If you've recently walked past your local Zara, noticed an empty shopwindow, and asked yourself what the hell was going on, well, prepare to grab your smartphone. On Thursday, the fast-fashion retailer announced that it has introduced an augmented reality experience at 120 of its stores worldwide, which aims to engage its consumers in an entirely new way.
After downloading the Zara AR app (from either iTunes or Google Play), customers can point their phones at the aforementioned shop window, as well as "via in-store podiums, on boxes they receive delivering online purchases and via dedicated images at zara.com," and models Léa Julian and Fran Summers are brought to life for seven- to 12-second sequences. In the clips, the two present the current Studio Collection by posing, moving, and even talking, offering up an oddly realistic experience. All looks shown can then be ordered directly at the touch of a button or bought locally in the store. And, according to a release, "the app features a tool for sharing the experience on social media, encouraging users to take and submit photos of the holograms, establishing a virtual connection that appears remarkably real."
Still curious how the technology works? In the video below, you can take a closer look at the augmented reality experience before trying it for yourself.
The AR app is just Zara's latest experiment with innovative technology: In January, the retailer opened its first click-and-collect concept store in London. The 2,152 square foot space offered a dedicated area for collecting online purchases, a selection of menswear and womenswear, sales assistants who held mobile devices to help customers with sizes, stock, and collections, and self-service checkout. The store's dressing rooms were just as high-tech, with information screens embedded into mirrors that allowed customers to scan barcodes on items that then offered up "multiple choices for coordinating and combining the piece with other garments and accessories."
As if we needed another reason to feed our Zara obsession, well, its continued intersection of retail and technology — and not just examining how people shop, but providing them new ways to do so — has us coming for back for more. That, and the 4D models, of course.
When you've been blessed with natural curls or coils, you've already got a canvas for some of the coolest hair accessories out there. Stud your 'fro with flowers. Put pearls on the ends of your braids. Hell, you can even stick a few butterflies in your curls, if you're feeling fly. In the midst of all this creativity, we've forgotten about our day one: filigree tubes, or hair cuffs. The tiny decorations, usually sold super-cheaply, were the easiest accessories to clip on to box braids or locs. Now, naturalistas are finding so many ways to wear them — and are giving even the most expensive baubles a run for their money. See the styles we love, ahead.
At Curlfest, we were captured by these black-and-white braided bantu knots.
Over in Colombia, a stylist at Afrik Hair gave their client's curly cornrows some hardware.
Photo: Via @shellyafrikhair.
This arrow-shaped side braid, by Pekela Riley, adds edge to the model's soft brunette curls.
Photo: Via @maneaddicts.
"Get you a friend-muse that puts up w/ your creative bs," photographer Flo Ngala captioned. And clearly, it was worth the investment.
Photo: Via @flongala.
Thankfully, most filigree tubes are made from bendable materials — so you can use them to segment your French braid, like @shanillia26 did on her daughter's hair.
Photo: Via @shanillia26.
All queens deserve a crown... or a crown braid, like YouTuber SimplyNarshaaa. See her helpful tutorial here.
Photo: Via @curlslovenarsha.
If you don't want to braid all of your hair, take a page from KishMyKurls' book and make a smaller plait, leaving the rest of your curls loose.
Photo: Via @kishmykurls.
Lesley has a head full of beautiful brown curls, and the adornments only elevate her 'fro even further.
Photo: Via @freshlengths.
Somehow, all of this beauty's beads don't distract from her braided topknot, as spotted at Afropunk.
But at times, less really is more. This Afropunk attendee only needed three cuffs to make her puffs stand out.
Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
When all is said and done, it's Karl Lagerfeld who gets the last word. At least, that's what we took away from his latest interview with Numéro, in which he yanked off his leather gloves and snatched every wig within arm's reach. No one was safe: Jonathan Anderson, Jacquemus (though, he thinks the French designer is "pretty"), Virgil Abloh, his lifelong nemeses the late Azzedine Alaïa and Pierre Bergé, and more.
The Belgian creative director, couturier, etc. is aware of his own dark triad-type personality; it's partly why he's so revered — and so famous. But what makes Lagerfeld so disliked by his peers might be interviews like this. (In fact, in his chat with the magazine, he confirms: "All the other designers hate me.") And though we'll let you catch up on everything else he's said and done (we're talking decades worth of shade throwing), in the slideshow ahead, his latest slams are, as he'd have it, on full display.
We're not stirring the pot as much as it's a Saturday morning and we're ripe for a mug of piping hot tea. Head over to Numéro to read the interview in full — trust us, you'll want to — but, in the meantime, who's going to put the call out to Andy Cohen for a Real Housewives of Fashion? Because we think Monsieur Lagerfeld is ready for his peach. Apple? Whatever. C'mon, wig!
Azzedine Alaïa (and Pierre Bergé) "The worst thing about all of this, is that they try and blame me for their problems with working overtime. Azzedine [Alaïa], for example, before falling down the stairs, claimed that the supposedly unsustainable rhythms in fashion today were entirely my fault, which is absurd.
"When you are running a billion-dollar business, you must keep up. And if it doesn’t suit you, then you may as well mess around in your bedroom. I’m sorry but last year I lost my two best enemies Pierre Bergé and the other one. Azzedine loathed me, go figure. And for Pierre’s funeral, my florist asked me, 'Do you want us to send a cactus?'"
Photo: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images.
The #MeToo Movement "I’m fed up with it. I don’t even eat pig [in France the movement’s known as #BalanceTonPorc]. What shocks me most in all of this are the starlets who have taken 20 years to remember what happened. Not to mention the fact there are no prosecution witnesses."
Models "I read somewhere that now you must ask a model if she is comfortable with posing. It's simply too much, from now on, as a designer, you can’t do anything. As for the accusations against the poor Karl Templer, I don’t believe a single word of it. A girl complained he tried to pull her pants down and he is instantly excommunicated from a profession that up until then had venerated him. Its unbelievable.
"If you don’t want your pants pulled about, don’t become a model! Join a nunnery, there’ll always be a place for you in the convent. They’re recruiting even!"
Photo: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images.
La Madeleine Church "How awful! There will be no burial. I’d rather die. Since those miserable Hallyday family stories, a funeral at the Madeleine looks like a joke. I’ve asked to be cremated and for my ashes to dispersed with those of my mother…and those of Choupette, if she dies before me."
Photo: Nicolas Briquet/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images.
An Island Getaway With Virgil Abloh, Jonathan Anderson, & Simon Porte Jacquemus "I’d kill myself first."
Photo: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images.
Harvey Weinstein "I cannot stand Mr Weinstein. I had a problem with him at amfAR."
Photo: Alexander Koerner/Getty Images.
Men's Fashion & Male Models "Men’s fashion does little for me. I buy it of course, and I’m delighted that Hedi [Slimane] is going to Céline, but drawing a men’s collection and having to put up with all those stupid models, no thanks. Not to mention the fact with all their accusations of harassment they have become quite toxic. No, no, no, don’t leave me alone with one of those sordid creatures."
Photo: Florian Seefried/Getty Images.
Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
In the 19 years since Coachella began on a polo field in the arid desert of Indio, California, it has evolved from a rock-centric festival with a soft spot for dance music into the tricked-out official start of festival season. More than any competitor, Coachella has emerged as the defining music event of US festival season. It started off being programmed for a generation who prized music snobbery and nostalgia, fuelling the reunion of bands like the Pixies, New Order, and Blur and featured headline acts like Radiohead, Björk, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, with the buzziest up-and-comers in indie rock filling out the bottom of the bill. Over the years, the art installations have grown more grandiose, the festival package options have been diversified to include experiences far beyond a spot in a VIP lounge, the food offerings more gourmet, the brand activations more prolific, and the parties surrounding Coachella destinations themselves. One could skip the bands entirely and fill their day on the Coachella grounds with endless games of dodgeball, ferris wheel rides, Record Store Day shopping in the on-site retail hub, the silent dance party, yoga, vintage shopping, and getting their hair touched up.
And yet music remains at its core: Coachella sets the bar for every festival, whether it's reuniting heritage acts for a single performance or putting Queen Bey on the stage or giving the world the first performance of unexpected new music dropped by The Weeknd. Despite its pedigree as a trendsetter and tastemaker in music, it has fallen short in one area: the serious lack of women on its lineup for most of its history. There was a sharp uptick in representation in 2014, and Coachella is very near to equality with the 2018 lineup. Organisers are turning to Beyoncé this year to help right that wrong — she will be the third woman ever to headline the fest. She’s joined at near-top billing by SZA, St. Vincent, and HAIM.
Refinery29 spoke to several female artists who have played the festival, from top to bottom of the bill, and from the debut year of Coachella. We asked them to revisit their first year playing Coachella to tell us what it was like, how it has changed, and what they think Coachella's responsibility to gender equality should be. Here, Emily Haines, frontwoman of Canadian indie rock band Metric; DJ Sandra Collins, one of the only women to play the fest’s inaugural year; and Allison Robertson, guitarist for the Donnas, among others, all paint a vivid picture of the festival from its humble origins to the current brand explosion and celeb-palooza (with many a Lindsay Lohan appearance) we see on Instagram today.
What It Was Like Back Then
Emily Haines of Metric — played 2006, 2008, and 2013: "My first time playing at Coachella is an incredibly vivid memory. We were in the Mojave tent. It was packed, and every single piece of gear we had broke. It was so hot that everyone — and all the instruments — were melting. It was one of the most pivotal shows of our career because we just refused to stop. It all was music, and we refuse to be defeated by it. The audience was so with us; to this day, I think that was the first that I felt that connection and what was possible in terms of the beautiful connection that can happen between the audience and the band."
