him point at his hand (the skin) and then pointing to me.”

Conley approached the boy, who was a little frightened by his full armor outfit, so he knelt down and put out his hand for a high five. 

“With all the force he could muster he slapped my hand, with the biggest smile on his face,” Conley wrote. “He told me he wanted to ask me something so, still kneeling I leaned in with my ear.

‘Batman,’ he said timidly, ‘You’re brown, just like me! Does that mean that I can be a real superhero someday too? I don’t see a lot of brown superheroes...’”

The cosplayer said the little boy’s words “touched the deepest part of [his] soul.”

“If you know me, you know that I don’t ever break character but I broke down when he said that,” he wrote. Breaking his own cosplay rule, Conley then removed his cowl to show the boy his face. Seeing the boy light up made him tear up even more, he said. 

“I looked this kid dead in the eye and said ‘you can be any superhero you want to be and don’t ever let anyone tell you different. Being a brown superhero is a very special thing, and I know you’re going to make a great one.’”

The boy nodded, and his mother thanked him for making her son’s day. Conley said he then put his cowl back on, wiped away his tears and tried to get back into character as Batman. 

“These kids are growing up in a country where you can so easily feel like ‘less than’ because your skin is darker,” Conley wrote. “Police brutality and racism are being made ever so visible by today’s multimedia outlets, and these kids aren’t blind, they take that in.”

Ha added, “For kids like this little boy, the idea that you can one day be a superhero, no matter what your skin color is, opens up a whole new world for them. This is why I cosplay. This is why I’m The Batman.”

Conley concluded with the hashtag #RepresentationMatters. The post received over 11,000 likes and 5,000 shares, and the comments section is filled with supportive responses. 

He told The Huffington Post that he shared the story to show why diversity matters.

“I also just thought it’d be nice to share this heartfelt experience I had,” he added.

Conley has a prop-building business called Ebony Warrior Studios and also works as a chef. He said the response to his story has been “overwhelming,” as he’s received messages from as far away as New Zealand. 

The cosplayer told HuffPost that he hopes people who read his story realize that representation matters for kids. “There are not very many heroes of color in the mainstream world, and kids ― contrary to what you may believe ― see that and take it to heart,” he said.

“It’s so very important to let them know they have just as much opportunity to be one of these great superheroes,” he added. “Love the skin that you’re in, don’t think you have to change it to be accepted or ‘accurate.’”

He also noted that he doesn’t want to be seen as just “Black Batman” in the cosplay world.

“I may have beautiful chocolate skin but that does not define my cosplay,” he said. “So I’m not cosplaying ‘Black’ Batman. I am Batman. It’s not who I am underneath but what I do that defines me.”

Conley said he was bullied as a child and knows what it’s like to feel inferior.

“I am Batman today because I don’t ever what any kids to feel what I used to feel. I want them to know that there is hope,” he told HuffPost. “I pray that a short big-headed kid with thick glasses sees this a realizes that I used to be just like that.”

Conley added, “Everyone has the opportunity to be a hero.”

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Fresh off of calling herself a “19-year-old prostitute,” Kylie Jenner appears on the latest issue of Complex magazine wearing nothing but some latex gloves. She wanted to “try something new.” 

In the image, which was photographed by repeat Kylie kollaborator Sasha Samsonova (who gave us this steamy video), the reality star and beauty mogul sports a dark lip and high ponytail. She’s also covered in illustrations by contemporary artist Takashi Murakami. 

Inside the issue, the teen opened up about dealing with fame and her much-talked about lips. 

“I don’t hate my life,” she said. “I’m happy. But everything that comes with it —the paparazzi and not being able to do normal things? I’ve been famous for what feels like my whole life. I just want to know what it feels like not to be.”

Jenner added that “fame isn’t bad” but growing up in the public eye is “probably the hardest thing.” 

“You’re trying to grow up and make mistakes and everybody’s watching,” she said.

As for those famous lips, Jenner said they’ve “been an insecurity of mine all my life.” 

“This guy I kissed was like, ‘Your lips are really small but you’re a really good kisser. I didn’t think you were gonna be good at kissing,’” she explained. “It was so rude. From then on, I just felt like I saw guys staring at my lips. I felt like no one wanted to kiss me.”

