Welcome to Refinery29’s new career column Advice From A Nice Girl. Each month, readers will be asking Fran Hauser, bonafide boss and author of the book The Myth Of The Nice Girl , their hardest career quandaries, from managing your overly emotional boss to overcoming your biggest work fear. But this advice column comes with a twist — the reader has to take Fran’s advice and report back.

This month, a 29-year-old Silicon Valley product manager has a tough question about asking for a raise.

Question: I joined my company two-and-a-half years ago as a marketing associate. I was making a career pivot, and I had no experience. I didn’t feel like I had any room to negotiate, so I accepted an offer that was well below market value.

But I was really excited about the future of the company and grateful to gain new skills. I’ve since worked my way up to senior product manager, and I have significant responsibilities. I love my company, my team, and my role, and I’m really good at what I do. But I’m still being paid almost 40% below market value despite getting a raise.

Until recently, there hasn't been a formal review process so there wasn’t an opportunity to ask for more money. When I did ask for a raise in December, my boss said he would talk to the CEO. In January, I followed-up with the CEO, and he said he’d get back to me after talking to the COO. I haven’t heard anything since.

To make things more complicated, there was an issue at work where I was sexually harassed. Things turned out okay — the company has handled it well — but it’s made me feel really shy about asking for more money after causing the disruption.

Our executive team is finally instituting formal reviews — and by all accounts mine should be positive. I thought it could be a perfect time to revisit my raise. But I’m nervous. I was hoping you could give me some advice on what to do!”

Fran's advice: First, I’m sorry you had to experience sexual harassment at work. And I completely understand how the incident made you feel uneasy and shy to ask for more money. It sounds like you addressed the issue and things turned out okay, so don’t let that hold you back from asking for a raise. In your head, you need to separate one from the other. If anything, be proud of finding the confidence to speak up and let it embolden you as you approach the negotiation.

When it comes to making your case, the most important thing is to take the emotion out of your ask. Being armed with concrete data and evidence allows you to present the facts (not your feelings), and it’s really hard to argue with facts. Do your research and substantiate the 40% below market value rate you reference. Did you talk to peers, recruiters, do online research?

I know this sounds like you’re going up before the Supreme Court, but think of it this way — the CEO and the COO will make a decision based on business goals and the bottom line. You want to prove how vital you are to both. Think about the value you bring to the company. Start a list of your accomplishments or ways you’ve contributed to the company — be as specific as possible, like X social media campaign garnered attention from the media and earned the company a new client or your work on X project drove this much in revenue. By simply writing these down, it will remind you of the power you hold.

Also, studies have shown that women who negotiate communally, meaning with an eye toward what is best for the organization instead of just what is best for themselves, have a better chance of success. Based on your list of gold-star moments, choose three biggest talents you bring to the table in terms of creating value for the company. They could be an authentic voice on Twitter or the ability to get clients to quickly sign off on ideas. When it’s time to ask for a raise, these examples will remind you of why you deserve one and will serve as proof points during your conversation. The most compelling requests for raises I’ve received focus on the person’s impact and the concrete results she’s achieved.

If you’re nervous, research tells us that women actually outperform men when negotiating on behalf of someone else. Think about how you would approach the conversation if you were representing your best friend or your sister instead of yourself. What would you say to advocate for one of them? Then, take that confidence and conviction and apply it to you!

Think about how you would approach the conversation if you were representing your best friend or your sister instead of yourself.

Finally, take the fear out of no. What’s your backup plan if you don’t get the raise? Is there something else you can ask for? Have you been wanting to go back to school or start a side hustle? Make a list of alternative asks, whether it’s tuition reimbursement or the ability to allocate time to your passion. If they still say no, ask for a concrete timeframe for when your compensation will be reviewed again. If you’re getting the sense that you’re being ignored and not going to be brought to market rate soon, it might be a good time to start looking for a company that appreciates your value and pays you what you deserve.

Follow-Up: Crazy timing… the day after I reached out I was offered a raise. While I am happy to have received more money, it definitely was less than I expected (and still below market rate).

I asked my manager if it would be appropriate for me to negotiate for more compensation. He told me that it was up to me but 1) he hasn’t asked for a raise because he wanted to be respectful to where the company is (raising series A, trying to be lean), and the extra money wasn’t important to him; and 2) it would put him in an awkward position because he would have to go negotiate for me. He did say that if I chose to ask for more he would support me, but I should think about if that was important to me.

Now I am a people pleaser: I hate when anyone is disappointed in me, especially my manager. Additionally, I take my reputation in the office very seriously (especially after the sexual harassment issue and as one of three women in a 25-person office) therefore it made the most sense to drop the issue.

Your advice makes me realise that I should have handled that conversation completely differently. I was unable to articulate why I thought compensation was important, and I let my manager make me feel that asking for more money meant I wasn’t a team player. I didn’t come to the conversation armed with statistics or tangibles. And I definitely wasn’t confident! I have had imposter syndrome my entire product manager career, especially given how I started and the fact that I don't have a technical background. In my head, I was thinking that maybe I didn’t deserve more money because I wasn’t good enough.

After receiving your advice, I ended up taking some time to write down all the ways I add value to the company and talked with a couple engineers I work with about my strengths and weaknesses. I realised that I do add a lot of value and a unique perspective. In our next 1:1, I am going to talk to my manager about a timeframe when we can discuss this matter again and next time, I will be ready to make my case.

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By now, you've seen the hashtag, read the reporting, and likely heard personal stories about Me Too. But what has the movement looked like on a global scale since it started seven months ago? Today, Google is mapping the movement with Me Too Rising, an interactive visualisation of search trends surrounding #MeToo, created in recognition of Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

Along the bottom of the site is a timeline that begins in early October, when The New York Times and The New Yorker published their first explosive, and now, Pulitzer Prize-winning investigations into Harvey Weinstein's decades of sexual harassment. As you move your cursor along that horizontal axis, the dates advance, until you reach the present day at the far right. Simultaneously, cities on the spinning globe above light up to represent the locations where the most people were searching for "Me Too" at any given time. Click on any location to see the top trending stories in that city.

With Me Too Rising, Google not only visualises the movement; it also recognises how the internet and online platforms served as a place for women to feel, see, and claim their power by connecting with other survivors and learning their stories.

"This is not only a significant moment in history; it’s a significant moment in internet history: Me Too marks a time when sexual assault survivors everywhere turned the internet into a platform for their voices and perspectives to be heard and respected," Malika Saada Saar, Google's Public Policy and Government Relations Senior Counsel, wrote in a post about Me Too Rising.

On the site, you'll also see a link to sexual assault resources, which include ways to get in touch with the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) and the Trevor Project. In tandem with today's site launch, Google announced it will give £350,000 in grants to RAINN and Girls for Gender Equity, because, as Saar rightfully notes, "Although global awareness of sexual assault and harassment is a crucial first step, awareness alone cannot fix the problem."

Watch Tarana Burke, founder of the #MeToo movement, speak about Me Too Rising in the YouTube clip below.

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Since the late ‘70s, we've been having a cultural debate around the negative effects of video games. It wasn't until games like Grand Theft Auto and Call of Duty became popular in the 2000s that researchers began seriously looking into how video-game violence affects children's psyches, specifically young boys. Now, in 2018, there’s a new breed of simulations on the market that are cause for concern: games that let children virtually perform plastic surgery, which are overwhelmingly targeted at young girls.