Allison Robertson of The Donnas — played 2003: "At the time it was new-ish, and something I had never been to. When we heard the name Coachella, we were like, What’s that? We knew Lollapalooza, because it was what we went to when we were young. When they asked us to play we said yeah, because that was iconic to us. Now, that’s how it is for Coachella. We didn’t have a lot to compare it to. It was this wide, flat desert space. There was some grass but it was very bland. They didn’t have all these spas and places you could retire to, like the party houses now. We stayed near there, but we just drove in and there was nothing. There wasn’t an awesome carnival vibe and there wasn’t a lot to look at.”
Princess Superstar — played 2002: "I was really excited when I got there to see that we all got our own trailers. It wasn't like any festival I'd ever been to before; the musicians were all together. We weren't separated from the headliners either, Björk and the Chemical Brothers weren't off on their own somewhere."
Allison Robertson: “I went back in 2005 to see Sloan, and they had a trailer that was a little neighbourhood with other bands. You’d see people go by fully made up or in their costumes on the way to stage. It promotes a cool feeling that other bands could stop by. Other festivals have big hangout areas, but that was the first time I’d seen the village setup.”
Jem— played 2005: “My artist caravan had a white picket fence in front of it, and at one point later at night there was a big hang in and around it with a load of amazing people, including The Prodigy. I remember telling Keith [Flint, singer] they’d performed at the first festival I went to in the U.K.”
At the time it was new-ish, and something I had never been to. When we heard the name Coachella, we were like, what’s that?
Sandra Collins — played 1999, 2002, 2008: "I played the very first one in 1999 — Absolut Vodka named a drink after me due to my performing at the inaugural Coachella. Compared to many shows back in 1999 and even 2002, Coachella and the care they put into taking care of artists is a breath of fresh air. They have a personalised gift made for you, usually an art piece. I once got a painting where they superimposed my face onto this woman holding a little dog. It was quite funny, a keeper for sure.”
Emily Haines: "Festivals are trying to create these experiences, and it’s not the mud and date rape that the American and Canadian festival scene used to be like at Woodstock '99. When that happened, it was so upsetting and it informed our opinion that Coachella was people with a different idea of what was a good time. We felt so welcomed. But when it started, things were a little scary for artists and concert-goers."
Princess Superstar: "I saw Björk in 2002, and it was amazing. I didn't realise she was one of the only women who have headlined the festival."
Emily Haines: "Obviously, recently there has been a massive shift in consciousness about the way we perceive women’s value and what we’ll accept as women. I realised, because of the time that we came up, I never saw an option other than putting blinders on and carving out my own reality. I felt like the best thing I could do was insist that I had no idea what anyone was talking about and forge ahead. In times like these, where we’re looking at the numbers, we’re sharing the spreadsheet, and talking about this stuff, Amy Milan of Stars said the best thing: Just because we had to do it that way, it doesn’t mean the next generation of girls need to have that experience. I respect the next wave and women who aren’t afraid to take a look at the landscape and say what they see. I took a different approach, but I’d like to think I contributed to the confidence they now have to ask why a promoter is afraid that a female performer can’t unify a crowd. It’s a new time for audiences. Music is different. Women are different. The idea that women can only play for women is something I found so hurtful and negating that I had to completely ignore it."
Metric play the Mojave Tent at Coachella in 2006.Photo: Karl Walter/Getty Images.
What It’s Like Now
Meg Myers — played 2016: "I had been told so much about Coachella: hot weather, beautiful lawns, a lot of hipsters backstage, a lot of great bands. It was pretty close to what I was told. It was really hot, and the site was really nice. I did bump into a lot of hipsters."
The Black Madonna — played 2016: "One of the things they wanted to do was take a proper portrait of everyone who played, it’s something they’ve done for many years. I looked over and there was a giant picture of Amy Winehouse. It was so touching for me, to know she’d sat there at some point in almost the same spot for her portrait."
Lissie — played 2012: "I was playing the first year they made Coachella two weekends. As an artist, to be able to say that you play Coachella is just a pretty awesome thing. I played it at like noon on a Sunday and, for me, it was about the honour of getting to do it and be listed on the bill among so many incredible artists, rather than how well attended the show was. If I’m being honest, at noon on a Sunday when it’s a 109 degrees outside, people aren't really trying to get up and shake off their hangovers quite yet.”
Kate Nash — played 2008 and 2014: "I was happy that to have a successful show there in 2014 because it was a really big deal that I'd been able to do that independently. Once I understood what kind of festival Coachella was — I've been there quite a lot now as an attendee because I've been living in L.A., like I've gone sometimes just to like see bands. It's the kind of festival that if you go for the first time, you don't know what it is. After that, you can go and just fucking enjoy it."
One of the things they wanted to do was take a proper portrait of everyone who played, it’s something they’ve done for many years. I looked over and there was a giant picture of Amy Winehouse.
Theresa Wayman — played 2011, 2014, and 2017: “Lady Gaga [ ed: the second woman to headline Coachella in 2017] was amazing. She's a stunning performer and her stage show is excellent. I don't listen to her music, but I went to see her headline Coachella. I've seen Major Lazer, The Cure, and lots of bands on that stage. I couldn't tell a difference in the vibe because she was a woman, because each headliner brings a different kind of crowd.”
Sara Watkins of I’m With Her, formerly of Nickel Creek — played 2007: "I think it does a festival disservice to not reflect a broad demographic onstage and off. Coachella has a huge, broad demographic in the audience. I can’t imagine Coachella wouldn’t want to reflect that onstage as well."
Georgia Nott of Broods — played 2017: “ I think [gender parity] should be a part of the world’s mission. The artists that play should represent the times, and I do think Coachella keeps that in mind. Its reputation requires it to be relevant.”
The Black Madonna: "One place we can really do the work is on the bottom and middle of the lineups, developing people. That’s what Coachella did with me. Their support has been a piece, as I grow, of my ability to headline larger shows. But that starts early. You have to find acts who are developing, and I think they have smartly done that. From a purely financial point of view, it's good to develop people who are of value to you in the long-term. Right now there’s a lot of room to emphasise that in marginalised communities."
Lissie plays the midday stage at Coachella in 2012.Photo: Frazer Harrison/GettyImage/Coachella..
A “Celebrity Spotting” Festival
Emily Haines: "It has gained so much clout. It felt like a SoCal thing, the first time I attended before I played at Coachella. It was a festival where you’d drive out to the desert if you lived in L.A. Maybe then people were flying in from everywhere, but it feels as if its progressed. Now it’s two weekends, and it sells out before the lineup is even announced."
Lissie: “I played the year they had the Tupac hologram, so I got to see Dr. Dre and Eminem and Wiz Khalifa. A girlfriend that I grew up with came out to join me, so that we could run around and take advance the fact that we were like kind of VIP. We had a trailer in the backstage, and you get access to certain garden areas. We were next to Dr. Dre’s backup dancers.”
Sara Watkins: "So much of Hollywood goes to Coachella that it is almost felt like there was an area just for celebrities — you know, the models and actors who want to hang out in a cool space, but need their own private space to not be bothered. I think maybe the Olsen twins were there?"
Kate Nash: "Being backstage, it was a weird festival. Coming from England, at festivals everyone is really dirty and look like they've been up all weekend already by the time they get there, and that's normal. But at Coachella, I saw Lindsay Lohan in the backstage and everyone looked really nice. I was like, Oh god. [laughs]"
Lissie: "I did see Lindsay Lohan, but I didn't talk to her [laughs]. And I saw Jared Leto, who will forever be such a massive babe because of My So-Called Life."
Lily Allen — played 2007: "I was playing in the Mojave tent. Just on the side of the stage before I went on, there was Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan, one of whom, and I can't remember which, gave me a joint, which I smoked. I'd never had California-grade weed before. Not even joking, I forgot every single word to every single song. I don't think they could have known that it would have that effect on me, but it was so horrendous — you can imagine. Ever since, I've had to have a screen that has all my lyrics on it, because otherwise I get catapulted back to that moment. I kind of just nervously giggled my whole way through."
Allison Robertson: "We did an record signing in the middle of one of the big fields and Elijah Wood was in the line. I remember meeting Kelly Osbourne backstage and at that time her reality show was on, and she was just becoming big. You saw a few people, but the real celebrities at the time were the musicians. It was a bigger deal walking by the Red Hot Chili Peppers and meeting them. We saw Tommy Lee and maybe someone from Metallica. There was a lot of rock royalty in attendance who weren’t necessarily on the bill."
Theresa Wayman: "I once saw Lauryn Hill there, and that was a huge deal for me. She's my idol. It's interesting when you see people like Lauryn or Björk in the VIP area, because it's like they go from being heroes to real people."
Just on the side of the stage before I went on, there was Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan, one of whom, and I can't remember which, gave me a joint, which I smoked. Not even joking, I forgot every single word to every single song.
Georgia Nott: “ Coachella is one of those ‘celebrity spotting’ festivals. I didn’t see many. I wasn’t looking. I did meet Mark Foster of Foster the People, however, who I am a huge fan of. He came to our set, which was pretty great.”
The Black Madonna: "My biggest starstruck moment happened when we got our credentials: Courtney Love was there. She looked really good. I stan, big time, and I flipped out and had to work to contain myself."
Allison Robertson: "Now it feels like every huge pop star, every fashion designer, every major actor and their daughter are at Coachella. Now it feels like if you don’t attend, you’re not a person...I wouldn't go to Coachella without a VIP pass, and not because I wanted to be mingling with famous people! I remember going when I wasn’t playing and realising there’s nowhere to go if you don’t have a VIP pass or access to someone’s backstage area. There was no shade, the water cost $10, and they wouldn’t let you bring your own.”
