In a letter to the editor on Mustang News, the student newspaper of California Polytechnic State University, former Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity brother Kyler Watkins apologized for wearing blackface to a party. He also said he didn't previously know about the historical racial significance of blackface, and that his choice had nothing to do with racism or discrimination — it was apparently all part of a game in which members were on different-colored "teams."
"Growing up white and privileged, I was truly unaware of how insensitive I was to the racial implications of blackface," he wrote. "I began researching on my laptop and learned that blackface was used in early theater to perpetuate racial stereotypes. I knew immediately that I had made a grave mistake, and moreover, I fully understood why people would hate me."
The fact that he made it to a prestigious university without knowing the historical context of blackface tells you everything you need to know about white privilege and the American education system. It also underscores the need for mandatory racial bias training for incoming freshmen, which some universities are already beginning to implement.
Photos from this "multicultural" party, as they called it, show other members of the fraternity dressed as "gang" members and flashing contrived gang signs.
With the racist caucasity of the members of Cal Poly’s Lambda Chi Alpha, to the insensitivity from the president of Cal Poly, responsibility needs to be taken for these actions! Plz RT to get this National attn so incidents like this don’t go ignored!#BLACKFACEISRACISTpic.twitter.com/cmmV4O3e5p
This wasn't the first racially charged event at Cal Poly this month. After a second incident — in which white members of Sigma Nu wore bandanas, saggy pants, and fake mustaches while drinking Coronas — the school suspended all of its fraternities and sororities through the spring quarter. They are required to implement long-term plans that focus on diversity and inclusion, and there will be a review in June to determine whether they can come back in the fall.
The school, like many in the U.S., has a shameful history of minstrel performances on campus and a more recent history of incendiary white supremacist flyering, Islamophobic messages on walls, and parties with themes like "Colonial Bros and Nava-Hos." Racist incidents have been on the rise on college campuses since Trump's election, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center. Just this month, Syracuse University permanently expelled a frat after members participated in skits that offended just about every marginalized group.
Recently, students found more white supremacist flyers and messages on campus at Cal Poly, one of which claimed that Black and white people are different species and another titled "Diversity is just a code word for white genocide."
“Words cannot begin to explain how gut-wrenching it has been for me to witness the hurt so many have felt and continue to feel regarding the Lambda Chi Alpha incident,” university president Jeffrey Armstrong said in a statement last week. “I know the discomfort I sit with cannot compare with what so many of our students, faculty and staff of color feel.”
To top it all off, Milo Yiannopoulos, the "free-speech fundamentalist" who thinks feminism is cancer is speaking on campus on Thursday. The event, billed as a panel about fake news, is being co-sponsored by the College Republicans. Many are arguing that, free speech or not, this is not the right time for a writer who has called for expelling Muslims from the West and bullied trans students to speak on their campus. Plus, the university expects its response to be along the lines of Yiannopoulos' January 2017 visit, when it spent more than $55,000 to provide security for the event, including 109 police officers. Police from all 23 California State University schools will be there.
Matt Lazier, Cal Poly media relations director, said that although the university understands that some may find Yiannopoulos' presence offensive, as a public university it's "required to uphold free speech rights and provide an open forum for a variety of opinions, thoughts, and ideas," adding that engaging with ideas that conflict with your own is "an important part of critical thinking and student growth."
However, many students from marginalized communities at Cal Poly fail to see how the "ideas" that they are inferior contributes to their education. Instead, they feel out of place and unwelcome in Greek life and at the school in general.
"I hated my first two years there and if it wasn't for my minority friends, I would've just hated my whole experience," Ann Ma, who is Asian and graduated in 2017, told Refinery29. "The biggest things was that I felt like I was ignored in class whenever I had anything to say, people didn't really look my way. I felt like if I wasn't white or in a sorority, I didn't have a voice."
She recalls an incident in class when there were only two Asian girls including herself. The other girl was named May, and her professor accidentally mixed up their papers, and then realized she had gotten confused and switched them. "And these girls in the back whispered, 'It's because they're the only Asian girls' and just snickered," Ma said.
Cal Poly has the least racially diverse student population of all the public universities in California. In fall 2017, 54.8% of the student body identified as white, while only 0.7% identified as African-American, the lowest in the state.
"All these factors create an environment that is homogenous and exclusionary," Isabella Paoletto, a third-year journalism student and activist, told Refinery29. "That’s why it's okay for rhetoric and flyers like this to happen and for no one to care or try to create actual change. While of course the rhetoric of Donald Trump and other alt-right racist groups has promoted this kind of white nationalist recruitment around the country, this has been happening at Cal Poly even before Trump."
It seems that after over a century of racism at the school, it's finally at least beginning to address its demons with the fraternity and sorority suspensions.
We've reached out to the Cal Poly Republicans and president Jeffrey Armstrong, and will update this story when we hear back.
We're here for a super-glossy eyelid, a colorful cat-eye, and a rust-tinged sunset effect — especially in fall — but the latest eye trend sweeping Hollywood could be the most flattering one of the season. The reason is simple: It mimics the tones and level of shine that frame the face to create a polished, cohesive, and wildly-pretty result. That's right, the latest technique in makeup matching calls upon something new: your hair.
The striking trick is simple in its subtly, as Chanel celebrity makeup artist Kate Lee tells us, the color doesn’t have to be overtly intense to create an interesting look. Meanwhile, Patrick Ta, the celebrated Hollywood MUA to consistent red carpet stunners (think: Lucy Hale, Kim Kardashian, and Emily Ratajkowski) agrees — telling R29 that it's all about playing up the undertones in your hair, then matching the finish and sheen to your eyeshadow for a look that's incredibly chic.
Check out some of the most beautiful iterations of the trend that have been catching our eye lately, ahead — plus snag the pro tips from Ta and Lee on how to achieve it.
Lee used Jessica Chastain's strawberry-blonde hair to inspire the makeup look here. How? The artist told us she picked a warm and slightly-shimmery gold to pick up the blonde tones in Chastain's hair — Chanel's Ombré Premiere Eyeshadow in Memory — while also brightening her complexion.
"Using a shade that has shimmer makes it very easy to blend," she says. "It also reflects the light, so it doesn’t look heavy — it's neutral, but interesting." Notice that the tone and shine level is perfectly matched.
Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images.
A work of Ta, Kardashian shows us that the trend also works with light locks. "Lately, I've been loving a bright, open eye look," Ta told R29. The shimmery, icy shadow here mirrors her long, flowing platinum waves perfectly — and it's pretty easy do DIY.
"To achieve this, I take a light, shimmery shade and apply it to the inner corner of the eye," Ta explains. "You can use your favorite highlighter or an eyeshadow two or three shades lighter than your skin, but make sure to blend out the edges."