According to the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery 's 2017 survey, nearly 70% of people have considered getting a cosmetic procedure — double the amount since 2013. With plastic surgery on a rapid incline, it’s not surprising that hundreds of cosmetic augmentation apps exist. Browse the Apple app store, for example, and you’ll quickly find Facetune, which lets users erase blemishes and take a few inches off their waist, and FaceTouchUp, which allows you to see the results of a rhinoplasty procedure on yourself. But the problem isn’t necessarily the fact that apps like this exist on many popular distribution platforms (although we could certainly have that debate); it’s that some exist specifically for kids.

Yesterday, Today reported on a category of games, marketed for children as young as eight, involving cartoonish scenarios in which the user performs invasive surgery on women. While not all of the games are made by the same company, a significant amount are created by Bravo Kids Media. Face Surgery Simulator, High School Clinic Affair, and Princess Plastic Surgery are just some of the most disturbing. Here’s a quick rundown of what happens in Princess Plastic Surgery: A pretty princess was cursed by an evil witch and is now ugly beyond repair! The only way to reverse the curse is to undergo extensive plastic surgery that may include an eye lift, nose job, and lip injections — all performed by you, the player. She'll bruise, she'll cry, and once the bandages are gone, well, that's it... that's the game. Problematic much?

You might be convinced these types of games should be removed from all app distributors, and you’re certainly not alone. Parents are petitioning to censor any plastic surgery scenarios that might damage their child's developing self-image. But there's another side to consider: What if these simulations could potentially empower young girls to pursue professions in medicine?

Back in 2016, PLOS ONE published a study that found that male players of video games containing sexism and violence, like Grand Theft Auto, were more likely to identify with the character they were playing. So while Princess Plastic Surgery probably isn't great for anyone, it's also only one game of many — others involve playing veterinarians and dentists, and helping out patients in need. If the user empathises with the medical professional instead of the plastic surgery-addicted damsel in distress then games like these could have some positive effects.

In response to the recent controversy, a spokesperson from Apple tells Refinery29, “We do not want, nor allow, these types of apps on the store. We have rules in place against these apps and do not offer them on the App Store.” However, many from Bravo Kids Media are still available on Google and Amazon. A Google spokesperson tells us, “While we don’t comment on specific apps, we do have strict policies in place to prohibit apps in the Families collection on Google Play that promote negative self-image or low self-esteem, regardless of theme or intended user age group. We're taking the feedback from the community very seriously and are working to ensure that these apps are in compliance with our policies."

We’ve reached out Amazon and Bravo Kids and will update this post with their statements.

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While we may not be getting the next season of Stranger Things until 2019 (at least, according to star David Harbour), there's plenty of casting news happening right now to tide us over. Last month, E! Online reported that Maya Hawke, daughter of Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke, is coming aboard for the show's third season, and now two more new faces are coming to Hawkins — except you've definitely seen them before.

As if Stranger Things isn't nostalgic enough, they've cast two iconic 80s and 90s actors to really drive the point home. According to Variety, Cary Elwes and Jake Busey are joining the series — Elwes, from a little known movie called The Princess Bride, and Busey, son of Gary, who starred in Starship Troopers and, more recently, Ray Donovan. The two will play Mayor Kline, a sleazy politician, and Bruce, a journalist for The Hawkins Post, respectively.

We don't know much else about what these new characters are up to next season, but we do have some details about the plot thanks to Shawn Levy, the show's producer.

"Mike and Eleven are going strong, so that's a relationship that continues, and same with Mad Max and Lucas. But, again, they're like 13 or 14-year-old kids, so what does romance mean at that stage of life? It can never be simple and stable relationships and there's fun to that instability," he said at a panel, according to The Hollywood Reporter. He also confirmed that Steve Harrington (Joe Keery) would continue to be a dad figure to the kids.

The season started shooting at the end of March, so we've just begun what is sure to be a long process of clues and hints and set photos that won't really tell us anything until the show returns in (fingers crossed) 2019.

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I have had many conversations about TV over the last few weeks, all of which have gone something like this.

"I need a new thing to watch. You know, something light and funny and easy that isn’t Friends."

"Have you watched Please Like Me on Amazon Prime? You should watch Please Like Me on Amazon Prime."

"What’s it about?"

"Suicide."

"... okay."

"And... parents. Family. Depression. Cooking. Um, mental hospitals. Sexuality. Houseshares. There’s a dog!"

I’ve tried to explain Please Like Me as, respectively, " Girls meets Love, but with likeable characters", " Grandma’s House but Australian", "a twentysomething About A Boy " and "a serious Flight of the Conchords, but without the music", none of which is even nearly accurate. But like all really great TV, it’s pointless to try and explain the magic. It just is. And I’m furious nobody made me watch it sooner.

Written by and starring comedian Josh Thomas, the loosely autobiographical dramedy centres around Josh, a 20-year-old living in Melbourne, as he navigates the dating world, begins his first relationships with men (girlfriend Claire breaks up with him in the opening scene, telling him: "I just think we’ve drifted. Also you’re gay.") and supports his mother through her struggles with bipolar disorder. From the first episode, after a suicide attempt involving "quite a lot of Panadol and half a bottle of Baileys", two things become clear: 1) that Debra Lawrence as Josh’s mum Rose gives a performance more nuanced and heartrending than many Oscar winners, and 2) that this show that isn’t afraid to laugh at, well, anything.

In its four short seasons, Please Like Me ticks off an impressive checklist of real talk. Wrapped up in the offbeat lols there’s death, divorce, grief, STIs, adultery, homophobia, self-harm, drugs, depression, racism, cancer, anxiety, polyamory, religion and an abortion. And it’s not a tragic abortion or a guilt-laden abortion, but cheerfully matter-of-fact in both emotion and visceral detail, with Josh yelling his friendly support through the toilet door. There are painfully accurate parent/child arguments, charming intergenerational friendships, and moments of truly perfect millennial-whispering.

"I can’t be her carer! I don’t know how to do caring!" whines Josh in a hospital corridor after seeing his mother. "I don’t even know how to care for myself. I never floss."

Please Like Me chews over some of life's meatiest themes but doesn’t do anything as try-hard as ‘tackle’ them. It simply serves them; sweet, soft and beautifully tender. Bad food analogies are an inevitable side-effect, I’m afraid, as it’s also a show that will make you hungry. Josh’s gastronomic passions are given nearly as much screen time as his romantic ones. Every episode is named after a dish ("Rhubarb and Custard"; "Puff Pastry Pizza"; "Horrible Sandwiches"), most start with a cooking montage, and many of the show’s best scenes take place around a table. Episode four of the final season, "Degustation", unfolds over all 15 courses of a fancy restaurant tasting menu, while "Burrito Bowl" is the penultimate episode, and the most devastating.

The show was applauded by critics for breaking new ground, particularly in its frank, fearless depictions of mental illness and, more joyfully, of gay sex and relationships. Groundbreaking depictions of gay sex and relationships, of course, tend to be the ones most similar to average depictions of hetero sex and relationships – that is, shown in full. Josh’s love scenes aren’t limited to angsty, doom-laden encounters or primly chaste cheek-pecking. Like so much else in Please Like Me, they’re honest, messy, genuinely sexy and often hilariously awkward.

There are smatterings of the surreal – not least wondering why Thomas, an Australian comedian on an Australian show set in Australia, appears to have a Welsh accent (the internet is full of confused fan theories but no conclusive answer. Maybe Wales’ sing-song intonation is to Melbourne hipsters what Aussie rising inflections are to young Brits? Anyway, you’ll just have to let it go) – and it can teeter on twee, but don’t let that put you off. Watch in fist-gnawing self-recognition as Josh’s best friend Tom dates a composite of every kooky gal you tried to be in your early 20s ("Of COURSE she has a turtle"), stages baby/dog fancy dress photoshoots, and invents genitalia-based games to while the hours away.