The Perils Of Playing In The Desert
Allison Robertson: "Any time a picture of us from Coachella comes up throughout our career, I would say please don’t show me because I was really red. I’m naturally someone who gets red when I exercise, and I get hot easily on stage. Having the stage lights plus that heat? And yeah, your guitar goes out of tune immediately. You might play well, but you might not sound like you can play at all. That’s always a concern as a female artist, you don’t want to come across as näive or not prepared. You have to do all this extra stuff to keep your guitar in tune like stretch your strings and leave it outside in the climate so it gets acclimated. Then you hope and pray it stays in tune, but it doesn’t so it doesn’t matter. [laughs]"
Jem: "Standing under the stage in the shade right before going on, I realised it was 107 degrees! Plus I was in a bikini top covered in Nars oil. Amazingly, I didn’t burn. No idea how that happened."
Lissie: "I’m a very loud, intense singer. I have to muster a lot of my core and have to have an inner springiness about me to get to where I can embody the notes that I'm hitting. When you're really hot and you're feeling sluggish, it can for sure affect your performance. You're not going to have quite as much energy to perform. But, there is this amazing thing when the adrenaline kicks in, you find yourself doing things that you didn't think were possible."
Kate Nash: "My first time was in 2008 and I remember just being fucking so hot. [laughs] I'm trying but I can't massively remember the actual gig. I think that was like a bit of a shit show with the gear, and the monitors. Everything can be really bad there because of the wind."
The Black Madonna: "When it was time to go to the show, no one had prepared me for the dust. I didn’t know the dust was a thing. I was wearing this beautiful white outfit, I get out there and the dust kicked in — it had been really dry. I quickly found my beautiful white outfit to be more of an off-white. [laughs] They handled it well, the staff were hosing things down, I was just a big baby who wasn’t prepared for it."
Georgia Nott: "Gotta make sure that Coachella outfit you’ve been planning for six months is functional as well as fashionable."
Sara Watkins: "One of the most beautiful moments at Coachella is when is the sun goes behind the mountain and the temperature drops five or 10 degrees immediately. Little rabbits come out and coyotes come out, and humans there feel refreshed immediately. They get a second wave of energy when that relief from the heat hits. You get a sense that a lot of people come out of their tents and campers only when the sun goes down."
Theresa Wayman: “We played in the tents the last two times we were at Coachella, and it's more of that feeling that makes me think of this festival — it's dark all the time. To me that's what Coachella is, being there and watching bands at night when its still hot. Our first time was on an outdoor stage in the middle of the day, and it wasn't quite the same.”
Princess Superstar: "I didn't have any problems like that [with the weather]. I just remember it being amazing."
Kate Nash in all-pink everything for her 2014 Coachella set.Photo: C Flanigan/FilmMagic.
The students that survived the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida are not Nazis. To most, this is an unnecessary statement. Simply put, they are young people who have experienced great trauma and loss that refuse to let gun violence continue to affect others the way it did them. These teens turned tragedy into an international conversation, but resistance to their message in the form of anti-Semitic and Nazi comparisons has made its way to the surface both online and offline.
Yesterday, a bipartisan group of Congress representatives co-authored a statement condemning the recent attacks on the students, reports Tablet magazine. “It is shameful for anyone to attack students – especially survivors of gun violence – with anti-Semitic slurs and Nazi comparisons,” reads their statement. “Policy differences are never an excuse for anti-Semitism. We condemn anti-Semitism in all its forms and reject any inappropriate evocation of the Holocaust or comparison to Nazis.” It should be noted that 40% of the Stoneman Douglas student body is Jewish, five of the 17 people killed that day were Jewish, and a number of the leaders of the Never Again movement are Jewish as well, so accusations of anti-Semitism are not only unfounded but grossly insensitive.
A survey released last week on Holocaust Remembrance Day found that many adults lack basic knowledge of what happened to millions of people only 70 years ago. While Holocaust denial is rare, the study found that the magnitude is largely underestimated with 31% of Americans believing that two million or fewer Jewish people were killed – it was around six million – and that 66% of millennials did not know what Auschwitz, the largest Nazi-run concentration camp, was.
In two short months, the Parkland students have initiated historic demonstrations of support for change, but some do not agree with their stance on gun reform. For the record, they advocate for stricter gun laws, more thorough licensing procedures, and the banning of military grade weapons from private citizens. They’re not trying to make everyone hand over all their guns. Harkening back to my high school physics textbook, it is said that each action is met with an equal and opposite reaction.
The argument that these pro-gun control teens are tantamount to Hitler is a classic example of association fallacy. So common in fact that it has its own name: “ reductio ad Hitlerum.” The idea is that a policy or idea leads to, or is the same as, Hitler’s institution of the Third Reich and therefore is wrong. Unfortunately, history shows that hate propaganda which has woven its way into meme culture and social media is effective. It is colouring the way people view the Never Again movement, often in place of researching it for themselves.
It is one thing to respectfully disagree with someone, it is another thing to launch hateful and insensitive attacks on students for trying to keep others from experiencing the same tragedy they did.
We've all complained about how much we've had to fork out to attend a wedding, but have you ever actually tried to add up the total? Well, a new study has found that the average cost of attending a wedding in the UK is now a pretty hefty £1,015.
This figure includes the cost of wedding gifts, clothing and accessories, food and drinks, hair and beauty, childcare, transport and money spent attending a stag or hen party.
It also includes any costs arising from attending an engagement party or other pre-wedding social events. So to be precise, it's the average cost of participating in every stage of a happy couple's nuptials.
The study found that the average cost of attending a UK wedding for bridesmaids is £1,058, while the average cost for the brides' parents is £1,450.
It's worth noting that the study by Provident asked a relatively small sample of 1,040 wedding guests how much they'd spent on attending weddings. The results showed that the average cost of attending a wedding abroad is now £2,050 - just over double the cost of attending a UK wedding. Provident has duly launched a "wedding guest calculator" to help guests estimate how much they might spend on attending an upcoming wedding.
Meanwhile, another recent survey asked 3,000 people what they find most annoying about weddings, and it makes for very interesting reading. Some 39% of respondents said they are annoyed when they're invited to a wedding ceremony abroad after they've already attended a stag or hen do overseas.
Given how much it can add to the cost, it's hard not to empathise with their irritation.
Break-ups are painful, unsettling, confusing – but often also necessary. Have you ever reached that stage where things are no longer quite right; when you know the longer you delay the end, the worse the recovery will be? Well, that’s how I feel about my phone. My metal companion is no doubt useful, but something about my relationship with it is starting to feel a bit… off.
I’m not alone. Adults in the UK check their phone an average of 33 times a day, racking up the equivalent of one month’s screen time every year. Personally, I feel that I’ve reached a tipping point. Any time I’m having difficulty at work I pick up my phone for distraction, then surface some 40 minutes later, no closer to finishing the task at hand. Though I could probably commute in my sleep, I obsessively check and refresh Citymapper every morning. I reply to WhatsApps within minutes of waking up, I think in Instagram captions before I’ve even taken a photograph, and can easily sit through dinner with my family while simultaneously scrolling eBay for vintage chairs.
So I’ve decided to take action. The American science journalist Catherine Price recently released a book entitled How To Break Up With Your Phone, which I’m trying out after seeing it splashed across social media (don’t worry, the irony is not lost on me). The first half of the handbook is intended to scare readers into action – with facts on how our devices have been engineered to addict us – before the second half lays out a 30-day plan for setting yourself free.
Week One
To begin, I’m trying to tune into my motivations for using a smartphone throughout the day. Am I picking it up out of boredom, anxiety, loneliness? Price reassures me that there’s nothing wrong with engaging in mindless distraction when you want to zone out. But for me, that state has become something of a default.
The next step is to install an app to monitor the time I’m spending connected (Moment is good for iPhone, Offtime for Android). On average I spend two hours a day on my phone, which I find horrifying (if I did anything for two hours a day – started to play guitar, learned French, took up karate – I’d surely become really, really good?). But according to Offtime’s data, this figure technically puts me behind 75% of other smartphone users. What’s more concerning is my number of sessions – 122 per day, more than 80% of people around the world. Essentially, I’m constantly checking in and out of my phone like a toddler with the attention span of a goldfish. Towards the end of the week I delete all social media apps. I hold the ‘x’ down on Instagram as it jiggles and asks if I’m sure I want this. I am.
Week Two
It’s hard to quit social media cold turkey, though. I may have removed the mobile apps, but end up logging onto the desktop versions, which is permissible according to Price’s guide as long as I ask myself why. This process of questioning is useful for someone like me, who engages with social for work (then often ends up getting sucked in beyond the call of duty). Has anyone actually been on the desktop version of Instagram? It’s clunky, a bit like operating Windows 98 and dial-up internet. Scrolling on my laptop makes the whole app feel even more voyeuristic than it usually does. I sign out.
This part of the break-up, according to Price, is about creating speed bumps that break down learned behaviour. It involves deleting push notifications, downloading an app-blocker for working hours and establishing 'no-phone zones' at home. The change that I find most useful is leaving my phone outside of my bedroom at night, which has an almost instant effect on the quality of my sleep. Rather than rousing to a shrill squeak, I wake up to Radio 4 and start the day calmer.
Week Three
This week is all about ‘reclaiming your brain’, undoing some of the negative effects that smartphones have on our attention span, memory and creativity. It’s to do with practising attention-building activities – like reading or meditation – and taking moments to pause when you’d usually reach for distraction instead. I find the urge to reach for my phone is strongest when I’m on public transport. But by opening a book to read for the entirety of my journey instead, I feel cleared of the usual fog that clouds me when I get off at the other side.
This pursuit of a zen state of mind is meant to prepare me for a 24-hour separation this weekend. My break coincides with a hangover, which makes things tricky as my inclination is to reach for WhatsApp and debrief the night before (one of my friends messages my boyfriend to ask if my phone has been stolen). I push through: I cook breakfast, pick up the papers, and go for a walk without stressing about getting a little lost. I also just allow myself to get bored, to let my mind wander. Throughout the day I’m actively more engaged in conversation than I usually would be. When I turn my phone back on, I find I haven’t missed anything anyway.