@patrickta
Not all brunette hair is the same — far from it! — which makes finding the right tone very important. Ratajkowski's look is particularly stunning as it incorporates copper tones to match her warm brown strands. See: The shadow on her top lid ignites her highlights, while the bottom lash line brings out the darker brown in her roots and bottom layers.
Ta says that the warm undertones in the star's hair helped him figure out which eye and lip shades would be most flattering. His rule of thumb: "If they have warm undertones, I love to use bronze or copper shades on the eye and pair that with a brownish, pink nude lip." Translation: Undertones bring everything together.
@patrickta
Remember what we said about shine? Ta created a sultry shadow look on Adriana Lima, giving her smoky eye major shimmer to match her insanely-silky hair.
Photo: Michael Stewart/Getty Images.
Gabrielle Union shows that you can also mimic the shape of your hair. Translation: Her deep, dark cat-eye shape gives the same structural feeling as her sleek, low pony.
@gabunion
A-list artist Hung Vanngo recently gave Rita Ora a stunning shadow look that incorporated the singer's sunny highlights and her darker brown undertones. Bonus: It also matched the shine-free texture of her lived-in curls, providing a cohesive feeling to the matte shadow.
@hungvanngo
Ta put this trick to work on Alessandra Ambrosio and the result is perfectly coordinated and incredibly flattering.
@patrickta
In perhaps the boldest take on the trend, Lucy Hale paired her pink hair (courtesy of hairstylist Kristin Ess' Rose Gold Temporary Tint) with rose-hued eyeshadow and lips.
Ta also gave red carpet newbie Jasmine Sanders a minimal makeup look that played up her bright, sun-kissed hair and her gold Moschino dress. The shadow of choice? Buttery gold that mimics the shiny texture, of course.
The inspiration behind Katy Perry's new pink hair may have been cherry blossoms, but the coordinating lipstick, and eyeshadow that's two shades darker, gives the flowery look a little edge.
If you didn't think Madeline Brewer's rusted-red hair color would look just as good on her lids, then makeup artist Nina Park is here to prove you wrong. It's just an added bonus that the subtle glitter addition on the center of Brewer's eye also matches the actress' green gown.
Photo: Taylor Hill/FilmMagic.
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In a world of limitless lip colors and eyeshadow palettes, finding the perfect foundation shade can still be difficult — especially for those who fall on opposite ends of the complexion spectrum. Luckily, we have brands like Fenty Beauty who put inclusion first (and are genuine about doing so). And it turns out that Hollywood's loving it, too.
"The thing about Fenty, which I own, is that I can get a base makeup that is exactly my skin tone," Viola Davis told us last month. "I don't feel like I have to get something five shades lighter, or mix two shades together, in order to get my shade. And it feels like my natural skin. It's full coverage, and I'm honored by the fact that I'm recognized in this beauty line. I thank Rihanna for that."
Davis isn't the only one celebrating new shades perfect for dark and deep complexions from forward-thinking lines. There are plenty of queens — including Khoudia Diop and Lupita Nyong'o — who've let us in on the brands and formulas that are a match made in melanin heaven. Having trouble finding a shade for you? We've rounded up their foolproof picks, ahead.
Janelle Monáe, who is a Covergirl, relies on Vitalist Healthy Elixir Foundation in Soft Sable to emphasize her glow. "Representation is important," she told us. "[We] aren't all the same shade, so as many times as CoverGirl can highlight different shades and different kinds of women by making them feel like a part of the brand, [the more everyone] can embrace their uniqueness. It'll help [young girls] really get more comfortable in their own skin, and help them walk taller than usual."
Photo: Via @janellemonae.
Monáe's fellow Covergirl, Issa Rae, also wore the same foundation (in the same shade!) for the 2017 Emmys. "The Vitalist Healthy Elixir Foundation was perfect for achieving that fresh and flawless skin we were going for," Joanna Simkin, Rae's makeup artist, said. "I loved that the coverage was buildable yet kept the skin hydrated at the same time."
Photo: Via @joannasimkin.
Perks of being a part of the Fenty Beauty fam? Getting access to all of the goods. Duckie Thot wears Profiltr Foundation in shades 440 and 490.
Photo: Via @fentybeauty.
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Even if you don't use them regularly, chances are you have a pack of cotton buds in your makeup bag or lurking in your bathroom cabinet. They've become a household essential for many, used to wipe away stray bits of mascara and clean up failed cat-eye attempts.
However useful they might be, cotton buds are wreaking havoc on the environment. According to a report by the World Wildlife Fund, the UK uses 13.2 billion of them annually, more than any other European country — in part because we're such makeup junkies.
Many of these cotton buds end up in landfills, or are flushed down the toilet and end up in our oceans where they're eaten by birds and fish and can cause serious damage. "Even after they break down into smaller plastic particles, they cause digestive issues and possibly other health impacts in wildlife and marine life that ingest the particles," Claire Norman, a spokesperson for Friends of the Earth, told Refinery29. "This is made worse by the fact that plastic micro-particles absorb persistent organic pollutants and other toxins, making them a million times more toxic than surrounding seawater, and this toxicity is concentrated as it moves up the food chain."
PM @Theresa_May has called on Commonwealth countries to unite on marine waste, with ambitious plans to ban the sale of plastic straws, stirrers and cotton buds #CHOGM2018pic.twitter.com/2c6vDHaPGQ
Many major shops, including the big UK supermarkets and health and beauty retailers like Boots and Superdrug, have also promised to phase out plastic-stemmed buds in the last few years, but they are still widely used elsewhere, from beauty salons to gyms as well as at home. Superdrug told Refinery29 that, while it has asked its own-brand cotton bud supplier to switch to a new paper formulation, there are a "few of the old design left in the business." These will likely have been fully replaced by paper-stemmed buds by this summer, the company adds.
"Wastewater treatment works aren't designed to deal with small waste like cotton buds and they pass through the filter screens and enter the works," says Geoff Brighty, a science and policy advisor for the global nonprofit Plastic Oceans. "Once the material is at a wastewater treatment works, the problem can arise in times of high rainfall where the works simply overflow, and you get the sudden release of all wastewater material in the system out into the rivers and coasts from storm sewage outfalls."
There are also more eco-friendly compostable alternatives already on the market, including Swisspers Organic Biodegradable Cotton Swabs, which are $2.99 for a pack of 180 and are made from certified-organic cotton and a biodegradable stick, with many similar brands available both online and at drugstores. Proof that you can have your handy beauty tool and your planet, too.
This story was originally published on Refinery29 UK.
When it comes to shopping for swimsuits, there's a whole hoard of things we unnecessarily worry about. From fit to what's popular to cursing out retailers who sell their bikinis in sets but don't let you vary the size between top and bottom. Then there's the added fun that trendy swimsuit styles aren't always the best choice in the practicality department. While that geometric stomach cut-out might look cute under a cabana, tan lines can be a pain. No one wants a hexagonal mid-section after their first day under the sun.