Watch it because it’ll make you nostalgic for an intimate student house share you never actually had. The kind where you crawl, platonically, into each other’s beds for morning pep talks and keep up a stream of rapid-fire, deadpan piss-taking – dialogue that in real life would earn you a month of passive-aggressive kitchen notes but which on screen just seems witty and adorable. It makes you realise just how rarely we see TV friendships that are stable and affectionate, not ripped apart by screenwriters for the sake of a little drama. I’d rather watch Josh barricade Tom in his room with furniture as punishment for nicking his bougie dinner ("You will rue the day you ate my truffled macaroni and cheese!") than another Marnie/Hannah/Jessa melodrama any day.

Watch it because at least once an episode, there’ll be a line so perfect you’ll want to pause and write it down on your phone notes to recycle at a dinner party. Watch it for the theme tune, the brutally catchy doo-wop number "I’ll Be Fine" by Clairy Browne & the Bangin' Rackettes, which I thought was an old gospel standard until I looked it up. In the context of the show, it does sound almost spiritual – an alternative hymn to the creed of simply keeping on going.

And whatever you do, watch it slowly. Resist the urge to binge, and savour each episode as if it were a portion of Josh’s coq au vin. Especially because Please Like Me executed the signature move of all truly classy TV shows: quitting while it’s ahead. Thomas announced last year that the programme won’t be returning for a fifth series.

"This show is so intensely personal, it recreates the most intimate moments of my life and lays them out for anyone to watch," he said in his Twitter statement. "Seeing how people have connected with this show has been tremendously confidence building for me and I’m really grateful for that."

So please, watch Please Like Me. You’ll be grateful too.

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The good old-fashioned fling has a bad rap. We may be in an age of no-strings Tinder hookups and increasingly aware of the physical and mental health benefits of sex, but many people still turn their noses up at fleeting sexual relationships. More often than not, they're considered mere stepping stones en route to something more "serious" or, worse, as evidence that someone has commitment problems or even low self-esteem.

These impermanent relationships – whether they're one-night stands or last for weeks or a few months – are rarely considered valuable in and of themselves, but that may be misguided. Even very short-term, casual attachments can force us to be present in the moment and even helping us work out what we want from long-term partners. Here five women to tell us what they learned from their most momentous flings.

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For many, the idea of ethical fashion and sustainable clothing unfortunately still conjures up images of hemp and incense. However, over the past few years there has been a significant shift in the image of conscious fashion, with the birth of brands committed to producing clothing that is both ethically made and beautifully designed.

Slowly but surely, fashion brands are being held responsible for their impact on human life and the environment. This is thanks, in part, to international designers like committed vegan Stella McCartney – whose fabric innovation, sleek designs, and collaborations with brands like adidas have reinvented the concept of cruelty-free fashion – as well as the influence of the internet in spreading activism and raising awareness around our consumer habits faster than ever before.

While shopping ethically can be problematic (when prices are higher due to better production, and people morally judge you for shopping on the high street, it becomes a class issue), there’s a growing number of small, independent brands that stay true to creating clothes you’ll want to wear while implementing fairness every step of the way. And while fast fashion brands have a long, long way to go to overhaul the damaging and dangerous practices they currently employ, more are making positive changes.

So say goodbye to the idea that ethical equals beige calico maxi dresses, and hello to suede Chelsea boots, statement sleeves and box fresh trainers. From feminist and Photoshop-free platforms to brands working with global artisans to keep traditional craft alive, here’s our roundup of where to go to make your wardrobe more conscious.

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The big makeover scene, in which a plain, seemingly ordinary woman undergoes a sudden physical transformation, raising her up from ugly duckling to fairy tale princess, is a tried (tired?) and tested movie trope. Pretty Woman took a curly-maned sex worker in a crop top and thigh high boots, and made her a lady with a red silk gown and anti-frizz lotion; The Princess Diaries transformed a high school girl into literal royalty by tweezing her eyebrows; She's All That turned a nerd into a hottie worthy of the most popular boy in school by removing her glasses.

In some ways , I Feel Pretty, written and directed by Abby Kohn and Marc Silverstein and starring Amy Schumer, falls into that same narrative pattern. The difference is that in this case, the transformation takes place inside the main character's head. There is no physical makeover, because really, she doesn't need one.

Schumer plays Renee Bennett, a New Yorker whose deep insecurities about her appearance have held her back from reaching her potential, both professionally and in her personal life. She works for Lily LeClaire, the beauty company of her dreams, but is hidden away in a Chinatown basement with the IT developer. Her best friends, Jane (Busy Philipps) and Viv (Aidy Bryant), are supportive, but fail to understand why Renee can't accept herself as the strong, independent woman that she is and move on. It's an interesting role for Schumer, who's known for her extreme confidence in her standup comedy and persona on Inside Amy Schumer, but she sells it.

Everything changes though, when Renee takes a bad fall during a SoulCycle class and hits her head. (A nightmare scenario that is all too real for anyone who has ever struggled with a spin clip.) When she wakes up, dazed, confused, and missing a chunk of ponytail, she takes one look in the mirror and gasps: She's beautiful! Of course, this is just the concussion talking. Renee looks just as she's always looked; it's her own perception that's changed.

This twist on the traditional makeover storyline makes I Feel Pretty feel especially contemporary. We're living in a moment where the conversation around beauty has shifted gears, focusing on the importance of wellness, self-care and so-called inner beauty as the real way to join the ranks of the beautiful people. Of course, that doesn't mean women aren't constantly being harangued with competing messaging: Don't starve yourself, eat healthy — but don't be fat; Embrace your acne — but here's how to cover it up; Curly hair is magical — but only if you straighten it first and then careful re-curl each strand with a scaldingly hot wand in order to achieve peak beach-y muss. It's that inability to ever feel true satisfaction with oneself, to always strive for more attractive, more glamorous, more stylish, that I Feel Pretty seeks to make light of. And there, it does succeed.

Renee's delusion that she's the new Gigi Hadid enables her to find the strength to apply for a position in Lily LeClaire's Fifth Avenue headquarters. Her extreme confidence, which remember, doesn't match what we are conditioned to believe her looks call for, attracts a nice, funny, genuine guy (Rory Scovel, delightful and goofy as ever). Everything is suddenly going Renee's way. And of course, it goes to her already bruised head. Her friends, who have always treated her the way she's yearned to be treated, suddenly aren't good enough; why hang with them when she can now gain entry to the secret clubs in the back of shady dim sum restaurants, courtesy of her shiny beauty industry friends?

I Feel Pretty exposes the vapid emptiness of a looks-based existence. But it also goes a step further in positing that even the beautiful people are plagued with the same concerns as the normals. Renee's boss, Avery LeClaire (Michelle Williams), the blonde, ethereal socialite who has inherited the run of her grandmother's company is everything Renee has strived to be. And yet, she herself struggles with a squeaky, high pitched voice and vocal fry that makes her sound like a 6-year-old in high heels rather than a powerful executive. (Williams, incidentally, is perfection in this role, which showcases her impressive range and gives her the chance to be funny. She should be cast as funny more often!) Similarly, Renee's SoulCycle friend, played by Emily Ratajkowksi, may get hit on by random guys at Duane Reade, but she's struggling to get over a bad breakup. This would all feel trite, however, if Schumer didn't convey a true and messy emotion in reaction to these two seemingly perfect women. Her reply to Ratajkowsi's character's admission of low self-esteem captures that mood perfectly: "I want to punch you in your dumb face," she says, in a tone that conveys envy, relief, and sympathy all in one go.