Week Four
An unwanted side-effect of my break-up is that I am becoming incredibly irritating. Like a former smoker who now can't so much as look at a cigarette, I freely offer advice to friends on ways they can cut down their screen time, regardless of whether they want it or not. Because karma’s a bitch, in the twilight hour of my break-up I slip up. What I should be doing in Price’s final stage is making temporary changes more permanent by cleaning up other elements of digital life (like email) and re-engaging with social media in a more mindful way. But on day three I clock up a full FOUR HOURS on my phone – a bit like going back to sleep with an ex when you’re on your way to getting over them.
What is interesting, though, is that I’m conscious of the destructive nature of what I’m doing, and a weird part of me is almost relishing it, as though I’m testing the boundaries of my newfound independence. Before this process I could have clocked up two hours without thinking, but I’m now fully aware (and fully guilty about) this chunk of time that I’ve lost.
Which means I bounce back. By the end of Price’s plan, while I still have the tendency to fall down the rabbit hole, I am thinking more carefully about my phone, having transitioned from viewing it as a slavish keeper to a useful tool. I’m down to using it for around one hour per day, a lot of which is time that’s either useful or genuinely enjoyable – and when it’s mindless, I know it. I can’t say that I’m free of the traps of my smartphone, but after 30 days I do feel clearer, more focused – and even a little more free.
Despite Sweden’s reputation for progressive gender politics, two women have had to leave their positions in the wake of sexual abuse and harassment scandal for which they are being held responsible rather than the man who committed the crime.
Like Hillary Clinton’s pantsuits, Danius is well known for regularly wearing pussy-bow blouses. Men and women are getting creative to show their support. Many without a pussy-bow blouse are using scarves to recreate the look to post on Twitter.
Alice Bah Kuhnke, Sweden’s Minister of Democracy and Culture, joined in as well, donning her own pussy-bow blouse. “I find it frustrating that such a conflict ends with two women having to step out of the way,” she said later in an interview with a Swedish radio station. “I can’t accept that.”
“Fight the corruption!” writes one woman sharing a photo. Another dedicates her post to “all women taking the fight against male harassment in the literary world and elsewhere.” Others still use the photo as an opportunity to tag Danius and express their support.
I had to get out of bed to tie a bow to show my support for the permanent secretary Sara Danius, who was forced to leave the Swedish Academy which awards the Nobel prize in Literature #bowblouse#knytblus#knytblusförsarapic.twitter.com/Vx5TsJC8gM
On Thursday, Danius announced that she would be resigning from the otherwise lifelong position. "It was the wish of the academy that I should leave my role as permanent secretary,” she told reporters. As the academy’s deliberations are highly secretive, it is not known who chose to oust her, though many women have spoken out in her defence. Danius also hired a law firm to investigate.
The pussy-bow blouse has a long-standing history of coming in and out of fashion just when women need it most. It was first popularised in the ‘50s and ‘60s by high end designers including Coco Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent as part of the then-radical idea of reworking menswear styles for women. It resurfaced in the ‘80s as a popular style among business women looking for an answer to the suits and ties of their predominantly male co-workers. The blouse has come into fashion once again with the rise of the #MeToo movement.
The scandal has divided the academy with three members quitting in protest. Two former secretaries of the academy, Sture Allén and Horace Engdahl, have publicly expressed critical opinions of Danius, describing the reaction to the allegations as “overblown” and calling Danius a “weak leader.” To make matters worse, the New York Times reports that textile artist Anna-Karin Bylund reported Arnault to then-secretary Allen for sexual harassmen t in 1996 and he ignored it, saying, “The contents of the letter didn’t seem important.” Allen remains a member of the academy.
What a week that was, amirite? You survived and came out on the other side, ready to tackle another week of rapid-fire activity.
This week is about shifting multiple gears at once: On the 15th, Mercury finally releases us from his retrograde and starts to report on what he’s learned after taking a second glance at certain bits of information. Keep your ears open for what he says as he makes his third and final pass through this stretch of the heavens.
That same night, we enjoy the first new moon of the season in Aries. Expect more surprises ahead, since Uranus, the planet of sudden change, is tied into the moon's energy at the moment. You might be fine with that, actually. You’ve been getting plenty of practice with letting go since Mars, Saturn and Pluto have been duking it out with Mercury and Uranus for weeks. Set your new moon intentions around being bold and innovative in your life. Commit to taking action and risks.
Saturn turns retrograde on the 17th and invites us all to review our work to date. This planet is about doing the heavy lifting necessary to earn your stripes or master a particular challenge. Don't be surprised if life feels harder during this retrograde. We’re all learning how to satisfy Saturn and get the work done with more precision and authority. Own your Saturn and keep your eyes on your own paper. This is about you, not them. Thankfully, we get a break from all the fighting and thrashing about when the sun moves from warring Aries and into Earth-loving Taurus. Despite the chaos and madness that’s been going on, life is still good. It's the little things, like the flowers, the food, the music, the kisses, and the great love Mother Earth offers all of us. Give thanks and enjoy her blessings. Sound good?
Aries March 21 to April 19
After the last two weeks of constant battling with internal and external bosses, you need some time to come back to yourself and reflect. The energy of the new moon is intense and it will call upon you to be radical and revolutionary in your approach to life. Dare to be different. Take chances and embrace innovation. You’re the first sign of the Zodiac for a reason, Aries — you’re the one who starts us off on our individual hero’s journey. You’re a natural leader. The question is, what kind of leader are you becoming?
You might not have an answer to that yet, but you probably know what you do not want to become — and that’s a big piece of the puzzle. Saturn is turning retrograde on the 17th, meaning you get to review, revise and rework how you wield your authority in regards to your career and reputation until September. You’re working out who you’re going to be in this world, Aries. Be sure to make it someone amazing.
After all that questioning, you deserve a break. Luckily, Venus is here to assist. She’s begging you to spend a little money, have a good time with friends, and enjoy the good life. Treat yourself to a last-minute birthday spending spree, but you may want to put aside a set amount of money so you don’t blow your rent. It's a week of compulsiveness and excess, so don’t go broke in your efforts to drown out the noise of life’s deeper questions.
Taurus April 20 to May 20
Rest up before your birthday season commences, Taurus. The new moon will ask you to withdraw from the world for a few days to charge your batteries and do some much-needed soul-searching. Then you can finally bless us all with your springtime beauty.
The energy of this week is kinda weird for you. On one hand, you’re happy to have more clarity around your inner soul, but, as a Taurus, you have a hard time believing in anything that you can’t touch, taste, smell or see. It's unsettling to feel like, despite following the rules, there’s no guarantee that you’ll get the results you desire. While you may pride yourself in being down-to-earth, no-nonsense and practical, be cautious of becoming dogmatic or cynical in your worldview. You could be blocking your blessings in doing so.
For your birthday season, let others show you that there’s value in the intangible. Open your heart up to be wowed by the wonders of the universe, Taurus.
Gemini May 21 to June 20
Depending on how last week’s drama played out, this Sunday's new moon in your house of friendships and organisations will feel like a breath of fresh air for you, Gemini. If you lost a few friends or had to remove yourself from group texts for your own sanity, know that you did the right thing. You need to be around people who inspire you to take risks but can be trusted not to be shady and underhanded. Your friends are ultimately a reflection of you, right? Birds of a feather flock together, as they say. So as you say goodbye to old associations, be on the lookout for people who get you, your passion, and where your heart lies. Hopefully you’re of the Good Twin variety and looking to amass powerful friends who'll help you do good in the world.
Saturn going retrograde will help you review the finer points of intimacy and sharing resources with others. It may even prompt you to reevaluate your approach to such rawer emotions as rage and jealousy. Last week probably showed you what happens when we smother those urges and they find a way to sneak into places they don’t belong.
If you’re feeling icky about what you’ve witnessed, sign up for some goodwill volunteer activities in the next few weeks. Your ledger could use the good karma points. Hey, it can’t hurt.
Cancer June 21 to July 22
Your new moon story is about your worldly ambitions, Cancer. And those surely touch on your career, reputation, what you’re known for doing, and how you’ll be remembered. Who wouldn’t enjoy focusing on going after accolades in their field or feeling like a legend in their work? It's gratifying. However, it’s not worth a whole lot when it's a solo experience because then you'll have poured so much energy into your work and none will be left for your family, friends or intimate partners. It's like the story of Ebenezer Scrooge: He turned away from his relationships after he was rejected once or twice, dedicated his life to being ambitious (and a cold hard-ass), and in the end had nothing to show for it but a lot of money.
That’s the extreme telling of your current challenge, brought to you by Saturn retrograde. How can you make your relationships support your ambitions and your ambitions support your relationships? I’ll give you another hint, Cancer — relationships are just a mirror of who we are. We attract what we think we deserve in that moment (no judgment, no blame). If you’re struggling with your loved ones, look at where you’re struggling within yourself because they’re just the funhouse mirror of you. Take a long, hard look at who you’ve chosen to have by your side. Why did you choose them? Are they your biggest fan or your gravest enemy?
Leo July 23 to August 22
After last week’s conversation with Pluto, you may be wondering what’s true anymore. Is there anything that you used to believe in that you can still cling to? Maybe, maybe not, Leo, but it's good to know that beliefs can change and so can you. Use the new moon and Mercury turning direct to guide you in your discovery of a new belief system that actually inspires you. That may mean signing up for a new class, joining a new faith-based community, or hitting the road to find yourself out there in the wider world.
With Saturn turning retrograde, pay attention to where you feel stuck in your habits. Look out for ones that no longer serve you and take note if the thought of letting them go makes you feel anxious. You’re learning how to remain open-minded in the face of sudden change and that there's a thin line between healthy routines and obsession. You’re in control of your life, Leo. Be aware of how you allow your philosophies and routines to define who you are (and to what extent).
Try to funnel some of your driven energy into your career and goals (in a balanced fashion, please). If nothing else makes sense, your desire to shine brightly is always a steady constant, Leo.