Basic styles are basic for a reason: At the end of the day, they're a tried and true pick. So where we may have left our itty bitty string bikinis back on the pool party decks of Miami in 2006, maybe it's time we let them back into our lives. And it's not just us. The return of string ties and barely-there garments are prevalent in this summer's swimwear selection. Between pushing the boundaries for just how much of your hoo-ha is actually covered by a flimsy pair of bottoms to pairing string bikini bottoms with more experimental tops, swimsuit designers are doling out the love, too.
So whether you're ready to channel your inner Kardashian (because obviously they DGAF about trends and string bikinis are a regular part of their clothing rotation) or you're just looking for a pain-free way to tan this year, shop our picks ahead.
Cream, beige, brown, peach, taupe — the last eight years of eyeshadow trends are about as exciting as paint swatches in a retirement community. Don't get us wrong: We love the Naked Palette as much as the next person, but even we could stand to inject a little color into our lives every once in a while.
Luckily, brands are heeding the call and finally launching palettes that break away from all the monochrome monotony. From Kim Kardashian's KKW X Mario palette to Anastasia Beverly Hills' Prism palette, you'll find bold hues like lilac, yellow, and royal blue. And the trend has already hit the red carpet, with celebs like Charlize Theron, Zendaya, and Jenna Dewan leading the way.
Ahead, check out five eyeshadow colors you can expect to see on everyone's lids this summer.
Over the past few months, shades of lilac have been hard to avoid whether you're a fashion snob or a red carpet beauty fanatic. We like to think of the universally flattering shade as training wheels for those nervous about wearing color. You can smudge it onto the lashline for a subtle effect or sweep it over the lids for something bolder.
Here, Charlize Theron's makeup artist Kate Lee tapped a layer of iridescent lilac shadow over the star's lids. The effect is minimal, but the pop of purple is more interesting than your usual champagne or gold.
Purple shadow might be a safer choice, but that doesn't mean you can't make a statement wearing the hue. Makeup artist Patrick Ta painted layers of lilac shadow all around Olivia Munn's eyes. Need a little more definition? Smudge a deeper purple eyeliner onto your top and bottom lashlines.
Yellow
Yellow eyeshadow is the red carpet beauty trend we didn't see coming. So far, we've spotted it on Zendaya, Yara Shahidi, Margot Robbie, and Lupita Nyong'o — and that list keeps growing.
The secret to pulling off the look is to choose the right shade of yellow for your skin tone. According to makeup artist Pati Dubroff, people with fair skin tones should reach for muted yellows, while those with medium and deep skin tones can opt for brighter versions of the shade.
If all-over yellow isn't your cup of tea, copy this look by makeup artist Emily Cheng. The artist traced a thin layer of matte yellow liner onto Yara Shahidi's lashline and finished off with a few coats of black mascara.
Hot Pink
There's no denying that millennial pink has dominated the makeup world for the past few years, but this season stars are moving away from sheer washes of color and embracing something bolder. Make like Handmaid's Tale's Madeline Brewer and tap a matte pink shadow all over your lids, then dust a deeper shade of mauve into your creases for more definition.
Laverne Cox took the trend a step further with this monochromatic pink look at the iHeart Radio awards this year. The star paired two pink shadows (a matte hot pink in her crease and a shimmery pale pink on her lid) with a layer of matching lipstick.
Dark Blue
Blue eyeshadow is by no means a new trend, but what makes this iteration different from the looks of the '80s or early aughts is the application. Rather than go for a simple dusting of blue shadow, stars like Tessa Thompson are reaching for deeper shades of blue drawn in fun, graphic shapes with interesting textures.
Makeup artist Nina Park created this bold smoky eye on Zoë Kravitz. The look incorporates some of our favorite trends: inner-corner strobing, eye gloss, and of course, dark blue shadow.
Olive
Like purple, olive is a color that can toe the line between neutral and bold — depending on how you wear it. Makeup artist Patrick Ta has been using the shade on a number of his celebrity clients, including Jenna Dewan.
For a more subtle take, copy this look by makeup artist Pati Dubroff on Margot Robbie. Focus the color on your top lashline, blending it out until there are no harsh edges.
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These days, you don't have to spend a lot of money to look amazing on your wedding day. Sure, some brides-to-be have dreamt of their wedding gowns for their entire lives, and if it's really important to you to shell out thousands on a designer piece for your special day, all the power to you.
But hear us out: Even as fashion-lovers, we can think of a million reasons not to wipe out your life's savings on a dress for your big day, the first and most obvious one being that you'll likely only wear the damn thing once.
So there are plenty of reasons to start your search near the bottom of the pricing ladder, not least of which should be because there are a ton of great-looking picks out there that live up to your dreams, but also can be worn again. With the average wedding dress in America costing $900 to $1,500, according to The Wedding Report, Inc., we're using that as our benchmark and presenting dresses that all cost less. And the best part is, with the expensive-looking picks ahead, none of your wedding guests will even be the wiser — your down-the-aisle stunner can be your own little secret.
You'll glow from a mile away in this metallic mini-slip.
Kaelen Metallic Lame Cowl Slip, $700, available at Kaelen.
Over the Fourth of July holiday, an unexpected spark captured America’s attention. Alongside the usual barbecues and fireworks, all eyes were on Twitter user Rosey Blair, an actress and photographer from Dallas with a passion for plus-size fashion. Blair also had a passion for constructing a good story, which she demonstrated by documenting the supposedly budding romance of two strangers who ended up next to each other on a plane after Blair and her boyfriend asked one of them to switch seats.
Blair’s narrative started on Instagram Stories and was repurposed into a viral Twitter thread that, as of this posting, currently has over 370,000 retweets and over 900,000 likes. The 59-tweet-long thread photo-documented the couple's every alleged flirtation, down to light touches and, notably, a trip together to the bathroom.
Initially, the reactions were positive, with people eagerly awaiting the outcome and expressing hope that the couple’s romance would continue. I'll admit that when I first read the thread, which concluded with the couple leaving the airport together, my knee-jerk reaction was also to think it was sweet. Especially right now, what's not to love about a good, old-fashioned meet cute?
This is a trap we’ve fallen into time and time again. Twitter allows us to present and spread one side of a story, one nugget of information, and it’s easy to get excited and hit retweet before remembering that life is larger and more complicated than that. Twitter is made for multiple perspectives, and it’s not long before they make themselves known.
"Secretly recording people in public so you can exploit them later for content and viral fame is gross and everyone involved in the plane bae saga should be kicked off the internet except the poor woman who just wanted to be left alone," wrote Atlantic writer Taylor Lorenz about the thread.
Secretly recording people in public so you can exploit them later for content and viral fame is gross and everyone involved in the plane bae saga should be kicked off the internet except the poor woman who just wanted to be left alone.