Kohn and Silverstein's script is pretty much what you'd expect from a Schumer project. The dialogue is snappy, deprecating, and real, something that's not always the case for comedies about female insecurities. The action moves along at a brisk pace, interjected with upbeat songs, including Meghan Trainor's "Me Too," a veritable feelin' yourself anthem. But the co-directors also know when to slow things down, letting the camera linger quietly during more emotional scenes, like when Renee strips down in front of her mirror, her Spanx digging into her back as she examines her body with ever increasing frustration.

Still, the movie isn't perfect. Renee's experience is definitely that of a white, privileged woman who has the time and resources to worry about how she looks on a minute level. The lack of diversity in the film makes it far less inclusive than it should be, an omission that dilutes the message somewhat. What's more, while Schumer's character is given the leeway to fully explore her insecurities and potential, the same cannot be said for co-stars Bryant and Philipps, whose characters feel unnecessarily flat for such gifted performers.

The fact that Schumer herself fits into many of the prescribed beauty standards that the film is fighting against, is a point that has been made many times since the film's trailer dropped in February. And it's true, the trailer could do a better job of showing that Renee isn't actually the butt of the joke. But, despite what the initial —  undeserved — backlash would suggest, I Feel Pretty isn't designed to be taken that seriously. In fact, to do so is to deprive yourself of a movie that is, all in all, funny, cathartic, and more than a little bit moving.

I Feel Pretty is out in cinemas on May 4

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Today, H&M launches its Conscious Exclusive 2018 collection and, boy, are we thrilled. The pieces are more elevated than ever before, offering sumptuous jacquard fabrics and delicate dresses fit for summer weddings and garden parties alike.

The collection's aesthetic was inspired by the home of 19th-century Swedish artists Karin and Carl Larsson, with its green walls and ceilings, red accented furniture and abundance of botany, both real and illustrated. H&M's design team interpreted this artists' paradise to create a line bursting with intricate patterns and fabrications, hyper feminine shapes, and romantic finishes.

H&M's Conscious collections repurpose and recycle fabric to minimise waste and bring sustainable, technological innovations to our wardrobe. This time around, the brand has introduced two new materials to its line: recycled silver and ECONYL®, a 100% regenerated nylon fibre made from fishnets and other nylon waste join organic linen, cotton and silk, TENCEL™ and recycled polyester.

“It is a great thrill to introduce two new sustainable materials into the collection," H&M's creative advisor, Ann-Sofie Johansson says. "By creating gorgeous lace made of ECONYL® and beautiful jewellery crafted from recycled silver, we continue to stretch the boundaries of sustainable fashion. Also, the work of Karin Larsson took on a lot of significance, her stylised motifs, bold compositions and use of colour throughout the house were ahead of its time. She was such a strong woman and it’s that spirit that we channelled.”

The lookbook, shot by fashion photographer Mikael Jansson, stars Aamito Lagum, Giedrė Dukauskaitė and original super Christy Turlington, who has been a fan of the brand's sustainable offering for some time. “Ever since I learned about this collection I’ve been really impressed by what it stands for and the designs are equally appealing," Turlington explained. "Fashion and sustainability is no longer a contradiction in terms, and I think reusing and recycling is an important initiative across fashion. It’s really inspiring to see such fashion-forward designs being made from recycled materials.”

Our standout pieces from the drop? The show-stopping jacquard-patterned green dress, perfect for weddings; the silk dress in the same print, ideal for work-to-rooftop bar; the black and navy jacquard suit, which looks fabulous over a T-shirt or a lace black cami; and the silk-blend kaftan, which we plan on wearing in the city as well as on the beach.

Click through to find our favourite pieces from the new collection, and shop knowing your purchases are as sustainable as they are spring-perfect.

Launching on 19th April, the Conscious Exclusive 2018 collection is available in selected stores worldwide and online at hm.com.

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Can people just let Meghan Markle live? The former Suits actor attended an event wearing a sleeveless dress yesterday, a choice that's attracted a wide variety of absurd negative attention.

At yesterday's Commonwealth Youth Forum in London (where the temperature was around 25C), Markle wore a strappy pinstripe midi dress by Altuzarra, with a blazer by Camilla and Marc draped over her shoulders, which she took off once inside. An appropriate and unremarkable outfit for an uncharacteristically warm spring day, you might think.

Today Prince Harry and Ms. Meghan Markle visited the Commonwealth Youth Forum (CYF) at the Queen Elizabeth Conference Centre in London.
 Prince Harry opened the forum on Monday and for the last few days, the CYF has set up out to highlight the powerful potential of young people across the Commonwealth. 
Prince Harry and Ms. Markle met some of the young delegates taking part in the forum and heard about how they plan to approach the challenges facing young people around the Commonwealth. 📷PA

A post shared by Kensington Palace (@kensingtonroyal) on Apr 18, 2018 at 9:05am PDT

But no. Online, on both Twitter and Instagram, Markle has been criticised for both having, and exposing, her shoulders. While it's not common for royals to show their shoulders during official engagements, the reaction to Markle's skin has been disproportionate to say the least.

Beneath an Instagram post with a picture from the event posted on Kensington Palace's official account, a dispiritingly large number of people vented their disapproval at her outfit choice, with many making jibes about her "commoner" status, dubbing her an "attention seeker" and saying should would've looked more at home at Coachella. "I'm no fashionista but shouldn't her shoulders be covered? Seems a tad underdressed for the occasion," said @melissacolbourne.

This is why the royal family should not marry commoners. This dress is so .... so .... not appropriate, to say it nicely.

— Game Theory (@MsGameTheory) April 18, 2018

"Her dress does not seem appropriate for the occasion. She looks like the odd one out who didn't get the dress code memo!!," said user @makeup_by_zumra.

LMAO Nutmeg did not get the memo, she thinks she is attending coachella or a party😱😱😱

— keisha san (@striamia) April 18, 2018

Meanwhile, @alevonen had some even more prescriptive words: "The Brits know how to dress to the occasion and very rarely bare their arms in a sundress unless on vacation. This dress would look appropriate with a blazer on but not on the shoulders."

Many also took the opportunity to compare Markle to her soon-to-be sister-in-law Kate Middleton. "Kate is better than Meghan. Kate always [dressed] appropriate with the event. Formal or non formal. I think Meghan should learn from Kate how to dress [for] formal [events]," @ambuafifah wrote.

Another said: "Even in denim, Catherine walks and carries herself with poise and confidence and her clothes actually have a good fit on her. Meghan slouches and her clothes always look about 2 sizes bigger than they should."

However, many leapt to Markle's defence by reminding them that we are in 2018 and yes, women have shoulders. Some also drew attention to the fact that the Queen 'bared' her shoulders many times as a younger woman, as did Princess Diana, and Kate Middleton more recently.

I dunno. The Queen seems to be baring a whole lot of shoulder in those dresses. One doesn't even have straps! 😱 Scandalous! pic.twitter.com/Aq9nfr7XA5

— Cthomasgirl (@cthomasgirl) April 18, 2018

Instagram users @litzie_lipmen, pointed out: "You know, Princess Diana wore a lot of off the shoulder or shoulder less [dresses]."

For all the haters screami@g about Meghan's bare arms, what you're saying about this ? pic.twitter.com/myFm67Y4ws

— Madinina (@YLAUPA) April 18, 2018

Meanwhile, @maddylaboyy argued that "People who say MM [dressed] inappropriately by exposing her shoulders or [that] she is not dressing royal [are] full of crap because Princess Diana bared her shoulders all the time.... If you hate her because she is mixed [race, that] is one thing but don’t pick apart everything she does or wears."