Virgo August 23 to September 22
Hopefully your chat with Pluto last week set you straight, Virgo, because we so need you. The world is a mess and who else is going to help us get our collective acts together? With the new moon arriving on the 15th, remind yourself that you deserve to feel empowered about what you have to offer. You intuitively know what’s needed by those around you and you have a knack for cutting through the chaos to the heart of a problem. This is a brilliant and valuable gift to have. It's high time you thought of taking it on the road.
Don’t play small this week. Get into the spirit of sharing your talents far and wide with others. You’re learning that what you create, whatever it may be, is powerful and transformative. When you share it, you touch other people in unimaginable ways. With Saturn turning retrograde, your challenge lies in being spontaneous and free with your creativity. Take a page from Leo’s book when it comes to being expressive. If that’s not enough, look at what you do as an act of service. Think of all the people who will be better off after coming into contact with you. Don’t believe me? Fine, I dare you to prove me wrong.
Libra September 23 to October 22
You’ve come to the realisation that, when it comes to relationships, surface-level fairness won't cut it. Balance is created through pushing back and forth with others. It’s about being real — not over-intellectualising your interactions. Relationships demand vulnerability and a willingness to be emotional. You have to accept you might not be understood or wanted. (Whew, scary stuff!)
With this new moon taking place in your house of partnership, start a new story for your relationships, Libra. What would you like to create for yourself and others? Whatever it is, it's going to take a dash of raw honesty, a sprinkle of intimacy, and a big dollop of trust.
In the meantime, Saturn is reminding you that your most important work waits in your deeper mind. In order for you to do your part in your relationships you have to examine all the ways you feel blocked in being emotionally close to others. Remind yourself that love and intimacy can overcome time, distance and space; what it can’t overcome is a heart that remains perpetually closed to its advances. Ready to open up, Libra? Love awaits you.
Scorpio October 23 to November 21
You have a new schedule coming your way, Scorpio, thanks to the new moon showing up in your house of health and daily routines. Set intentions to make sure your daily grind feels good to you. You’re eating and sleeping well, you’re getting some exercise, you're hard at work refining your message. Last week had you putting some respect on your conjuring skills. Pluto told you enough was enough and to act like you know what the hell you’re doing — because you do.
This week, Saturn is turning around to review what you’ve come up with so far. Clean it up, and make it so easy to understand that even a 4-year-old would comprehend it. Practise the art of listening deeply and conversing intimately as you overcome your fears of being misunderstood. Know that all great teachers and communicators have to practise their craft in order to feel confident. So have fun every day as you challenge yourself to speak with respect, wisdom and authority. Create an environment where others feel safe to do the same around you.
Sagittarius November 22 to December 21
You’re here to create, Centaur. You have a need to express yourself in whatever way you deem fit. You’re here to be a light in the world and spread the good word like the fire sign you are, but guess what? All of that takes work. Much of it is hard and thankless, calling for sleepless nights, early mornings, and plenty of let-downs. Terrible, I know, but you’re going to do it anyway because you want to see results, don’t you, Sag?
The new moon arriving in your house of creativity is getting you fired up about your talents, urging you to own them and run far with them. Set new intentions about how you’re going to show up with your creative ideas and talents. Make sure you infuse plenty of revolutionary and innovative energy into what you do. This is a balancing act that’s going to take some trial and error to get right. My advice is to be okay with failing, reworking and trying again until you find a formula that works for you.
Saturn retrograding in your house of self-worth, values and money will ask you to reassess how you use your talents to boost your income and reinforce your self-esteem. Everyone knows that you’re naturally lucky, but this isn’t about luck, per se. This is about earning the right to your success. When you work diligently for what you have and see the fruits of your labour manifest over time, even supposed failure can't knock you down because at least you’ll know that you can dust yourself off and try again.
Capricorn December 22 to January 19
You know, it’s okay to lean on your family or those you consider your family, Capricorn. You’re so contained — the proverbial mountain, the rock that everyone goes to for support — but when you need a hand, who do you turn to? Do you even allow yourself to lean on someone during hard times? This new moon wants you to create a new story around your home and family. If in the past you felt unsupported, you get to change that by speaking up for what you want and sticking around long enough to receive the care that you need. Practise being kinder to yourself, Cap.
Saturn retrograding through your house of self will force you to be more aware of how you see yourself. There’s a difference between constructive criticism and just being plain mean and unyielding about everything you do. Maybe being pushed to succeed in all things was how love was shown growing up, but the care you show yourself now doesn't have to look like that if you don't want it to. Consider taking up a hobby that makes you feel empowered every time you do it. Get into the habit of praising yourself and others for doing their best. Be more generous with your self-love and watch it come back to you tenfold.
Aquarius January 20 to February 18
You can come out now, Aquarius, if only for some fresh air. Both the new moon and Mercury (which is finally direct) are asking that you make contact with the outside world again, but you’re going to do it differently this time around. Try setting some intentions to act on your words and thoughts. You’re still in a period of saying less but doing more, so don’t ramble about what you want to achieve. Say it once to yourself, then actually do what you said. Start small, like writing a daily to-do list, then progress to signing up for that class you’ve been meaning to take for years. Who knows? Maybe you’ll get around to completing that novel you’ve been writing for the last five years.
Step by step, you’re becoming the upgraded version of yourself, the one who's ready to take action on your dreams. Saturn is going to backtrack through your house of unconscious and review your guilt and fear. Facing your underlying fears is the only way to greatness. I know this doesn’t sound particularly appetising, but the alternative is never knowing what’s holding you back and, therefore, never being free enough to make your secret dreams come to life. So what’s it going to be, Water Bearer? Living in the shadow of fear or facing a new and uncertain reality of your creation?
Pisces February 19 to March 20
Settle into your body, Pisces. Indulge in your five physical senses. Appreciate the food on the table and the roof over your head. If you can’t appreciate those things just yet, allow this new moon to bring those practical, day-to-day luxuries into focus. Although you have a reputation for being otherworldly, you do live here (most of the time.) It's okay to desire stability in your life, don't be afraid to set some intentions around having more than enough, not from a place of greed or fear, but from a position of self-worth. Tell yourself you deserve to have more than enough of what you want.
Saturn will be helping you to get clear on what’s holding you back from having your immediate needs met. It could be the people that you hang out with who don’t support you the way that you support them, or perhaps your own impatience around meeting your goals. Think about all the times you've told yourself that you can live without a certain comfort because you deemed it excessive or too mundane for the spiritual being that you are. Would extra food in the refrigerator and friends who cheer you on be too much to ask for, Pisces? You value yourself enough to have those basics covered, right? Questions that need answers.
Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
If anyone understands the toxic combination of sexism and ageism that's used to demean and restrict women as they get older, it's Madonna. In recent years, the pop icon's every move seems to be met with reductive cries of "put it away" or "time to retire, grandma".
But one of the singer's defining characteristics is her determination to push back: if society tells her not to do something because she's a woman, and a woman who's not 25 anymore, she's sure as hell going to keep on doing it anyway.
In a new interview to promote her MDNA Skin range, she makes some typically perceptive points about the obstacles she faces as she approaches her 60th birthday in August.
"It’s an outdated, patriarchal idea that a woman has to stop being fun, curious, adventurous, beauiful, or sexy past the age of 40. It’s ridiculous," she tells The Cut.
"Why should only men be allowed to be adventurous, sexual, curious, and get to have all the fun until the day they leave this earth? Why should that only be the domain of men? How do we fight this? By standing up to men and by standing up to social mores or standards that say we cannot. The more women that do it, it will just be a matter of time."
Madonna goes on to explain that when she became famous in the '80s, she was labelled a "sexual provocateur" because she made sexuality an integral part of her work - something that was deemed unusual for a female artist at the time.
"Now, all the challenges that I had to face 20 years ago seem ludicrous," she reflects. "What I am going through now is ageism, with people putting me down or giving me a hard time because I date younger men or do things that are considered to be only the domain of younger women.
"I mean, who made those rules? Who says? I’m going to keep fighting it. Ten to 20 years from now, it’s going to be normal. People are going to shut up."
She's right - and that day can't come soon enough.
On Saturday night, Beyoncé became the first Black female headliner at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. In a performance that she called “very important for me” and that was politically charged, as has become her style, Beyoncé’s brazen tribute to Black history and Black culture has inspired mass reactions that reverberated across the internet. How could it not, after she declared Coachella forever changed: it is now Beychella.
In case you missed it, here are some highlights of how Bey made the stage at Coachella distinctly her own. She came to slay, and managed to light the whole desert on fire.
She paid tribute to the HBCU experience
Known for vibrant marching bands, show-stopping drumline performances, competitive choirs and Black Greek life, Beyoncé paid homage to historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). Since the debut of Black Panther, whose star is an alumnus of Howard University, America has a newfound interest in the legacy of HBCUs. From probates (aka pledges) stepping and strolling to being accompanied by a full marching band, Beyoncé’s entire stage show portrayed elements of HBCU culture. Her custom college letter sweatshirt that read BAK created so much interest fans hit the internet to investigate its meaning and where they could score one.
She sang the Black national anthem
Beyoncé broke into a beautiful rendition of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” a song crafted in 1905 by J. Rosamond Johnson using a poem written by his brother, James Weldon Johnson. Dubbed America’s “Black national anthem,” “Lift Every Voice and Sing” was embraced by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in 1921 as its official song and continues to be a hopeful reminder of how far African Americans have come.
She paid homage to iconic Black activists Fela Kuti, Nina Simone and Malcolm X
Woven throughout Beyoncé’s performance are strategically placed sound bites and musical references. You heard the voice of Malcolm X giving his reverent speech “Who Taught You To Hate Yourself,” about the need to respect and protect Black women, and the earnest vocals of Nina Simone singing about lost love in “Lilac Wine.” The soulful singer-songwriter was inducted into the prestigious Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last night. The band also played a rousing rendition of Fela Kuti’s 1976 title track “Zombie.”