This is not the first time a viral moment has soured. People had similar feelings about Twitter user @hayejunt. In May, they ended up in a screening of I Feel Pretty with Lady Bird director Greta Gerwig. In now-deleted tweets, they documented Gerwig's less-than-positive reaction to the film, including her saying things like "I hate this" and "ugh" during pivotal moments. After some brief excitement over this voyeurism, the tables turned, and @hayejunt was on the receiving end of criticism from people like I Feel Pretty star Busy Philipps.
"It just bummed me out on such a deeply personal level for a few reasons," Philipps said on her Instagram Story after it all went down. "It’s just the idea that if you are in the public eye in whatever capacity that you just sort of are giving up your autonomy and your privacy, anywhere, that you can’t go to a movie theatre."
Or, it seems, a plane. While the story of Plane Bae, as it was affectionately nicknamed, continued to spread around the internet in one conveniently packaged, shareable moment, real life carried on — and real life comes with consequences. Caught up in the excitement, the man in the story, Euan Holden, identified himself. He also added fuel to the fire, telling a fan who asked about what happened in the bathroom that "A gentleman would never say." What he did say, though, was the woman's name, which Twitter users claim he let slip during an Instagram Live about the story. If you've even been a woman on the internet, it's not surprising what happened next.
it's not just about shyness! she was actually being harassed, insulted and attacked! please don't try to milk-and-toast what motivated this poor innocent civillian to back out of social media, this isn't a romance fanfiction pic.twitter.com/07Pbh0QQkZ
— seu menino, victor c (@seumeninovictor) July 6, 2018
Amid harassment, the woman was apparently forced off of social media, and public perception of the story swiftly went south.
In this light, it's much easier to see the glaring privacy issues with the thread. Much of the commentary was projection and speculation, going so far as to insinuate they had sex or something similar in the plane bathroom. Even though Blair admitted she didn't have the woman's permission "yet," she made references to her story becoming a movie that she hopes to be a part of and tweeted at BuzzFeed asking for a job. All of these things piled up, and Blair finally addressed the backlash on Tuesday.
“When I made this and shared it, I was happy, joyful, and overcome with authentic and sincere excitement,” she wrote in a screenshot shared to her Twitter. “So much so that I could not see the potential exploitative nature of the outcome and my actions. The last thing I want to do is remove agency and autonomy from another woman." She deleted the first tweet in the thread, as well as the more heavily-criticized posts, and apologized to the woman, saying that the story is now hers, which it should have been all along.
But we're only just learning a disappointing truth: There's no such thing as a good viral story anymore.
There's a term for this phenomenon when, for varied reasons, the internet sours on an initially positive moment: Milkshake Duck. The term was first coined on Twitter in 2016, but has gained traction over the past two years as, time and time again, a good viral moment is ruined by its inevitably dark underbelly.
A prominent example of this occurred in late 2017 when a number of celebrities rallied around Keaton Jones, whose emotional video about bullying went viral after his mother Kimberly uploaded it to Facebook. Through tears, he explained that he was bullied at school for his appearance, ending the video by saying "It's hard. But it'll probably get better one day."
Chris Evans notably retweeted the video, adding words of encouragement and inviting Jones to the Avengers premiere in L.A.. And then, it Milkshake Duck-ed. Since the video went viral on Facebook, people could see other things Jones' mother had posted, which included pictures of the confederate flag with captions criticizing "butt-hurt Americans." The mother appeared on Good Morning America to clear up the confusion, insisting that she and her family aren't racist, but the damage had been done. The viral moment was forever tainted. It's unclear if Jones ended up attending the premiere.
While the viral moments of yore may have snuck in early enough to escape this fate — before social media was a part of everyone’s lives and became an easily-searchable record of personal information — it's not likely that ones of the future will ever exist in the same vacuum. The point of social media is to accommodate multiple narratives, and now that social media has been almost fully integrated with "real life," in the sense that almost all of use it and what happens on Twitter is just as real as what happens in person; viral moments no longer exist solely on the web.
This isn't to say they'll stop happening, or that we're doomed to relive the same disappointment over and over again, but rather that we have to start acknowledging the power of having a platform. Social media puts everyone on a level playing field, with a single Tweet or Instagram Story carrying the potential to become a cultural phenomenon, which means anyone can be a public figure. While we can’t stop the creation of these moments, we can consume them responsibly. Before you like or retweet think: Who else is affected? Do I need to spread it? And am I ready to share accountability if it all goes wrong?
Those who retweeted Blair’s tweet were more than just bystanders: They played a part in making the story louder, which ultimately contributed to the woman’s decision to leave social media. While the damage is already done for Plane Bae, in a few weeks another viral moment will happen, and with any luck we’ll think twice before sharing, having understood that the situation is almost always more complicated than it initially appears.
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Candyland can get competitive and Twister is a twisted ankle waiting to happen, but Operation is the low-key worst game of all time. Encouraging children to sharpen their precision skills and improve their dexterity is all well and good, but when the 5-year-old accidentally touches the tweezers to Cavity Sam's body while attempting to pluck out a toothpick-sized bone that's hypothetically paining the battery-operated patient, an earth-shatteringly loud buzzer blares, signaling the end of a turn and a rude awakening to a kindergartener's dream of someday becoming a surgeon.
As if the original Cavity Sam wasn't traumatic enough back in the day, now parents have a whole new way to entice their offspring to join the lucrative medical field. Only this time, it's a crash course in dermatology — pimple-popping, to be exact.
Dr. Pimple Popper, a.k.a. board-certified dermatologist Sandra Lee, MD, has just announced a collaboration with Spin Master, a leading global children’s entertainment company, to bring a "Pimple Pete" board game to the masses. The objective of the game is to gently extract pull-able gummy pimples from Pete's face, but what makes it an anxiety-ridden, Operation-esque challenge is that, when the aspiring derm rocks Pete's face forward or back in the midst of an extraction, the "mega-zit" on his nose explodes, spraying the losing player with a sharp shot of pus water.
Unfortunately, Cavity Sam's adolescent grandson, Pimple Pete, doesn't hit mass retailers until this fall. In the meantime, popaholics of all ages can catch Dr. Sandra Lee in her new TLC TV series, Dr. Pimple Popper, premiering on July 11th, where she'll be tackling real-life patients’ debilitating skin conditions and helping them reclaim their lives in the process.
At the very least, the six-episode series will give you some time to study up. Then maybe you'll dust off the old Operation, pop in some AA batteries, and perfect your surgical skills. We're predicting some very competitive family game nights ahead.
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There are few things in life that we dread as much as a sandal -induced blister that starts forming just far enough from our apartments that we can't turn around to change shoes. Add to that sweaty soles, too-high a pitch, and cramped toes, and you've got yourself a sad sandal situation that makes you that annoying girl who complains about her feet every few minutes.
Say it together with us — never again! Make it from a.m. to p.m. in one pair of shoes so cute you won't want to take them off, and so comfy that there's no reason to, either. Ahead, check out 20 pairs of sandals featuring thick straps, walkable heights, and no-rub materials that'll make blisters so last year. Even if we haven't tried them, these are the ones we'd be willing to bet won't kill your feet. Click on!