On 8th November 2016, Price Harry released an unprecedented public statement addressing the treatment of Markle in the national press and online. It read: "Meghan Markle has been subject to a wave of abuse and harassment. Some of this has been very public - the smear on the front page of a national newspaper; the racial undertones of comment pieces; and the outright sexism and racism of social media trolls and web article comments."

The statement ended with a plea to "pause and reflect before any further damage is done", but that looks unlikely in now as the couple's wedding day on Saturday, 19th May approaches.

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How does that Shakespearean quote go? "Though she be but little, she is fierce." Now that Pluto is retrograde (and will stay that way until September), we'll come to understand the full truth of that sentiment.

Technically classified as a dwarf planet, Pluto remains as influential as the rest of the outer planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune). And though its effects may seem subtle, they'll be hard to miss while this small-yet-fierce planet is enjoying its annual backspin.

Where Mercury retrograde's effects are akin to stubbing your toe — it's jarring in the moment, but fortunately doesn't last too long — Pluto retrograde feels more like sitting in a jacuzzi that's slowly heating up: We might not feel it immediately, but as time goes on we'll become increasingly aware of its presence and what it wants us to address.

As Janelle Belgrave wrote in our April 'scopes, the issue we're expected to face during this five-month period is how we use and claim our power. This could lead you to question how much power you invest or perceive in your identity. You may realise your problems with power have more to do with your need to control your everyday life (your routine, your finances, even your friends and family). You might decide it's time that you start asserting yourself in situations where, before, you may have felt powerless.

Naturally, questions that touch on our relationship with power are extremely important — but understandably daunting to tackle. That's why Pluto retrograde sticks around for so long. This planetary period urges us to dig deep into our relationship with power and, first and foremost, sit with it. The longer we reflect, the more in tune we'll become with how our sense of empowerment affects the rest of our lives, from our self-confidence to our friendships.

Given enough time to reflect, we may find the courage to reckon with and even change our approach to control and power. Maybe you'll find a way to use your power to amplify the voices of those with less. Or, you might realise that seeking to control everything in your life is actually to your overall detriment. Ideally, you'll end Pluto retrograde with a better understanding of where your power is best used — and where you can actually loosen the reins a bit.

Like we said, these can be hard truths to face up to, so take it at your own pace. And don't forget: Slow-and-steady Saturn is also retrograde until September, so any hope of rushing through this Pluto backspin is probably out the window. With the ringed planet pumping the breaks, you'll have plenty of time to do the work that Pluto wants you to tackle — for better or for worse. At this rate, October's going to feel like a breeze.

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For full-time influencers, a thoughtfully curated Instagram grid full of envy-inducing photos is not only their portfolio, it's how they pay their bills. The upper echelon of the influencer community monetise their posts through LiketoKnow.it, a mobile service owned by influencer platform RewardStyle, which makes it easy to earn money when followers shop through affiliate links.

This weekend the 11,000 influencer-strong RewardStyle community was alarmed to discover the website PopSugar was not only displaying many of their photos without permission — it had also replaced LiketoKnow.it's links with its own ShopStyle affiliate links. PopSugar explained the posts were a mistake, the result of an experiment accidentally left live on site, but it's unclear if RewardStyle will press charges. (Although RewardStyle declined to share influencer earnings through LiketoKnow.it, a spokesperson confirmed consumers bought over $300 million worth of product in 2017.)

While the PopSugar incident is an extreme example of what not to do — you can't take someone else's photos without their permission and profit from them — it does raise an important issue: The ease of sharing on social media, combined with a lack of knowledge around what counts as copyright infringement, means people's work is often used without their permission. There's a good chance you've infringed on someone else's copyright on Instagram, without even realising it.

There's a good chance you've infringed on someone else's copyright on Instagram, without even realising it.

For help defining the grey area and getting to the root of what you can and cannot do, we went to Ryan Garcia, a professor at the University of Texas School of Law and co-author of Social Media Law In A Nutshell. Here, a handy guide to staying on the right side of the law.

Photos you designate as "public" and "private" are not in the public domain.

"When other people see my content labelled as 'Public' they may confuse that with content in the public domain, or just think, Oh, it's marked 'Public' so anyone can do anything with it. But that's not what it means. That label is simply the access granted by the author — in this case 'Public' means anyone on the platform can view and interact with the content. It is not a waiver of all other rights for that image."

To share someone else's Instagram photo, you need to get their permission.

"Without [permission], you're infringing on someone else's copyrighted work. There are a few times when that may not be the case — it depends on the photo itself and its origins — but the vast majority of photos you see on Instagram and other services that were taken by the individual posting the photo belong to that individual.

"Photos have been covered by copyright protection from the beginning — the social media revolution hasn't changed that. It's just a lot easier for people to infringe on others' copyrights."

You can only share Instagram photos without permission when Instagram allows it.

"Right now, for example, some pictures can be shared to Facebook or shared with individuals via DM or by Messenger. If Instagram were to create a function similar to Twitter's retweet, then that would be allowed as well. But anything that goes beyond Instagram's built-in functionality infringes on the rights of the author of that photograph. That would include taking a screenshot and posting it, saving the image to your computer or device and posting it somewhere, or even using a third-party app to automate those steps and repost someone else's photo — even if you give credit to the original photographer or you don't make money off reposting the content. I see plenty of people who think their behaviour is okay if one of those two conditions applies to them. Sadly, that's not how copyright works."

At the end of the day, you own the rights to the photos you post.

"If I post a picture to Instagram, I still own that photograph. I've granted a very broad license to Instagram to use that photo on their platform, and another license to my fellow users to see the photo, but I still get to control how it's used outside the platform."

Always abide by one simple rule.

"Only post content that you have the rights to post, meaning you created it or, if it includes content that belongs to someone else, you've obtained permission from the original creator."

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Maybe Adam Pally was right: We're living in hell. There's nothing I slurp up more readily than absurd drama between internet celebrities, but this week felt like a particularly heightened version of the dystopian nightmare we as a society are steadily hurdling towards. There's no reason you should be keeping up with any of it, per se, but if you are also weirdly fascinated by internet culture, or need something to talk about with your 13-year-old niece, or just want to feel better about yourself in comparison, then I've tried to break down the three main internet beefs currently unfolding below.

Bhad Bhabie vs. Woah Vicky & Lil Tay

Who are they?

Bhad Bhabie is the rap name for 15-year-old Danielle Bregoli, who you probably know best as "Cash Me Ousside" girl. Woah Vicky is 18-year-old Victoria Waldrip. Lil Tay is nine.

What's happening?

The exact origin of this feud cannot be pinpointed, but thanks to the sleuthing work of Jezebel, we can perhaps blame it on a good old fashioned rivalry between the two musicians, fueled by alleged racial slurs. All of this culminated in an almost-fight outside a shopping mall (?).

Cash me outside girl looks like DEBO out here. SHE SAID WASSUP WIT DAT SMOKE U WERE TALKING BOUT ON IG VICTORIA ? 😂😂😂

A post shared by DJ Akademiks (@akadmiks) on Apr 15, 2018 at 8:22pm PDT

Lil Tay is just kind of there for all of this, but had a lot to say after the fact in defense of Woah Vicky. The two appear to have some kind of alliance. I don't know.

"Broke ass bitch, you can't fight for shit and you a bitch," Lil Tay said in a video directed to Bregoli. "Go back to beating up your mom on Dr. Phil." She is nine!!!!!!!!