In Black culture, we are conditioned to have a reverence for our family and family traditions. Beyoncé was born and raised in Houston, Texas, and in Lemonade, we learned her mother has roots in Louisiana. Beyoncé returned to her Southern roots by infusing Texas trill, bounce music and New Orleans brass band sounds. In addition to a cameo by her husband, Jay Z, and reuniting onstage with her musical sisters Michelle Williams and Kelly Rowland of Destiny’s Child, Beyoncé also performed special choreography with her sister Solange.
Beyoncé and Solange dancing to Get Me Bodied. I never knew how much I needed this until now. I love these legendary sisters. #BeyChellapic.twitter.com/qptNpH7iNj
In Beyoncé’s world, women are dancers, section leaders, instrumentalists, headliners, bosses, and moguls and all representations were reflected in last night’s performance. A sample of a reading by feminist author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie underlined Beyoncé’s overall message of women’s empowerment. She reflected on her achievement: “Thank you Coachella, for allowing me to be the first Black woman to headline Coachella. Ain’t that about a bitch?” Though it was a moment to celebrate her win, her response emphasised how absurd it was for the world’s largest music festival to be reaching the milestone so late in the game.
Whether or not you are in the Beyhive, the knowledge dropped during the superstar’s Coachella concert and her spirited celebration of Black women and Black culture was a masterclass that everyone needs to see.
Call it the Peaky Blinders effect, or perhaps it was all Dior's doing, but the baker boy cap is back, replacing the beret as your bad-hair-day saviour and statement-making plus-one. Primarily the uniform of dock workers, newspaper boys, and farmers in the 1910s and '20s, the stiff-peaked hat has been worn by everyone from Jane Birkin to Jeremy Corbyn since, and has now made its way onto the heads of off-duty models and street stylers alike.
Baker boy caps were styled with aplomb by back-in-the-day babes; in 1968, Brigitte Bardot taught us how to style our vinyl trench coat with her head-to-toe-leather look, complete with hard-as-nails cap. A few years later, Barbra Streisand in What's Up, Doc? wore a puffed-up checked number with long blonde tresses and mini dresses, while Jane Birkin spruced up a slouchy knit and denim get-up with a relaxed hat and wicker basket (another SS18 accessories trend to get excited about).
Later on, the baker boy cap fell into embarrassing dad territory (see AC/DC's Brian Johnson), with the exception of Diane Kruger, who has been an advocate for the nonchalant piece since the '00s. When AW17 rolled around, however, designers proved their wearability. John Galliano and Prada offered oversized suede caps, while Miu Miu paired canary yellow jackets with their baker boy pieces. Then, in the same way she made the beret the headwear du jour that season, Maria Grazia Chiuri had us head over heels for the baker boy cap at AW18 this February. Girls came down the catwalk in checked blazers and oversized sunnies, slogan knitwear and tulle dresses, all capped off (sorry) with the hat, a surefire sign that the trend is here to stay.
It's street style-approved, too; just one scroll through Bella Hadid's off-duty looks and you'll find more than one baker boy cap, styled with athleisure, suiting, denim minis, you name it. Teddy Quinlivan paired hers with denim, black accessories and a simple tank top in an understated move, while Zuo An Xiao proved that a more formal look– a sheer blouse and flowing culottes – works just as well with the casual cap. As for us? We're looking to Lou Doillon, who regularly oozes Parisian cool by wearing hers with a Breton tee and blazer. Whether you team with a ballgown à la Dior, or your denim overalls, the baker boy cap is the surprisingly easy-to-wear accessory we didn't know we needed.
In today’s digital world, smartphones and social media have become an essential component of our love lives. Not only can they play a vital role in starting new relationships, they also enable current ones by allowing us to communicate 24/7 with our SO. While there are definitely benefits to this connected love, a recent study suggests devices are often a cause of strain and arguments between partners.
According to the latest Kaspersky Lab research, 82% of couples stay in touch with each other online when they’re apart, and of those, 62% agree that it helps them feel closer to their partner – especially when they don’t live together. Nevertheless the study states that devices, and the way we use them, lead to fights, with over half (55%) of respondents admitting that they’ve argued with their partner over spending too much time on a phone or computer.
Being ‘always on’ means we’re switching off from real intimacy
These results suggest that most of us don’t appreciate being neglected and want our partner’s attention. Integrative psychotherapist, couples counsellor and life coach Hilda Burke says it boils down to the device user not being fully present. “Digital device 'addiction' is a pretty common issue among the couples I see, with typically one complaining that the other constantly checks their phone while they're out or spending time together,” she tells Refinery29.
“Being ‘always on’ means we’re switching off from real intimacy with our loved ones. While digital devices can serve a purpose to keep in touch when we’re apart from those we love, when we’re actually with them they often serve as a distraction. The most flattering thing in the world is to have someone’s undivided attention, however, since most of us are constantly within earshot and arm’s reach of an array of bleeping and buzzing, it’s becoming an ever rarer commodity.”
“Me and my husband have argued over my use of my smartphone in social situations a number of times, for example at family get-togethers or functions,” Manisha, 30, tells Refinery29.
“Smartphones do interfere with relationships, we rely on them so much and perhaps are sometimes too engrossed with what's going on in the online world, rather than being in the present moment. Now, I don’t check my device when I am at family events with the in-laws. However, he is on his device all of the time, and I always remind him to take some time to switch off.”
My partner and I have had a fair few ‘heated discussions’ about his smartphone use
In a study published in the journal Psychology of Popular Media Culture, individuals who were more dependent on their smartphones reported feeling less certain about their relationship, while those who felt their partners were too dependent on their smartphones felt less satisfied. The study showed that it’s common for people to feel jealous of their partner’s smartphone, as if it were the “other person” in the relationship.
The frustration of being phubbed (phone snubbed) can make us feel like we’re not worth our partner’s time, or that they’re not interested in us. “My partner and I have had a fair few ‘heated discussions’ about his smartphone use, in particular his obsession with playing games,” says Ruth, 29. “He plays this one game and because it requires so much concentration, apparently, he won’t look up from it or speak to me at all while he’s playing. His eyes are glued to the damn game. What makes me feel shitty is that the way he plays excludes me and makes me feel like I need to walk on bloody eggshells. God forbid I’d interrupt.”
Before you go blaming smartphones entirely, Burke reminds us that ultimately it’s down to our behaviour. "Whether technology's effect is good or bad depends on the user. It's important that we shouldn't be slaves to technology; it should help us. The Dalai Lama is right on point here – it's not technology, smartphones, digital anything that negatively impacts relationships, it’s how we use them."
If devices are getting in the way of your relationship, Burke suggests establishing boundaries over device use. “It’s healthy to have a discussion and some consensus about when and where (bed is a good place to start) both parties agree that devices should be switched off. The main thing is that both are in agreement over appropriate use.”
Matte lipsticks have reigned supreme for some time now. This is mainly thanks to a certain Jenner sister, who has made a fortune out of painting her full pout in every imaginable colour, from classic nudes to daring brights. But one of the most fun parts of beauty is the constant innovation and evolution, which sees us slathering on cool jelly cleansers, exfoliators without a grain in sight, and cotton sheet masks. The latest technology? Powder lipstick formulas.
Our first thoughts? The hassle: the mess, the lack of precision, the fallout. When By Terry's Lip Powder Essence landed on our desk, though, our doubts were removed. The powder comes in a narrow screw-top tube, and the applicator is thinner than a cotton bud. Designed to mimic a pen, it enables a neat and exact application, which works best when used as a liner to shape the lips first, then turned on its side to fill in the colour. The shades available are limited – there are just four – but gorgeous and highly pigmented. Pink Kiss is a bubblegum pink, Nude Flirt is a suedey pink, Chill Wine is a burgundy purple, and our favourite, Red Carpet, is a vibrant orangey red.
Photo: Courtesy of TERRY
So far, so good. The science behind the formula is pretty impressive, too. "The breakthrough powder-to-liquid technology has been created by coating water essence microbubbles with highly concentrated pigments," Olivia Sharpe, By Terry's digital coordinator explains. "The microbubbles then explode on contact with lips, miraculously transforming from powder to liquid."
You're best off layering the product to build pigment and resilience against food, drink and kissing; once on, it doesn't budge. In fact, it takes an oil cleanser to remove it – perfect for long work days and into-the-early-hours evenings. "It's the premium pigments within the formula which provide the high-impact colour, while the silica and water powders cling to the skin’s surface and lock the pigment in place, thereby delivering long-lasting and smudge-proof hold," Sharpe tells Refinery29.
Having tried many a lip product, though, we know that 'long-lasting' usually translates to 'drying'. While the silica adds hydration, the reapplication of the powder does make lips drier than usual, and there's nothing like feeling self-conscious about your lip colour to throw you off your work presentation. However, on second try, buffing lips with a toothbrush beforehand (to stop the colour clinging to dry bits) and a heavy dose of paw paw ointment, and it's a much smoother affair.
Photo: Courtesy of Chanel
By Terry isn't the only brand to launch a coloured lip powder, although it's certainly heading up the trend. Chanel dropped its limited edition Poudre à Lèvres back in February, a compact palette containing a balm and Naples-inspired vivid red powder. The balm is non-greasy and proves the perfect base for the powder (we recommend using blotting papers to remove any excess product), which can be dabbed on with the provided brush or smudged on for a more worn-in effect. The powder can also be used on eyes and cheeks, too, for a rosy finish.
While powder lip products are certainly fun to apply, highly pigmented and thus statement-making, they are more dehydrating than regular lip formulas (although no more so than matte lipsticks). If you're after durability and pack-a-punch colour, they're well worth having fun with – and that's what beauty's all about, right?
When Pharrell Williams says someone’s worth paying attention to, people tend to listen. The N.E.R.D front man and all-round creative genius has a knack for spotting real talent, so when he tapped dancer Mette Towley to star in the video for his comeback record "Lemon" last year, it was bound to be the start of something special.