There’s a lot of product out there, some would say too much. No doubt this has left you with an overwhelming set of questions about the latest must-haves. Luckily we’ve got answers. At Refinery29 we are here to help you navigate this epic world of stuff. All of our editorial market is independently selected and curated by the team. But if you buy something we link to on our site Refinery29 may earn commission.
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When Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter took the stage at Coachella, she brought Black history and culture to the forefront. And in between celebrating the Black college experience (specifically HBCUs), the first Black woman to ever headline the music festival championed Black bodies, feminism, activism, and her family, all while wearing a custom Balmain hoodie. On July 13, that same hoodie, available in both yellow and pink, along with a black T-shirt featuring a sorority-inspired graphic, will go on sale with proceeds benefiting the United Negro College Fund.
Frederick D. Patterson and Mary McLeod Bethune founded the United Negro College Fund in 1944, and since then, the organization has raised more than $4.8 billion, helping more than 450,000 students attend historically Black universities. “This is something important and this collaboration is talking to the new generation and saying you can get that piece, you can be a part of the history,” Balmain creative director Olivier Rousteingtells Vogue.
Recreating such a small part of such a historic moment (Beychella) makes Rousteing emotional. “I’m of mixed race. I’m Black and my parents are white. I grew up in France without having a real identification of being Black and being an adult," he says. "I couldn’t see myself in the future, in a way, because there were not so many people in the ’80s or early ’90s that could show me a direction. For me, working with Beyoncé, it’s more than only music. It’s about history, working with a woman that’s going to be part of the history and has made her own revolution, not only in music, not only in fashion. She is an icon to an entire generation and so many more generations can follow the steps of Beyoncé and say, ‘You give us hope, you make us dream.’”
This isn’t the first time Rousteing has used his design powers for good. In May, he dressed another iconic Black woman, French film star Aïssa Maïga, as well as 17 other Black actresses, for the Cannes Film Festival steps in protest of the racism that continues to perpetuate our society. Following the Met Gala on May 7, Rousteing auctioned off the custom pieces he made for Jennifer Lopez, Alex Rodriguez, Trevor Noah, Juliette Binoche, Natalia Vodianova, Natasha Poly, and Julia Stegner, with 100% of the proceeds going towards (RED) 's Global Fund, which works to eliminate the transmission of HIV from mothers to their babies.
Balmain's collaboration with Beyoncé, which is priced from $290 to $1,790, will be available on July 13 on Balmain.com and Beyonce.com.
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These are all relatable activities celebrities sometimes admit to, when the cameras are off and the coast is clear. But 99.9% of the time, stars aren't really like us at all. Just look at their beauty evolutions: Kendall Jenner has been a budding supermodel since she hit 8th grade. Kylie Jenner looked more mature by the time she was able to vote than most of us did in our mid-20s. Oh, and Beyoncé? Well, Beyoncé is, and always has been, Beyoncé.
Hailey Baldwin, however, is one of the few celebrities we can think of who's had a genuinely down-to-earth transformation story. As a celebrity offspring, it was practically written in the stars that Baldwin would be in the spotlight. But look back at Baldwin in the year 2011, and you'll find she was actually a lot like us — and not just because she was practically manifesting her destiny with now-fiancé Justin Bieber on Twitter. Trendy highlights we all begged our mothers to pay for, a self tan à la Jergens lotion, embarrassingly bright headbands likely from Claire's or Limited Too... it all checks out.
True, eventually the model became a super model found on the runways of Missoni, TopShop, and Jeremy Scott, but for a while there she was just Hailey, a teen praying she'd eventually be that One Less Lonely Girl. Our proof, ahead.
2011 Before she was a regular at fashion week, Baldwin was just a teenager rocking two-toned highlights and fuchsia pink eyeshadow.
Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images.
2014 A few years later, and the preteen blossomed into a model in the making, chic choppy bob and all.
Photo: Taylor Hill/FilmMagic.
2015 Bella Hadid may be the biggest fan of bangs now, but three years ago, it was all Baldwin.
Photo: Monica Schipper/Getty Images.
The model quickly did a hair-color 180 and went for a deep brown for the 2015 Met Gala. She paired the dramatic color with long bangs and a rose-tinted lip color.
Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images.
2016 A signature for Baldwin: center-parted blonde hair that falls effortlessly down her back.
Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images.
It wouldn't be a Dolce & Gabbana event without an embellished hair accessory and dramatic smoky eye, now would it?
Photo: Venturelli/Getty Images.
Although we can't confirm this look was totally inspired by Jessica Simpson circa the mid-2000s, it's hard to deny these bottle-blonde waves, the winged liner, and pale-pink lipstick are throwback staples from the pop star's heyday.
Photo: Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic.
Baldwin went with a sleek updo that's giving us Ariana Grande vibes for the Met Gala that year. She kept the makeup simple, letting her dress take center stage — a place it very much deserved.
Photo: Jamie McCarthy/FilmMagic.
2017 Only Baldwin could make the wet-hair look work in the dead of winter. Matching it with a summery palette of bronze and orange shadows was key.
Photo: John Sciulli/Getty Images.
She ditched the bold lip for 2017's Daily Front Row Annual Fashion Awards and opted for a bold eye instead, featuring a rusted shade of red.
Photo: Steve Granitz/WireImage.
Her back-grazing loose braid gave new meaning to the saying "business in the front, party in the back" after arriving at the amfAR Gala in Cannes.
Photo: Anthony Harvey/FilmMagic.
The supermodel formula for the perfect off-duty look: no makeup-makeup and a slick, tight bun perched atop your head. Baldwin's is the perfect example.
Photo: Michael Stewart/WireImage.
The look at Topshop's show during London Fashion Week required almost no makeup for Baldwin, except for a splash of the brand's dual-pigmented shadow (that's sadly no longer available).
Photo: Vittorio Zunino Celotto/BFC/Getty Images.
Lime-green eyeliner and a nude lip is the makeup combo we never knew we needed — or wanted — to try.
2018 Baldwin loves this bold lip trend, especially when it's paired with a subtle base, strobed cheek, and extra-dark brow.
Photo: Karwai Tang/WireImage.
If there's one look Baldwin loves wearing, it's monochrome makeup. For the Tribeca Film Festival, the model made sure to pull out her go-to rusty red — and tons of it.
Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images.
Unless she's sporting some floor-grazing extensions, Baldwin is almost always rocking a '90s bob.
Photo: Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic.
Sure, Baldwin may have walked the Met Gala carpet with rumored boyfriend Shawn Mendes, but it was her new pink hair that had everyone talking that night. Topped off with a delicate flower crown, tons of body glitter, and a soft pink lip, this look quickly became one of the best of the evening... even if it didn't really match the theme.
Photo: Frazer Harrison/FilmMagic.