Why do I care?

Because at this rate, one of these women will probably end up president!

Lil Miquela vs. Bermuda

Who are they?

Well, first off, they aren't real, but it just gets stranger from there. The best way to describe Lil Miquela and Bermuda is "Sims characters who have Instagrams," except we don't know who is controlling them. Lil Miquela, aka Miquela Sousa aka it does not matter because she is not real, is meant to be a Brazilian-American 19-year-old influencer — and that's true! She has a million followers and is depicted via some impressive graphic design skills wearing all types of fashionable outfits hawking legit designers. She also is vocal about progressive movements like LGBTQ rights and Black Lives Matter.

Enter Bermuda, the polar opposite of Lil Miquela. She's a white Tomi Lahren-type character who is heavily conservative and loud about it. Her first post was back in September, but recently, she decided to start some drama. Or, maybe, drama started itself.

What's happening?

From what I can deduce, Bermuda's damage seems to be rooted in a mystery that's still unfolding. In order to pressure Lil Miquela to "come clean," Bermuda hacked Lil Miquela's account, posting, according to Motherboard, messages like this:

“Hi guys! Bermuda here. Soooo... you’re being lied to by a fake a*s person. Literally who is buying this for one second? Apparently a lot of you. …Sorry, Miquela. I tried to DM, I tried to call but you ‘stay curving’ me. You brought this on yourself, girl 😘 Leave me a comment if you care about the truth, k? 😘 Go follow @bermudaisbae.”

And what is this "truth"? Lil Miquela just revealed it:

A post shared by *~ MIQUELA ~* (@lilmiquela) on Apr 19, 2018 at 10:59am PDT

She's not real, which we all knew. But she goes on to build a whole narrative that we're just getting the beginning of.

"My managers, people I considered family, lied to me. @brud.fyi told me I was created based on the life and mind of a human named Miquela Sousa who grew up in Downey," she wrote. "That was a lie. The truth is I was built by a man named Daniel Cain in order to be a servant. Brud stole me from his company in Silicon Valley and 're-programmed' me to be 'free.'"

"Brud," according to their Instagram, is a rival robotics and AI group. But it sounds like there's more to the story — including this tidbit hidden in Bermuda's recent post:

More emotional than I thought it would be. Despite it all, there’s only three of us out there and we need to stick together. We talked it through and she said she’s going to come clean tomorrow. #discourse #learntotalk #theNextStep #literallyperfect

A post shared by Bermuda (@bermudaisbae) on Apr 18, 2018 at 3:59pm PDT

"Despite it all, there’s only three of us out there and we need to stick together," she wrote. Three. Three. That means there's another CGI robot out there who is another piece of this confusing puzzle, this Westworld of the Internet. Possibly this guy.

Why do I care?

Because whatever this story is, it's still unfolding, and so much work was put into setting it up over the past year that I need to see it through.

Mars Argo vs. Poppy & Titanic Sinclair

Who are they?

Poppy is an internet personality who makes music alongside cryptic, disturbing videos that appear to take down internet and celebrity culture. Mars Argo was an internet personality who made music alongside cryptic, disturbing videos that appeared to take down internet and celebrity culture. See the problem?

The two share/d the same schtick, have another thing in common: Titanic Sinclair. Sinclair directs all of Poppy's video, and before that, did the same with Mars Argo. Argo is accusing Sinclair of ripping off her persona and using it for Poppy — but there's more.

What's happening?

In addition to accusing Poppy and Titanic Sinclair of ripping off her identity, Argo has also accused Sinclair of "severe emotional and psychological abuse and manipulation." In a lawsuit filed on April 17, Mars Argo (real name Brittany Sheets) outlines the romantic relationship between her and Sinclair (Corey Mixter) that began in 2008 and spawned a number of creative projects, including Mars Argo and their YouTube channel. They released around 92 videos between 2009 and 2015, and began doing live shows.

"Although Mars Argo was growing in popularity during this time, Ms. Sheets was living a nightmare," the document reads. Their relationship ended in 2014, but Sheets says Mixter began to "repeatedly harass, stalk, threaten, and abuse Ms. Sheets, including — but not limited to — threatening to commit suicide, repeatedly showing up unannounced at Ms. Sheets' doorstep, breaking into her apartment, stalking her every move on social media, disparaging her to mutual friends, acquaintances, or others in the industry, and even physically assaulting her." This resulted in Sheets leaving Los Angeles.

She's been quiet on social media ever since, until returning this week with a statement to accompany the news:

I started this journey long before the #metoo movement found its footing, but I so am grateful for the brave women who shared their stories before me. I hope that by telling mine, I can be a voice for those who come after me pic.twitter.com/4uT7QHhEtz

— Mars Argo (@marsargo) April 17, 2018

She decided to come forward about the alleged abuse after being inspired by the #MeToo movement. She is seeking damages from Mixter for alleged abuse and from his company for copying her identity. She is also seeking a domestic violence restraining order. She is also seeking damages from Poppy for being an alleged accomplice in the copyright infringement.

Sheets, Mixter, and Poppy did not immediately return Refinery29's request for comment.

Why should I care?

Because a woman's success was buried and her career abandoned due to yet another instance of alleged abuse in the entertainment industry.

And that's what you missed on: Hell!

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Picture your pre-vacation self: exhilarated and glowing bright with anticipation. Now, picture your post-vacation self: exhausted and dulled down from jet-lag and work dread. Pre-vacation bliss is real, but post-vacation blues are even more intense. We can handle the preparatory work for our eagerly awaited getaways, but no amount of planning, packing, and smooth vacation sailing is enough to brace us for dealing with the eventual paradise lost. Especially when we ultimately hop straight off our budget redeye flights and into an office-bound cab or train.

To combat the post-vacation blues, we're going to need a checklist that will help us reenter reality. Ahead we're detailing eight tips to prepare your home before jet-setting off on yet another travel adventure. It's as simple as not needing to do a load of laundry or deal with dishes after that four hour flight delay complete with crying baby. Or as soulful as writing yourself a pre-vacation positive affirmation. So spare yourselves the negative vibes by situating your space ahead of time!

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Miss Africa Great Britain is a beauty pageant that takes place every year in a grand venue in east London. Founded in 2011, its mission is to “give young African girls born or living in the UK a platform to showcase not only their beauty but their culture, talent and creativity.”

The pageant is typical in that there’s an evening wear round, where the beauty queens parade down a catwalk in a beautiful dress and a crown; a cultural wear round, where the queens model traditional dress from their native African countries; a talent round, and an interview round. The winner goes on to become a goodwill ambassador for Miss Africa GB, a role which revolves around implementing a charity programme in their native country. Of 26 contestants from 14 African countries, last year’s crown went to Larissa Tcheukam from Cameroon, a student and health practitioner whose mission is to support the education of underprivileged children, which was the basis for her charity mission to Cameroon in March this year.

South African photographer Alice Mann, who moved to London in 2014, attended the 2017 pageant to shoot portraits of the contestants. Having grown up in Cape Town, Alice is deeply interested in the African diaspora and themes of race, identity and community run through her work. Earlier this year, Refinery29 featured her previous series Always Wear Your Best On A Sunday – a portrait series of the community at Walworth Methodist Church in south London. This new series on Miss Africa GB addresses similar themes, while inadvertently reframing beauty pageants and Miss World-type competitions as meaningful celebrations of women that can have multiple positive impacts.

Here, Alice talks us through the series, and what she’s working on next.

How did you find out about Miss Africa GB?