The video, which also marked Rihanna’s first proper step into rap, opens with a shot of the Bajan singer shaving off Mette’s curls. From then on, Mette captivates the viewer with some serious dance-like-nobody’s-watching moves. This is typical of Mette’s joie de vivre; in the words of Pharrell: "She walks around with a psychic force."
But who is this unprecedented psychic force, and where did she come from? Born and raised in Minnesota, 26-year old Mette (pronounced "meta") is on a mission to use her art as a form of protest. Protest against the status quo, against racism, against women’s bodies being seen as public property. Whether it’s her unflinching gaze or her super controlled, self-assured, can’t-touch-this dancing, Mette’s method is her message. She’s in charge.
This artistry runs through everything Mette does, and is born out of her unbridled passion for self-expression. Which is why the dancer was also tapped by G-Star RAW, the cult denim brand of which Pharrell is Head of Imagination, to be ambassador for its new range, G-Star Shape.
Jeans aren’t known for affording flexibility – especially not the kind of moves you see on Mette in "Lemon" – and yet the new G-Star Shape has introduced a whole new concept to the usual denim offering. These new jeans fit like a glove and feature pioneering pattern construction and extra-stretch denim, which allows them to move freely with the female form. Thought you could only get that from a pair of Lycra leggings? Think again. Then there's the curved, high-rise waist band which prevents gaping and gives a comfortable, 'second skin' fit. Just like Mette, we're sold.
Read on for four Mette Towley quotes (from her new G-Star Shape promo video) which give you an idea of why we’re so into this rising star and everything she stands for...
"I've seen such a wave of change. The grey space is being filled with people that look different."
As one of the biggest new names on this creative scene, it’s great to see Mette standing up for what she believes in. This change can be seen everywhere from the catwalks to the streets; finally the world has woken up to the idea that our differences should be celebrated.
"The spectrum is more vibrant than ever."
And may it continue to become more vibrant, as people of every shape, colour, size, gender and sex continue to express themselves in any way they see fit. We hear you Mette.
"There's no box for what beauty is anymore."
We’ve been championing this for a while, but it’s so exciting to see this message going mainstream. No longer will young girls have to grow up thinking there is only one type of beautiful, or thinking there is some sort of box you have to fit into.
"I feel most empowered as a woman when my strong silhouette isn't asked to compromise."
Ultimately, power and freedom come from being yourself, whether that’s in how you choose to dress for work or how you choose to dance in a club at 2am in the morning. Wherever you are, it’s about being true to yourself and dressing on your own terms.
Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
Warning: Some readers may find this essay distressing. Help numbers are at the bottom.
It was the early hours of the morning but the asphalt felt scorching hot under the bare soles of my feet. I was in a dissociative state of disbelief, tears streaming down my face and the smashed remnants of my phone in the palms of my trembling hands. My skin was red but the bruises were flowering underneath from where his fists had struck flesh from neck to hipbones, my arms sore from when he’d pinned me down on the hotel bed. I ran down the streets like my life depended on it; in a lot of ways, it did.
How did I get here?
It’s easy to forget the answer to that question. In the same way that, several years ago, sitting in the courtroom in the witness box, shielded by a flimsy paper screen, I momentarily escaped the confines of my chair and became a spectator on the pew alongside my father, my best friend, and his parents. My first-year university exams were around the corner, and my ex-boyfriend’s lawyer had just asked: "When was the first time he hit you?"
It had been picture-perfect. I was in my final year of boarding school and in a long-distance relationship with my boyfriend, who had already graduated. My family lived overseas but my close friends had become like sisters.
But then there he was. Popular, athletic, good-looking in the sort of way that lingers because you know it spells trouble.
By the time he started to become physically abusive I thought that bringing his actions to light would brand me 'the girl who cried wolf'
For whatever reason, he took an interest in me. And, over time, I began to reciprocate those feelings. It was scandalous, as everything is at that age; things did not end well with my boyfriend back home but within a matter of weeks I had replaced something irreplaceable with a charming surrogate who had his own car.
I didn’t know it then but that choice would change the course of the future I had been so meticulously building.
At first, there was no cause for concern. Every evening we would sneak out to make out in the park. I’d spend the weekend at his parents' house out of town; I’d be there on the sidelines at sports matches, cheering him on. A standard school romance.
Okay, so he had mild anger issues. I ignored it for a while. He would speed down the streets like a maniac – but boys love to race. He would tell me he wanted me to be curvier – but he just wanted me to look my best. He would show me videos of him burning the corpses of animals he had shot – but that was just sport, right?
Eventually, things became harder to ignore. His steroid use, his cheating, his substance abuse problem, his constant degrading statements about women, his clenched fists. I stuck around for a number of reasons; the main one, I admit, being my sense of pride, which overrode reason. I was a victim of self-imposed Stockholm Syndrome. Gradually, our relationship became a toxic cycle, devoid of trust and full of bitterness. I felt trapped and he felt trapped but neither of us was willing to let go.
Which is when I became a ghost; the girl full of confidence and brimming with positivity was gone. I felt empty and overpoweringly alone. My quest to find out whether my boyfriend was cheating on me (he was) had isolated my friendships and granted me the title of 'drama queen'. By the time he started to become physically abusive I thought that bringing his actions to light would brand me 'the girl who cried wolf'. He was good at apologising the next day, even better at pretending it never happened, and triumphed at placing the blame on me. There was nothing left so I believed him. I believed myself to be the cause of his anger, I believed I deserved it.
Being a 'drama queen' led to my becoming a statistic. It put me among the 25% of women who experience domestic violence in their lifetime. Among the 1.2 million women in England and Wales who reported experiences of domestic abuse in the year to March 2016. As a 'drama queen' I do not forget – I refuse to forget – that two women are killed each week in this country by a current or former partner.
I saw him once more, long after we left that courtroom. Amid the crowds in a train station, I felt him before I could see him. The restraining order may have been intact, but the fear enveloped my body in the same way it did that fateful morning; all I wanted to do was run.
I saw him once more, long after we left that courtroom. Amid the crowds in a train station, I felt him before I could see him. Fear enveloped my body.
This is what happens when someone tries to break you. The scars fade but they leave invisible imprints on your perception of every stranger, every man who asks you to stay the night, every Uber driver who picks you up when the world is cloaked in black.
Over the years you master the illusion of strength. You join marches, protests, read books and become educated on the fight of the women who came before you, while looking proudly at the women who are leading the fight now. But the past haunts the present, and there is an underlying fear that maybe you don’t belong after all, that maybe because you willingly forfeited your autonomy many years ago to someone you believed held more power, you lack power of your own.
We often talk about the actions that annihilate our trust in others but simultaneously forget the lingering effects of the aftermath.
I have a hard time accepting that this happened to me. Like many women who have found themselves in similar situations, I have an even harder time accepting that I am not at fault for getting caught in the avalanche. Most of all, I have a hard time forgiving myself; but I am trying.
If you are experiencing domestic violence, please contactRefuge's helplineon 0808 2000 247 or email helpline@refuge.org.uk
Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
The word "hipster" may be overused these days, but it's still a somewhat useful way of describing a certain type of person/thing/place, especially if it involves beards, tattoos, exposed brick and expensive coffee.
While New York's Williamsburg or east London's Shoreditch may be the first places that spring to mind upon hearing the word, neither place is actually as "hipster" as it might seem. At least, that's according to a new ranking of the "most hipster" cities in the world by MoveHub.
The Hipster City Index ranks 446 cities across 20 countries on five key "hipsterdom" indicators – the number of vegan eateries, coffee shops, record stores, tattoo studios and vintage boutiques per 100,000 people – and Brighton has come out on top for 2018, beating Portland and Salt Lake City in the US.
The popular east Sussex seaside town came in the top four cities in the world for three of the five indicators, with 37 vegan eateries, 125 coffee shops and nine record shops per 100,000 people.
Considering that Caroline Lucas, the Green Party's only MP in the UK, is one of Brighton's members of parliament (along with Labour's Lloyd Russell-Moyle), it's no wonder the city boasts a plethora of vegan restaurants and vintage boutiques to cater to its eco-conscious residents. It's also home to the zero-waste restaurant Silo, one of just a few of its kind in the UK.
Brighton and Hove has a population of around 289,200, a large proportion of whom are students (17,300, although it has an age segregation problem) and members of the LGBTQ+ community. It's known as the "unofficial gay capital of the UK", with 11-15% of its 16+ population identifying as lesbian, gay or bisexual.
David Farrell, 26, who lived in Brighton between 2015 and 2017, described the city's LGBTQ+ scene as thriving. "The sheer quality and range of options in LGBTQ+ nightlife in Brighton was particularly pronounced for me as I moved there straight from Moscow. Everybody should go to Club Revenge at least once – that place helped make me who I am today."
While Farrell said he had no doubt Brighton would score highly on the hipster ranking, he was surprised it took the top spot. "What about Shoreditch? Honestly, work permitting if I had a choice I’d definitely move back to Brighton at some point. It has a lovely vibe and as long as you don't take the pretentiousness too seriously, it's a great place to live. I loved pottering around the streets and seeing beautiful graffiti art, and the shops had some lovely unique pieces."
Georgia Murray, 25, who lived in Brighton for three years while she was a student at the University of Sussex from 2010, also said she was somewhat surprised by the city's place in the ranking. "Yes, the city has all the trappings a 'hipster' would be attracted to – a vegan food scene, fantastic gig venues and record shops, vintage clothes and furniture fairs every weekend. But at the same time, it's been celebrating these things for decades, way before the word 'hipster' was used to describe Shoreditch-dwelling bearded men with a penchant for ukuleles," she said.
"Brighton didn't feel hipster when I lived there, it felt extremely left-leaning, activist and hippy. You were more likely to see people playing with fire in the park than you were drinking craft ale, to be honest."