The star said she lied about getting fillers because she “didn’t want to be a bad influence” to her young followers. 

“I didn’t want people to think you had to get your lips done to feel good about yourself. But they thought it was crazier that I was lying about it because it was so obvious,” she added. “I wish I had just been honest and upfront.”

To read more from Kylie’s interview, head over to Complex. 

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A nurse’s post about how her profession entails so much more than meets the eye has resonated with people across the Internet. 

Caitlin Brassington, a registered nurse from Australia, took to social media last week after a grocery store encounter she had with an acquaintance left her feeling upset. 

“She has never seen me in uniform and said that she didn’t realize I was ‘just a nurse’,” Brassington wrote. “Wow! Over my 18 year career I have heard this phrase many, many time, but today it got to me.”

The nurse decided it was time to break down why the role is so much more than “just” anything. 

“I will miss Christmas Days, my children’s birthdays, and school musicals to come to work to care for your loved one, and yet I am just a nurse.”

“I will miss Christmas Days, my children’s birthdays, and school musicals to come to work to care for your loved one, and yet I am just a nurse,” she wrote in a social media post. Later adding: “I have the experience and knowledge that has saved people’s lives. So, if I am just a nurse, then I am ridiculously proud to be one!”

While her words went viral after striking a chord with people across the internet, Brassington hopes the post will spur people to give themselves and others more credit for what they do. 

“I would also like for us as a society to stop using the word “just” when we talk about others and ourselves in reference to our occupation or vocation,” the nurse wrote in a blog post for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). “We are saving lives, shaping the minds of the future, and creating change. Stand tall, stand proud and support each other with unapologetic positivity.”

In the viral post, Brassington continued to describe the vast responsibilities her job entails. She’s performed CPR, counseled grieving parents, and treated and managed illnesses, the nurse noted. She also has the ability to suture a wound, and manage a cardiac arrest among so many other skills. 

“Am I just a nurse?” she wrote. “I have helped babies into the world, many of whom needed assistance to take their first breath, and yet I am just a nurse. I have held patients hands and ensured their dignity while they take their last breath, and yet I am just a nurse.” 

Since the post gained traction across social media, people have been commenting with sweet messages of gratitude and appreciation towards nurses.

But we should all try a little harder to be more respectful in our everyday lives, Brassington says. Ultimately we should be “giving more value to all of those roles that have been undervalued and diminished ... and learning how to speak to each other again,” she told ABC.  

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Let’s say you’re an animal rights activist. You start dating a fellow vegan who runs a nonprofit that works to end sex trafficking.

During your relationship, you meet women and children your partner helped save. Your partner tells you the things they’ve seen, horrors they’ve faced, and just how much is happening right under your nose.

Over the years, you get to know your partner’s friends and colleagues. Their passion is contagious and you realize their cause is incredibly important. You’re so moved that you join them in the fight to end trafficking while still fighting for animal liberation.

But your partner’s friends don’t even consider going vegan. How could people who care so much about one injustice completely disregard another? You’ve been working hard to support their mission and you’re disappointed they aren’t receptive to yours.

Well, this is how I’ve felt most of this year.

I know the inner workings of animal abuse, but I’ve also been black for nearly 30 years. I’m living with the residual effects of a country built on racism, but I’m asked to silence that side of myself in vegan spaces.

Because I know speciesism and racism so well, I couldn’t look at the plight of either demographic and choose one to care about. Here’s how my fight to end human oppression opened my eyes to animal abuse and why both issues are important to me.

I was raised with a responsibility to give back to my community. My vegetarian upbringing and fairly recent vegan lifestyle made me want to bring nutritional education to black and brown neighborhoods.

African Americans lead the country in obesity, hypertension and diabetes. Helping my community take control of their health through plant-based eating was my way of giving back.

I figured animal advocates would be just as passionate about getting people to eat plants, so I dedicated a year to connect with as many as I could. I wanted to learn best practices and see which of your strategies I could apply to my work.

But something happened along the way. I learned so much about the horrors of animal agriculture that my heart was pulled towards a new cause. My community was still most important, but I wanted to learn more about animal agriculture.

I learned the fate of male chicks in the egg industry and talked my family out of a trip to the zoo. I’ve watched so much footage of animal murder this year that the sight of meat is nauseating.