Alice: I found out about the pageant two years ago and it piqued my interest because of the scenes I’m examining and the images of empowerment, looking at African communities in the UK. When I initially tried to get hold of the pageant organisers two years ago, it didn’t work out, but last year I got an email from them to say auditions were starting, and that I could go along. I organised shoot portraits of most of the contestants. Miss Africa GB works with girls who have African heritage [entry requires at least one parent from an African country] and links to different African countries, and they work with girls in getting ready for the pageant too, increasing their confidence and creating a positive image around their cultural identity. It was a positive story, and I liked that. All the girls chose their own clothes for the portraits and I worked with a makeup artist who has an amazing sense of colour so it was a nice collaboration between lots of women, which was fun. In simple terms, I was looking at this positive sense of community, and I wanted to create images that people felt proud of.

What happens in Miss Africa? What’s the format, is it like Miss World?

Alice: I know that beauty pageants are seen as quite outdated and as these archaic standards of beauty that women have to conform to, but what I liked about Miss Africa GB was that it’s a self-defining idea of beauty, focusing on the individual rather than making people conform. Miss Africa GB is linked up with charities in Africa and the winner does charity work for the subsequent year in her native country, so it creates positive links between London and Africa.

Are the contestants judged on how they look or what they’re wearing or what they’re saying?

Alice: It’s a combination of things, they have several rounds including a cultural wear round. A number of them chose to wear their cultural outfits for the portraits, which I really liked. A lot of the contestants are second generation, born in the UK, so it’s that mix – it’s not necessarily African people or British people, the fact that they can be both is what I wanted to look at.

How old are they?

Alice: The age range was 18 to late 20s. And a lot of them were from outside of London – the pageant goes quite a bit wider than I first assumed.

How did they feel about you photographing them?

Alice: A number of the girls are models, or online personalities, and I created a portfolio for each girl I photographed and sent it back to them, which I hoped they might use somehow. The goal was to create images that they wanted.

Do you know how they hear about the pageant?

Alice: I think it’s quite mixed, a number of them were part of modelling agencies and found out about it through that.

Any other projects we should look out for?

Alice: I recently got published, which was quite cool; it was a series I worked on in Cape Town on drum majorettes. In an area that’s very badly affected by gang violence, there are these girls at a primary school who participate in a sport called ‘drummies’ which is taken very seriously as a sport in South Africa. I know in a lot of places it’s viewed as quite obscure, but these young girls train for hours and hours during the week and over their weekends; they take it so seriously and through it, they have become very empowered. It was incredible to work with them and they look amazing; they put on these uniforms of sequins and feathers and they just embody this confidence and power through being part of this team.

You’ve written about the fact that you are a white South African photographer who often photographs black subjects – and about wanting to dismantle white privilege. How aware of your skin colour are you when you're working on a project like this?

Alice: Being a white photographer is something I’m very aware of. I have to be aware of my privilege when I’m working with people – white or black. Having a sense and an understanding of the position that I’m coming with as a photographer is important. My awareness of my own position makes me more critically consider how I’m engaging with people. You can’t just ‘lightly engage’ on certain topics – you have to look deeper and that’s the way I tend to approach the subjects I’m working with. I am personally very interested in how migrant communities create a positive sense of community in a new place, and I wonder how I, as a photographer, can work to produce positive imagery, to counter the often negative imagery we see in the media of people who are seen as outsiders or ‘other’.

www.alicemann.co.za

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Dear Daniela,

I never feel like I get concealer right. After a late night, I really struggle to actually cover up my dark circles without making them look weirdly… grey. Also, when I get spots, I wonder if I’m actually drawing more attention to them in my efforts to cover them up. What concealer type should I be using? Help!

Amina, 24

The desire to cover our blemishes goes back a long way. The Tudors caked their faces in toxic lead powder, choosing to risk death over letting their smallpox scars show. And in Ancient Egypt, Tutankhamun was buried with his anti-acne treatments – apparently even in the afterlife, pimples are frowned upon.

You’re totally right that the sheer variety of concealers on the market, from liquids to creams and powders, is staggering. The names don’t help either – surely you want all concealer to be 'high coverage'? You aren’t buying it to kind of mask a spot.

I recruited one of my favourite makeup artists, Bobbi Brown’s Keeley Wilson, for answers. "There are lots of misconceptions about concealer, especially what’s actually best to use under the eyes and for blemish coverage," explained Keeley.

Let’s start with under eye, which is certainly my biggest beauty bugbear. "Lots of people seem to think that you need to buy a lighter shade to help 'brighten', but in reality that will only make any darkness look ashier," explained Keeley. "Providing you have the right shade, the other reason your concealer might look grey is because you need to use a corrector first. Think about it this way: If you had a purple wall in your bedroom you wanted to paint white, you wouldn’t just go straight in with the white. The darkness of the purple would show through, so you’d use a primer first to knock the colour out. It’s the same principle here – if you have a lot of darkness under the eye, use a corrector to take the worst of it out first." I love Bobbi Brown Intensive Skin Serum Corrector – it’s super hydrating but very lightweight – or try BECCA Under Eye Brightening Corrector for even more coverage.

Aside from ashiness, creasing under the eyes is enough to make you want to just put on sunglasses and forget about it. "I can’t recommend using an eye cream first enough. It’ll help to keep the area hydrated and so the concealer will feel and look less cakey," added Keeley. "The other thing is to use the right tools. I like to use a brush to apply my concealer, and then use my ring finger to pat over the top to take off any excess; the warmth from your finger will help to blend the product, making it look more like skin." I’d personally recommend Charlotte Tilbury’s The Retoucher, or the Bobbi Brown Intensive Skin Serum Concealer.

If your under-eye area is particularly dry, Keeley had some advice: "Use a concealer that has a slightly thinner texture. First apply a small amount of eye cream to prep, then use a brush to apply the concealer under the eye in an inverted triangle shape, making sure to blend the product out so that it’s not too thick. Then once you’re happy with how it’s looking, take a translucent powder and dust some over to keep creasing at bay."

Now, onto blemishes. As a rule of thumb, I’d say a creamy concealer is your best bet for covering spots – you can even get concealers with salicylic acid or other zit-busting ingredients for particularly juicy ones. "Always choose a cream or liquid concealer the same shade as your foundation," confirmed Keeley. "I’m not sure that fingers are best for these thicker textures, as you’ll only end up removing a lot of the concealer as you go. I always do foundation first, then use a small brush to dab concealer on, and then finish with loose powder. You really can’t afford to skip powder if you want it to stay." I love NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer or Glossier Stretch Concealer for blemishes, FYI.

If you’re looking to cover a larger area of pigmentation, scarring or uneven skin texture, you might want to step things up and try something heavy duty, like Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage. I’ve seen it cover tattoos, surgery scars – pretty much everything. The two tones in the pan let you correct then conceal, and the pressed texture makes it easier to apply to a large area without looking cakey.

That’s not all concealer is good for, mind you. Keeley’s shown me in the past how to use a small amount to highlight my brow bone or tidy up my lip line. In fact, one of my favourite tricks is to apply concealer to my lips before red lipstick. It takes all the natural tone out, meaning that your lipstick goes on a much truer red. "Also use concealer to highlight the brow bone! It masks any newly grown hairs, especially in between brow appointments," added Keeley.

Good luck!

Daniela

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Fashioned from Nature, the Victoria & Albert Museum's next big fashion exhibition, opens this weekend, inviting audiences to "trace the complex relationship between fashion and the natural world" from 1600 to the present day. The split-level show explores how designers have been inspired by nature – from the feathers of birds to the fluidity of the sea – and how, at the same time, fashion has harmed our planet. Asking two questions – "How can we design a more sustainable fashion industry?" and "What can we learn from the past?" – the exhibition encourages us to analyse our relationship with the Earth and with clothes in 2018.