It was the perfect place to be a carefree student, she said, and she would regularly hang out at the beach, the South Downs countryside, the thousands of pubs and clubs, Iydea for vegetarian food, the North Laines for vintage shops, and go to gigs at the Green Door Store. But there were drawbacks: "It's a very white city, so while it has so much to do and see, it's not as diverse as its left-leaning politics would suggest."
Other than Brighton, no other UK cities made it into the "hipster" top 20, although some did make it into the top 50 – Manchester (27th), Edinburgh (32nd), Belfast (40th), Glasgow (42nd) and Bristol (46th). Big cities with populations over a million, like London, New York and Berlin, didn't make the cut because they'd need to have an abnormally large number of "hipster" hotspots.
The US is home to the most "hipster" places in the world, taking 16 of the top 20 spots, with Portland scoring highly for its vegan restaurants and world’s first vegan mini mall, and Salt Lake City for its tattoo parlours and annual international tattoo convention.
Meanwhile, Portugal's Lisbon was one of the only European cities to place in the top 10, owing to its high number of vintage boutiques and vegan food scene, and the Finnish capital, Helsinki, scored highly for its high density of vintage stores and coffee shops. The Helsinki Coffee Festival is one of the biggest in Scandinavia, attracting thousands of cool, bean-loving northern Europeans each year.
The 20 "most hipster" neighbourhoods in the world
1. Brighton and Hove, UK 2. Portland, USA 3. Salt Lake City, USA 4. Seattle, USA 5. Lisbon, Portugal 6. Fort Lauderdale, USA 7. Miami, USA 8. Orlando, USA 9. Helsinki, Finland 10. Spokane, USA 11. Tampa, USA 12. Eugene, USA 13. Minneapolis, USA 14. Atlanta, USA 15. San Francisco, USA 16. Rochester, USA 17. Bordeaux, USA 18. Pittsburgh, USA 19. Las Vegas, USA 20. Richmond, USA
The new IFC film Mary Shelley brings to life the story of the famed author. Shelley’s biography was just as tragic and as fantastical as the story for which she’s famed: Frankenstein. And although Shelley’s life would be marked by loss and heartbreak, she stands as feminist icon who fiercely fought for recognition for her work.
Shelley (portrayed in the film by Elle Fanning) was raised with an impressively liberal pedigree. Her father, noted philosopher William Goodwin, is considered the architect of modern anarchism. Her mother was none other than Mary Wollstonecraft, a pioneer of feminist thought at a time when women were considered, at best, property. She wrote A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, which was published in 1792, just shortly after the American Revolution. In the book, Wollstonecraft made the incredible insight that women are actually people, and are deserving of the same social rights of the time. She also argued that men and women should follow the same conventions regarding modesty and sex — a prototypical version of the double-standard idea. If women weren’t allowed to have premarital sex, why should men?
Sadly, Wollstonecraft died shortly after giving birth to Shelley. But her father raised her with his radical political ideas, and she was influenced by her mother’s writing. She eventually married a Percy Shelley, a political poet who left his wife to be with her. It was in this rich atmosphere that she decided to pursue a career as a writer, and she consorted with famed thinkers of the day, including Lord Byron.
Shelley wrote Frankenstein after, she claims, the idea of the story came to her in a dream. She was challenged by Lord Byron to produce a ghost story, who believed that women couldn’t produce a work of horror. History would prove Shelley to be the victor of the competition; Frankenstein is one of the most beloved horror books of all time, and has been adapted into several films and inspired a clothing line.
Still, despite the book’s popularity, Shelley still had to fight for recognition of her work. She endured publishers who believed that her husband actually wrote the story. While he provided some editing work on the book, Frankenstein is, as Fanning’s Shelley declares in the trailer, “It is my story.” Shelley would be forced to publish the book anonymously. Her name was later added in a second edition printing.
Later in life, Shelley’s success allowed to her to perform quiet charitable acts for other women. Shelley lived by the principles of her mother until her death at age 53. She blazed trails for women in literature, and proved that imagination doesn’t have a gender. At the time, this idea was revolutionary. Writers of all stripes benefit today by her contributions to the field — through her fighting spirit, she was able to make some progress for women. “My choices made me who I am,” says Fanning in the trailer, “and I regret nothing.”
Whether you're the one getting married or you're celebrating two other people who are committing to each other, wedding season typically involves a lot of planning. There's the dress (or bridesmaid dress), the registry (or gift-shopping), the sickeningly cute Instagram wedding hashtag (#WeSaidIDo), and, for some people, a weight-loss plan — or, at least, the pressure to start a weight-loss plan.
In fact, a 2008 study from Cornell University found that most engaged women (70% of the study's participants) envisioned an ideal "wedding weight" that was, on average, 23 pounds lighter than their current weight.
Kelley Kitley, LCSW, says that the idea of "sweating for the wedding " has become so ubiquitous because, unsurprisingly, people want to look as perfect as possible on the big day, and plenty of people equate weight loss with looking good.
While this trend isn't exactly new, millennials might feel more pressure than other generations. A study published in Psychological Bulletin earlier this year suggested that millennials are more likely to be perfectionists, thanks in part to social media. Now, more than ever, it's easier to compare ourselves to each other, and often not in the healthiest ways. It makes sense: Many of us can relate to seeing someone's sun-soaked beach wedding on Instagram and wanting to recreate it (or do it better).
Katharine Phillips, MD, a psychiatrist at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medicine, says that some people, even if they don't necessarily want to change their bodies, might feel like they should.
"Some people overly buy into the idea that they're supposed to look a certain way, when in reality there is an infinite array of body types and sizes," Dr. Phillips says. "The constant pressure of media messages can fuel a type of thinking error called 'should statements,' meaning that we think we 'should' look a certain way or be a certain weight, even when it's not realistic or right for us."
It doesn't help that weddings often involve so many photos that you'll frame in your home or share with your family and friends for years to come. Plus, being captured on camera can open a Pandora's box of insecurities that are only heightened if you already suffer from body image issues like eating disorders or body dysmorphia. And, just like we may have noticed wedding photos that found their way onto our Instagram feeds, we might be worried that others will judge our photos harshly.
Some people overly buy into the idea that they're supposed to look a certain way.
"[People] believe the photos to be representative of a blissful or 'happiest time' of their life and might believe they need to look their absolute best," Kitley says. "Plus, I’ve heard people say, 'These are going to be pictures you will look at for the rest of my life, so I want to look my best.'"
But, losing weight isn't a prerequisite to a wedding, and losing weight is definitely not a requirement in order for you to look good. It's far more important to be healthy, and to enjoy yourself, no matter your weight.
"There is so much more to be grateful for and excited about for your wedding — the partner you chose to spend your life with, the friends and family who are coming to support you, the honeymoon you might be taking," Kitley says.
If you find yourself feeling pressure to lose weight before a wedding, Dr. Phillips suggests reminding yourself that people are there to celebrate two people that they care about, not what you might look like.
"Tell yourself that you don't need to look perfect (no one does) and that the focus of the wedding will not be on you and your weight. Refocus your attention on connecting with friends and new acquaintances and enjoying the celebration," Dr. Phillips says.
Coachella will never not be the place to try the daring trends that give you pause in your real life — and this year was no exception. Walking the fields every day, we saw no fewer than 10 pairs of ass-less chaps, Beyoncé's makeup artist told us he loves the boldness of the glitter highlighter look worn all over the grounds, and every time we turned around there was another modern take on rainbow hair. It's safe to say that the urge to experiment is in the water here.
From pastel washes (thank Lucy Hale) to technicolor wigs, there were countless ways to sport colourful hair on display this first weekend. It was clear that some planned their looks far in advance — standouts included bright pops woven into box braids and light pink and purple allover colour — but the most popular look was a misting of spray color... and we know why.
Sephora, for the second year in a row, set up a free beauty tent that attracted attendees with its makeup bars and blasting AC. Numerous girls walked out of the tent with a whisper of colour in their hair throughout the weekend, which makes sense, because Hush, a brand that makes dope colour sprays that feel soft, not chalky, was set up inside. The brand's Prism Airbrush Spray comes in seven colours, like purple, pink, and blue, and gives any texture a subtle hit of colour, which meant that even those who didn't think ahead could get in on the colourful action.
Click ahead for a look at some of our favourite colourful hairstyles spotted over the weekend.
Not to self: Buy that shake-n-go wig you've always wanted, because you will have a reason to wear it next year.
Colour-spiked box braids were wildly popular again this year — and even better when done in spring-y shades of pink, green, and purple.
Spray, like the Hush formula, makes getting subtle colour at the last minute easy.
Most attendees opted for pink tips from the Sephora tent, but we love this take on pink roots, too.
This dreamy shade makes us yearn for a tropical vacation — or is it the desert dust? Either way...
This rooted look is giving us modern vibes.
We spotted this festival goer from across the installations and, quite literally, sprinted to see her hair. Tip: Pick two colours that are also present in your outfit for a coordinated look.
We fell for this girl's pink wash of colour from a few meters away — and it's just as good close up. You'll need a bleach job first (unless you're a natural blonde), but once you're light, the colours are endless.
Another example of how matching your 'do and outfit can take the whole look to the next level.
We also recommend matching your hair and sunnies, like this woman did on Sunday.
Once you get over the megawatt glow, your eyes can fully take in the dreamy pink hair.
Another great example of what a spray can do: add just enough colour to make you do a second take.
Washes of pale pink were huge this year...
With or without a root, the look was trending like crazy.
Go bold with a hot pink shade of spray. Hush's on-site brand rep said that the pigment washes out of brown and black hair immediately, but it might take two to three washes to remove bold colours from naturally-blond or bleached hair. (Say it with us now: "Oh this faint hue? Just my Coachella vibes fading through the week.")
Travel and accommodations were provided by Sephora for the purpose of writing this story.
Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