I’ve connected with vegans through my Instagram, my writing and in vegan spaces across the country. When human rights issues were ever mentioned, they didn’t seem welcome.

Vegans are beautiful people, but it was disheartening to see such disregard for the child labor laws being violated to make a pleather coat, the enslavement associated with a “cruelty free” candy bar, and the lack of diversity in the mainstream animal rights community.

These weren’t even topics I brought up. As a sign of respect, I never mentioned human rights issues in animal rights spaces, but I noticed a pattern in online chatter, casual conversations and the backlash intersectional vegans constantly face.

There’s this attitude of, “As long as no animals were hurt, I’ll buy it!” in the vegan community. It’s hard seeing people with such a capacity to care overlook the other injustices they support and judge vegans who recognized them.

But isn’t it okay to care about other things? Shouldn’t we show compassion to all animals?

I’m not here begging vegans to care about things like racism. With speakers like Aph Ko gaining more attention and organizations like Farm Sanctuary communicating veganism with respect to the black community, I trust change will come.

But I’ll ask that you stop judging vegans who fight for more than just non-human animals. I shouldn’t have my commitment to the cause questioned just because I consider other social justice issues.

I don’t have to overlook racism, sexism, poverty, enslavement and other injustices to advocate for animals. I couldn’t violate another cause I care about in the name of animal rights.

The same way I wouldn’t buy non-vegan food to support a black-owned business, I wouldn’t buy a vegan sweater made by children in Uzbekistan to support a vegan clothing line. It’s a balancing act, but it’s fulfilling to know both human and non-human animals weren’t knowingly harmed in the making of things I consume.

I named my vegan initiative “Wanyama” (which means “animals” in Swahili) to remind myself of the two causes I care about most: animals and my heritage.

The goal of each Wanyama Box is to stop people from eating animals by showing how delicious vegan food really is, but giving this vegan box an African name reminds me how I got here and what I stand for.

So call off the witch hunt. Just because certain vegans bring up human rights issues doesn’t mean we’ve forgotten the animals. Our hearts are big enough for more than one cause and we’re sure your heart is too.

For more on my initiative to get our loved ones to stop eating animals, visit Wanyama Box.

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White ink tattoos are all the rage these days, and after looking at some of these beauties, it’s pretty clear why. If you’re in the market for tasteful and subtle ink, going white might be your answer. And who knows, your boss might even dig it.

For those who aren’t familiar, white ink tattoos are applied the same way as any other color of tattoo and it works with all skin tones. The biggest catch with going white is that it requires extra care and cleaning during the healing process, because any scarring becomes more visible with the lighter ink. It’s also worth noting that tattoo ink fades over time, which can be more pronounced with white ink. In other words, it’s crucial to find a tattoo artist who specializes specifically in white ink.

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Pop singer Rod Stewart can now call himself Sir Roderick.

The London-born singer, whose career includes such hits as “Maggie May,” “You Wear It Well” and “Tonight’s the Night,” was knighted by Prince William at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday for his services to music and charity after more than 50 years in show business.

“It feels wonderful, it really, really does. It’s mind-blowing,” Stewart, 71, told reporters afterward.

The three-times-married Stewart was accompanied to the ceremony by his wife, Penny Lancaster, and his two youngest children, Aiden and Alastair.

Stewart said Prince William had asked if he expected to keep touring and recording.

“I said yes because I’ve got eight children, I haven’t got much option, and he just said it was well deserved. ... It’s been a long and wonderful afternoon,” Stewart said.

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If Victoria Beckham taught us anything, it’s that there is no piece of clothing more powerful than the little black dress. 

Like us, Jennifer Connelly must have seen “Spice World” her fair share of times. The 45-year-old looked outrageously beautiful in a simple LBD outside of “Jimmy Kimmel Live” in Los Angeles on Tuesday.

She paired the look with strappy heels and a clutch, but truthfully, the ultra-chic dress stands tall on its own. 

We’re all about making a big, bold statement on the red carpet (hello, Lupita Nyong’o!), but every once in a while it’s nice to be reminded that sometimes the best looks are also the simplest. 

Get the scoop on how to live your best life. Sign up to receive all the best tips and tricks here.