Just a month before her engagement to Justin Beiber, Baldwin was back to her signature look: sun-kissed hair tied back into a topknot, finished with a light wash of makeup on her lids and lips.
Photo: John Lamparski/Getty Images.
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It's a good day when one of our favorite *~affordable~* stores seems to be stocking so many good things we have to hold our fingers back from clicking "add to cart" every time we open a new tab. And that's exactly how we feel perusing ASOS Curve's latest arrivals. If the weather outside wasn't enough of an indicator, then the line-up of summer-friendly trends you can find at the fast-fashion retailer should let you know the season is in full swing.
From tie-strap tanks, white front-button dresses, and gingham peplum skirts that put J.Crew to shame (all in sizes 14 and up), ASOS is letting everyone know that sweaters should (at least for now) be a distant thought. So let your cart-adding, trigger-happy finger fly free with these 20 summer-ready picks you can grab on the cheap. We've never been so excited to embrace the heat.
There’s a lot of product out there, some would say too much. No doubt this has left you with an overwhelming set of questions about the latest must-haves. Luckily we’ve got answers. At Refinery29 we are here to help you navigate this epic world of stuff. All of our editorial market is independently selected and curated by the team. But if you buy something we link to on our site Refinery29 may earn commission.
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On Monday, the White House sent reporters 34 testimonials in support of Brett Kavanaugh, President Trump's second nominee for the Supreme Court, all praising his "impeccable credentials" and "commitment to upholding the Constitution."
All 34 were by male senators and representatives. None were by people of color.
If confirmed, Kavanaugh — who currently serves on the District of Columbia's U.S. Court of Appeals and is one of the authors of the infamous Starr Report — will replace Justice Anthony Kennedy, who is slated to retire later this month.
While he's more likely to get confirmed than not, Democrats are not going down without a fight. Reproductive rights, LGBTQ rights, workers' rights, and more are at stake. Reproductive-rights advocates are especially alarmed that last year, Kavanaugh sided with the Trump-Pence administration, saying it could continue to block a 17-year-old undocumented young womanfrom obtaining an abortion. In his dissent, Kavanaugh wrote that the court was giving a new right to "unlawful immigrant minors" to obtain an "immediate abortion on demand," a phrase that is popular with the anti-choice movement.
Equally alarming to many was his argument that sitting presidents should be exempted from civil suits and criminal prosecution — a pretty obvious reason for the embattled administration to have picked him.
The White House continues to show that it doesn't want women to have a seat at the table when it comes to making decisions for the country. Among the 34 testimonials, it strangely didn't even acknowledge women from its own party who support Kavanaugh's nomination. By choosing all white men to speak on behalf of the entire country, the Trump administration is once again reaffirming its commitment to white, male supremacy (while paying only the faintest of lip service to women's empowerment).
Kavanaugh himself is the latest in a long line of white, male justices: Of the 113 Supreme Court justices in history, 107 have been white men. That means in the court's whole 228-year history, only 5.3% of the justices have been women or minorities.
Change will come one day. But for now, we followed the advice of Shirley Chisholm: They didn't give us a seat at the table, so we brought a folding chair. And since white men comprise a disproportionate number of voices in our government, we're going to make sure women's voices, voices of people of color, and LGBTQ voices are heard.
Ahead, 34 women — from all political affiliations — speak out about the Kavanaugh nomination.
Dawn Laguens, Executive Vice President, Planned Parenthood Federation Of America
"We oppose the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, and call on the Senate to do the same. There’s no way to sugarcoat it: With this nomination, the constitutional right to access safe, legal abortion in this country is on the line. We already know how Brett Kavanaugh would rule on Roe v. Wade, because the president told us so. We take Trump at his word that Brett Kavanaugh would overturn Roe v. Wade and get rid of the Affordable Care Act. The balance of the Supreme Court is at stake — we cannot allow it to be tilted against the constitutional right to access abortion. Generations of women, especially women of color, will be affected. And generations of people have grown up only knowing a country where they have the right to access safe, legal abortion. We cannot allow our children and grandchildren to have fewer rights than we do today."
Ilyse Hogue, President, NARAL Pro-Choice America
"We can’t forget what America was like before Roe, and we know the reality today for so many women in so many states across the nation where our right to make the most fundamental decisions about our bodies, our families, and our lives has been all but eradicated. Kavanaugh would use the Court as a tool to doom all women to that fate. Ending Roe doesn’t end abortion; it simply means we have a country where abortion is illegal and women and doctors become criminals. Kavanaugh recently argued that a young woman, despite meeting all of Texas' burdensome requirements to get an abortion, should not be permitted to access essential healthcare. He has also been a longtime conservative activist working to elect anti-choice politicians. It is clear that he will be a reliable vote to end Roe v. Wade, criminalize abortion, and punish women."
Nancy Northup, President & CEO, Center For Reproductive Rights
"President Trump has vowed to nominate to the U.S. Supreme Court only justices who will overturn Roe v. Wade. In addition to this litmus test, he has also said women who have abortions should be punished. Today, with the nomination of Judge Kavanaugh, the President is presumably making good on his Roe -reversal promise. Every Senator should assume that is the case, absent a clear and compelling statement from the nominee that he agrees with the rationale and premise of Roe v. Wade — that the right to abortion is among the Constitution’s guaranteed personal liberty rights."
Stephanie Schriock, President, EMILY’s List
"Whether he's attempting to defund Planned Parenthood, reinstating the global gag rule, rolling back the contraception mandate, or appointing a wave of anti-choice judges to lifetime appointments, Trump has made it clear that he keeps his promises to slash women's rights and access to healthcare. Any nominee — including Kavanaugh, handpicked by right-wing groups for his views on abortion rights, among other issues — who supports overturning Roe or placing even further restrictions on women's access to reproductive healthcare is unfit to serve the American people; full stop."
"Choosing Judge Kavanaugh means that young people could spend most of their lives with a Justice on the Supreme Court named by an administration that expects devotion to a set of devastating priorities that will take this country backwards. Young people know what’s at stake with this nomination and the Senate should listen closely to the generation who stands to be most harmed by this potential Supreme Court Justice."
Heidi Hess, Co-Director, CREDO Action
"If Sens. Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins, and Shelley Moore Capito actually support women's right to make their own choices about reproductive healthcare, they'll oppose Kavanaugh's confirmation. If Sens. Joe Manchin, Heidi Heitkamp, Doug Jones, and Joe Donnelly truly share the broad set of values that have defined the Democratic Party for decades, they will proudly vote to reject Kavanaugh's confirmation. And if Sen. Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer is an even remotely competent leader, he will use every tool at his disposal to keep Senate Democrats fully unified in opposition."
Fatima Goss Graves, President & CEO, National Women’s Law Center
"It’s clear Judge Kavanaugh is dangerous for women. He has voted against women’s constitutional rights, including approving the Trump administration blocking a young immigrant woman from obtaining an abortion. This appalling opinion was Kavanaugh’s audition for the Supreme Court. After showing his hostility to abortion, he was added to Trump's shortlist."