Ahead of the show's opening, we've rounded up the four big talking points from the exhibition, from our gruesome ancestors to futuristic fabrications.

Fashion Vs. Nature Isn't New

Though fashion's impact on the environment feels like an immediate and urgent issue, thanks to fast fashion and a global fashion industry speeding up environmental damage, air and water pollution is in fact nothing new. In the 17th and 18th centuries, clothing was handmade with natural materials like silk, wool and cotton. Come the dawn of international trade, though, materials were imported from across the globe, with Britain sourcing from Asia, Africa and America.

At the same time, the 1800s saw mega technological advancement, meaning that the textile industry could be powered by steam, rather than relying on animals and wind. Add this to growing wages and higher standards of living, and you have a much greater demand for clothes, met at a much faster pace. The original fast fashion.

Our Kids Will Think Our Fashion Was Brutal

While the exhibition features some beautiful dresses, the most fascinating are the morbid pieces. On display are a pair of earrings from 1875 made from the (whole) heads of honeycreeper birds – statement earrings indeed – and an 1860s muslin dress covered in the green wing cases of hundreds of jewel beetles.

The use of whalebone and turtle shell was pretty common back in the day too, which begs the question: If we see these practices as cruel, damaging and unnecessary, what will our grandchildren think of our use of leather and fur?

Eco Doesn't Mean Ugly

Alongside an exploration of past fashion customs and the way they impacted our planet, there are some pieces at the exhibition that prove sustainability needn't be labelled worthy or staid. (Just look at H&M's latest Conscious launch.)

On display are: Calvin Klein's monochrome Met Gala look for Emma Watson, made from recycled plastic bottles; the floral dress from Erdem's Eco-Age Green Carpet Capsule; an up-cycled dress by Christopher Raeburn; and of course, womenswear from Stella McCartney, including her George Stubbs "Horse Frightened By A Lion" print shirt and trousers. If there was ever any doubt that responsible fashion could be contemporary and cool, this collection refutes it.

The Future Looks Hopeful

While the earlier sections of the exhibition could get an eco warrior down, you'll leave the show feeling hopeful. Look to Vegae, an Italian brand that turns some of the seven million tonnes of waste grape seeds, skin and stalks from wine production into vegan leather. A dress made from the chemical-free leather alternative sits alongside other pieces made from orange peel and pineapple fibre, too.

Alongside Katharine Hamnett and Vivienne Westwood's tireless work in promoting sustainable clothing, the Centre for Sustainable Fashion at London College of Fashion is undertaking important research and encouraging young and emerging designers to think more widely about the way they make clothes. Fashion Revolution too, a collective looking into alternative sources for our fashion, has posters on display, as does London designer Katie Jones, who created a vintage customised piece for Susie Lau in 2015. While the past certainly looks bleak in the context of our planet's current fight against plastic, chemicals and water waste, there is reason to be optimistic about our future.

The V&A is known for its blockbuster fashion exhibitions – think Balenciaga: Shaping Fashion; Undressed: A Brief History of Underwear; and Club to Catwalk: London Fashion in the 1980s – so there's no doubt this instalment will be just as successful as the last. The key difference with this show, though, is that Fashioned from Nature will be instrumental in convincing people to alter their consumerist habits for the greater good of our planet. In 2018, we're at a tipping point, and this might just be the action-inspiring show that turns the tide.

Fashioned from Nature will run from 21st April 2018 to 27th January 2019 at the Victoria & Albert Museum.

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If you've ever worked in a bar, café or restaurant, chances are you'll have some empathy for fellow waiting staff. It can be a tough gig – long hours, hard on your feet, bad tips, picky customers and measly pay. We asked one waitress to dish (sorry) the dirt...

How long have you worked as a waitress?
Two years.

What kind of restaurant do you work at?
An American-style bar and grill.

What are the best things about the job?
You get a free lunch. Plus, on a busy night you can get good tips.

What are the worst things about the job?
Dealing with drunk customers…or rude customers. Or serving customers who don’t tip. The restaurant I work at is big on service. Some customers pick up on that and take advantage by making silly complaints.

What are the most difficult aspects of waitressing?
It’s tricky when a customer complains [about the food]. Being the middle-man and the messenger is difficult – having to tell the kitchen that a customer has sent their food back is so awkward.

Do you get attention from male customers?
The restaurant I work at has a popular bar, so people are often drunk before they even sit down to eat. The waitresses get hit on a lot. Having said that, the owner of the restaurant (who is a woman) actually encourages the waitresses to flirt with male customers to get drink sales up.

Do you have a uniform?
Black T-shirt, trousers and apron.

Do you have a good relationship with your boss?
It’s okay. She tends to sit around and get drunk with the customers. She has a reputation for being a bit of a party girl.

What about the other staff?
A lot of the full-time staff stay after hours and drink for free. Two actually had sex in the stockroom after hours once.

What are the hours like?
We do either day or night shifts – so 9am to 5pm, or 5pm until midnight. We have a lot of eastern European staff who work double shifts though. I’m pretty sure there’s supposed to be a limit to how many hours you can do. It sounds like they’re being exploited but they really try to work as many hours as possible…which the employer ultimately benefits from, of course.

Staff often nick food off customers’ plates. Just the odd chip, nothing you’d notice.

Let's talk hygiene...
The cutlery and plates get washed in a massive commercial dishwasher, which in most restaurants will have seen a few years’ service. They’ll often leave bits of food on plates and between the prongs of forks. There’s usually a porter or waiter who will give them a quick wipe with a damp cloth to remove any bits. So basically, things are never as clean as you’d like to think. Also – kind of gross, but waiting staff often nick food off customers’ plates. Just the odd chip, nothing you’d notice.

Worst encounter with a customer?
A while ago I had a table – a couple of guys – who just walked out without paying. I chased them out of the restaurant but couldn’t really do anything about it. Another time a drunk customer had an altercation with my manager and spat in his face. The manager pressed charges and, as I was a witness, I ended up going to court. Another time, I served a large table and when I gave them the bill they basically claimed they had already paid. So the manager went over to the table and the customers made out that I had charged them twice. So humiliating. Most of the problems in the restaurant stem from the bar. There have been some fights between customers. It’s gone as far as the police being called. I don’t think anyone’s actually been bottled (so far).

Do you get good tips?
No. Not really. Any tables with under six people, the service charge is optional. Gratuity is encouraged but it’s very rare that your tips meet the suggested amount. I think anyone who has worked in a restaurant appreciates the importance of tips. The tips are shared out between servers, which causes tension because, obviously, some of us work harder than others, and some give better service than others.

What do the restaurant staff make of the customers?
Chefs will always complain about customers sending food back to the kitchen, no matter if it’s a legitimate complaint or not. I’ve never seen anyone actually spit in a burger, but to be honest I wouldn’t put it past them.

Do you give your friends and people you like free drinks or food?
Sometimes, but only because everyone else seems to. I don’t take the piss with it, though.

What's it like working with a hangover?
Bad. I’ve come to work pretty much straight from a night out before. Not as bad as one waiter I know who came into work so drunk from a night out that he was being sick in the bin behind the bar. He then carried a load of drinks to a table without cleaning up. My coping mechanism is hiding in the store cupboard for 10 minutes at a time, plus drinking loads of soda water.

What’s the pay like?
Minimum wage. Plus tips, when we get them.

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