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“30 Rock” premiered 10 years ago this week, and since then, Tina Fey’s Liz Lemon has cemented her place in pop culture history. From her enduring catchphrases (”blerg!”) to her eating habits (”I believe that all anyone really wants in this life is to sit in peace and eat a sandwich”) to her moments of triumph (”high-fiving a million angels”), Fey’s heroine made an impact on viewers ― especially on women.

Although Liz Lemon’s feminism was certainly flawed, she had some empowering onscreen moments, and for countless women viewers, it was her idiosyncrasies and imperfections that made her so damn relatable.

Here are 25 Liz Lemon moments that showed women that it’s OK to be your weird, imperfect self.

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They say have blondes have more fun. Thanks to this innovative new product, blondes can get to the fun-having a whole lot faster.

Professional hair care brand Pravana recently launched the Blonde Wand, a tool it calls “the biggest thing to happen in blonding ever.” Shaped like a flat iron, the innovative contraption promises to lift hair seven shades in just seconds when used with the brand’s Pure Light Creme Lightener.

The process is achieved by sandwiching treated hair between two foils and running the wand over the foils in lieu of sitting under a dryer. Celebrity colorist Justin Anderson of the Chris McMillan Salon in Los Angeles told Popsugar that the more time you spend applying the wand to a piece of hair, the blonder it gets. 

Any non-natural blonde can tell you the idea of spending less time under a hot dryer is intriguing, but we had a few questions. Does it really work? And if so, how is it possible this thing doesn’t do extra damage to the hair?

We haven’t had a chance to try it out for ourselves, but a bevy of Instagrams, videos, and endorsements from hairstylists like Anderson have us hopeful this might actually be the most revolutionary hair product since the Dyson hairdryer. The wand doesn’t doesn’t heat as hot as a flat iron, according to Popsugar, and Anderson pointed out that it doesn’t clamp down on hair like a flat iron does. 

“Not only does it speed up the time, but there is a lot less damage on the hair because the lightener doesn’t have to sit on the hair for so long,” he told WWD last month.

On top of that, the coconut-oil-filled creme lightener sounds pretty much like a dream in itself. 

In one YouTube review, stylist James Gartner said the wand didn’t lift his client’s hair quite as much with one use, but boasted impressive results after the second go-around.

The tool is available for use in professional salons. Head to Pravana to find a salon near you. 

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Halloween is fast approaching and already draining parents’ wallets, but dad La Guardia Cross says he’s not spending a penny on costumes this year.

In his latest comedy video, Cross and his daughter Amalah get into the Halloween spirit and demonstrate “10 incredible, DIY, cheap, at-home things you can do with what you have laying around the house already.”

All you need are items like garbage bags, tape, empty cardboard boxes and toilet paper,  and you can transform your toddler into a princess, a Kanye West runway model, a “Ninja Turtle on the cheap” and more.

LOL at the “Intelligent” costume.

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This is why we can’t have nice memes.

We all know Kenneth Bone ― the undecided voter who asked Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump at presidential debate about energy policy. Despite Bone being inexplicably still undecided, we’ve grown to love his calm demeanor, his vibrant fashions, and toying with his existence on the internet.

Long live the #BoneZone, right?

Unfortunately for Bone, he entered the zeitgeist just weeks before Halloween. IZOD has already mostly sold out of the iconic red sweater he wore.

So, what’s a Bone fan supposed to do?

Well, in true Halloween spirit, Yandy has turned the Kenneth Bone uniform into, uh, a costume. They’re calling it the “Sexy Undecided Voter Costume.”

Yes, you read that right. It’s a sexy costume.

We have absolutely no idea why you’d want to go as a sexy Kenneth Bone for Halloween, particularly when the costume costs nearly $100. Oh, and the mustache looks more like Groucho Marx’s than it does dear Kenny Bone’s. 

The costume description says it features “an iconic red crop top with cap sleeves, a white cropped undershirt, blue high waisted pants with a back zipper closure, the must-have mustache, black glasses and a microphone.”

Apparently, Yandy started taking pre-orders on Tuesday and sold out its initial run “within four hours,” according to People. 

To this, we say: NO.

This costume and this entire election belong in one place and one place only:

Let good memes lie, friends. Just let them lie.

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