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)
"We all know what’s at stake with Kavanaugh’s nomination: the freedom for women to make our own choices. Equal rights. Civil rights. All of the values we hold most dear. Stopping this will take all of us, fighting as hard as we can, raising our voices again and again."
Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA)
"Two decades after Brown v. Board, I was only the second class to integrate at Berkeley public schools. Without that decision, I likely would not have become a lawyer and eventually be elected a Senator from California. That’s the power a Supreme Court Justice holds.
"Whether or not the Supreme Court enforces the spirit of the words 'Equal Justice Under Law,' is determined by the individuals who sit on that Court. Brett Kavanaugh represents a fundamental threat to that promise of equality. I will oppose his nomination to the Supreme Court."
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Democratic Candidate For U.S. Rep, NY-14
"The fact that #ScotusPick Kavanaugh believes that a President cannot be indicted is an automatic disqualification from Supreme Court consideration. Plain and simple."
Sen. Heidi Heitcamp (D-ND)
"I have no doubt that many members of Congress and outside groups will announce how they stand on the nominee before doing their due diligence and instead just take a partisan stance — but that isn't how I work. An exhaustive and fair process took place for Justice Gorsuch, who I supported, and it should and must take place again now."
Nancy Pelosi, U.S. House Democratic Leader
"Donald Trump is using this nomination as a destructive tool on a generation of progress for workers, women, LGBTQ people, communities of color and families, and to radically reverse the course of American justice and democracy. #WhatsAtStake #StopKavanaugh"
Liuba Grechen Shirley, Democratic Candidate For U.S. Rep, NY-2
"As an American, I'm horrified by Brett Kavanaugh’s record — his opposition to an assault weapon ban, to Medicare for All, to a woman's right to choose, and to holding presidents legally accountable while they’re in office — will move our country backward."
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)
"Brett Kavanaugh's record as a judge and lawyer is clear: hostile to healthcare for millions, opposed to the [Consumer Financial Protection Bureau] and corporate accountability, thinks presidents like Trump are above the law — and conservatives are confident that he would overturn Roe v. Wade. I'll be voting no."
Rep. Karen Bass (D-CA)
"Brett Kavanaugh is a threat to affirmative action, women’s reproductive rights, affordable healthcare, unions, consumer protections, and civil rights for generations to come. The ONLY thing he is NOT a threat to is Trump’s defense from the Mueller investigation."
Rep. Terri Sewell (D-AL)
"It's the 150th birthday of the 14th amendment. No better way to celebrate Brown v. Board, Loving v. Virginia, and Baker v. Carr than speaking out to #StopKavanaugh #WhatsAtStake"
Cecile Richards, Activist, Author, Former President Of Planned Parenthood
"Abortion existed before Roe and it was simply illegal and unsafe and young, healthy women died routinely in emergency rooms across this country and that's what we're looking at again if this court tips to the other side."
Gabby Giffords, Politician, Founder Of The Giffords Law Center To Prevent Gun Violence
"Should the Senate confirm the nomination of Judge Kavanaugh, we have every indication to believe that he will prioritize an agenda backed by the gun lobby, putting corporate interests before public safety."
Lily Eskelsen García, President, National Education Association
"This nomination is a rubber stamp of the Donald Trump and Betsy DeVos agenda. He has praised rulings that justify allowing public money to be funneled into religious institutions and predicted a future Supreme Court would uphold vouchers to private religious schools. #StopKavanaugh"
Deb Haaland, Democratic Candidate For U.S. Rep, NM-1
"Women, people of color, and so many other marginalized communities deserve a strong voice, not someone who has the power to destroy critical wins on women's reproductive rights, healthcare, marriage equality, unions, and civil rights at the drop of a hat.
"The Supreme Court vacancy is the most consequential in our lifetime, but this nominee is from an A-list of extremists, out of touch with reality.
"I hear the anger from voters every single day. Nobody wants more laws that make it more difficult for families to live, to eat, to find healthcare, or to simply love. Nobody wants to see children separated from their parents or people barred from traveling to our country."
Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA)
"To no one's surprise, Trump nominated a hardline conservative justice who will endanger Roe v. Wade, threaten to gut the Affordable Care Act, and infringe on voting rights. I don’t believe he is able to defend justice for all people and I wholly oppose this nomination."
Brittany Packnett, Activist & Educator
"Resist the voices who tell you there is 'no point' in challenging this #SCOTUS nomination because they’ve done the math and run the plays. We don’t need more commentators. We need more ACTION. Call the Senate. Call your senators. Call the committee. Start at (202) 224-3121."
Rachel Tiven, CEO, Lambda Legal
"Lambda Legal's Fair Courts Project undertook a comprehensive review of Kavanaugh's judicial record. We considered hundreds of opinions authored or co-authored by Judge Kavanaugh in the D.C. Circuit and analyzed other decisions in which he participated involving LGBTQ parties, employment discrimination, reproductive rights, voting rights, criminal justice, rights of detainees, fair courts, or constitutional rights of equal protection, liberty, free speech, or religious exercise. ... Kavanaugh must not be confirmed."
Sherrilyn Ifill, President & Director-Counsel, NAACP Legal Defense Fund
"I missed everything Judge Kavanaugh said after he said that no other president has consulted with a broader range of people in making the choice of a SCOTUS nominee."
Vanita Gupta, President & CEO, Leadership Conference On Civil & Human Rights
"We must remember that access to affordable, quality healthcare is a fundamental civil and human right. The fight to #SaveSCOTUS is a fight to save healthcare, a civil rights fight, and a fight to save the soul of our nation. #WhatsAtStake"
Leslie Proll, Civil Rights Lawyer
"Brett Kavanaugh was evaluated three different times by [the American Bar Association] in connection with his nomination to D.C. Circuit. ABA downgraded its rating with majority concluding he didn’t meet highest standard. Lawyers familiar with his work questioned his impartiality and fairness. They were right."
Mara Keisling, Executive Director, National Center For Transgender Equality
"Trans people will not go back to being a pre-existing condition!"
Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI)
"Judge Kavanaugh has already been vetted by the Federalist Society and the Heritage Foundation — two far-right organizations whose goals include repealing the Affordable Care Act and attacking women's health. Proud to stand with @JudiciaryDems to lay out #WhatsAtStake."
Lauren Underwood, Democratic Candidate For U.S. Rep, IL-14
"We need a strong Congress to represent the voice of the people — 72% of whom support Roe v. Wade — against biased judges who might gut our reproductive rights. If you care about these rights as well as voting rights, workers' rights, and more, vote this November. #KavanaughSCOTUS"
Erin Hawley, Legal Fellow, Independent Women’s Forum
"By nominating D.C. Circuit Judge Brett Kavanaugh, President Trump has fulfilled his pledge to put forward a judge who has demonstrated his commitment to the Constitution. Judge Kavanaugh believes in judicial humility and the separation of powers. He has been a staunch defender of religious liberty and believes that the role of federal judges is limited to interpreting and applying federal law and the Constitution, and that it is up to the people, through their representatives, to make the law. The Senate should work quickly to confirm Judge Kavanaugh."
Catherine Glenn Foster, President & CEO, Americans United For Life
"Americans United for Life congratulates Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh. Based on his strong, 12-year record on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, we believe that Judge Kavanaugh will be an originalist Justice, committed to the text of the Constitution and to the rule of law, including legal protections for human life. This is a seminal moment for America. It’s a crucial chance to shift the Court back to a majority that does not look to Roe and Casey — two of the worst examples of judicial activism — as their legacy. We urge the Senate to confirm Judge Kavanaugh swiftly so that he can begin serving our nation by the start of the Supreme Court’s next term in October."
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)
"While I have not met Judge Kavanaugh, I look forward to sitting down for a personal meeting with him. I intend to review Judge Kavanaugh’s decisions on the bench and writings off the bench, and pay careful attention to his responses to questions posed by my colleagues on the Senate Judiciary Committee. The American Bar Association’s Standing Committee on the Judiciary will also review Judge Kavanaugh’s qualifications prior to these hearings and issue a rating. I intend to carefully consider that rating, the information obtained through personal meetings, my own review of Judge Kavanaugh’s qualifications and record, and the views of Alaskans in determining whether or not to support him."
Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME)
"Judge Kavanaugh has impressive credentials and extensive experience, having served more than a decade on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals.
"I will conduct a careful, thorough vetting of the president’s nominee to the Supreme Court, as I have done with the five previous Supreme Court Justices whom I have considered. I look forward to Judge Kavanaugh’s public hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee and to questioning him in a meeting in my office."
Lila Rose, Founder & President, Live Action
"While the Supreme Court will hear many cases, we look forward to the day when our nation’s highest court acknowledges the great injustice of abortion and finally upholds the right to life for all humans, born and unborn. We hope that with Brett Kavanaugh, the court ensures that our very first right, the right to life, will be protected by our laws rather than trampled by them."
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By now, we're more than familiar with the power of the Meghan Markle effect — it’s led people to blog about her outfits for a living, and caused countless pieces to sell out. With each public appearance, everyone is watching to see (besides whether she and Prince Harry will show a little PDA) what The Duchess of Sussex does wears next. And lately, we’re willing to bet it will include a bateau neckline.
The silhouette first made an appearance with her wedding dress, a custom Clare Waight Keller for Givenchy gown. Weeks later, she wore similar-style dresses back-to-back, first with an olive green Ralph Lauren look to her nephew-in-law Prince Louis’ royal christening on Sunday, second with a black Dior piece to the 100th anniversary celebration of the Royal Air Force on Monday. As to be expected, the visibility Markle is giving this particular neckline, which is traditionally reserved for wedding gowns, is going viral. Glamour is reporting searches for 'bateau necklines' increased by 104% since 2017, while searches on eBay jumped up 830% from last November to June 2018.
But the history of the silhouette runs deeper than the Royal Wedding. The neckline was made famous in the 1930s when Coco Chanel, who was inspired by the wide necklines on sailor suits, first introduced it on the runway; Isabel Alston and Kathryn Dixon note the creation in their book Coco Chanel, writing, “the vacationers in Biarritz, just as in Deauville, snatched up Chanel’s jersey jackets, skirts, and striped boat-neck shirts, reminiscent of those sailors wore.” Yet despite its association with Chanel, rumor has it the neckline was originally a signature of forgotten French designer Jenny Sacerdote.
Three decades after Chanel popularized the look, the neckline went more mainstream when Hubert de Givenchy designed what would become the ultimate LBD for Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Hepburn later wore a similar dress, also designed Givenchy, in the 1954 movie, Sabrina, leading the boat neck to also earn the moniker the 'Sabrina neckline.'
Wait — has Meghan Markle been trying to channel Givenchy’s longtime muse Audrey Hepburn all this time and we just caught on? We'd kill to see her in an outfit like this.
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Welcome toMoney Diaries, where we're tackling what might be the last taboo facing modern working women: money. We're asking millennials how they spend their hard-earned money during a seven-day period — and we're tracking every last dollar.
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Today, as part ofYour Spending In Your State:a graduate research assistant working in education and food science who makes $21,000 per year and spends some of her money this week on brussels sprouts.
Occupation: Graduate Research Assistant Industry: Education/Food Science Age: 29 Location: Lincoln, NE Salary: $21,000 Paycheck Amount (Month): $1,600
Monthly Expenses Rent: $559 (I rent a one-bedroom apartment by myself.) Student Loan Payment: $0 (My parents paid for my undergrad and I worked as a graduate research assistant for my master's. I'm also working as a graduate research assistant for my PhD.) Cell Phone: $55 Tuition & Health Insurance: My graduate research assistantship covers tuition and part of my insurance, but I still pay about $1,000 for insurance and student fees at the beginning of each term. Utilities: $90 Netflix: $0 (family account!) Savings: $465 (for travel and student fees)
Day One
6:30 a.m. — I get up earlier than usual today. I have an 8 a.m. doctor's appointment at the university's health center because I injured my knee about four weeks ago while training for a half marathon. I make myself an omelette with reheated caramelized onions, pack my lunch, and take the city bus to the main campus with my student bus pass, which lets me ride both the campus and city buses for free.
8 a.m. — My doctor thinks it's best to refer me to a specialist, who will be in early on Friday morning. The appointment with him will be covered by my insurance, thankfully. I get X-rays of my knee and take the campus bus to my office.
12 p.m. — I heat up my lunch (pasta with ground turkey, tomato sauce, spinach, and olives) at the staff lounge. My department moved into this building three years ago, and everything still feels shiny and new.
3 p.m. — I take a break from work to have my afternoon snack and check on my bank account. It's the beginning of the month, so my account looks great. I eat my Greek yogurt with blueberries and chia seeds while I transfer money into my savings account and check if my automatic rent payment has gone through.
5:10 p.m. — Two friends stop by my office to talk about their research projects and how they might need to borrow equipment from my lab. I miss the 5 p.m. bus to the main campus, which means I miss the 5:10 city bus home and will have to take the next one in 30 minutes. I really want to get home as soon as possible — I have a date tonight!
6:30 p.m. — I change clothes quickly, put on makeup, and grab my umbrella to go back downtown. I make it to the date on time, though not as dressed up as I had planned to be. I've been avoiding heels since my knee injury, which really limits my shoe choices. I meet my date for a cup of tea, and he pays. This is our first timing meeting in real life — we met on a dating app. He's cuter in person, and the conversation is good. But he says he had a long day at work and ends the date quickly. He does ask for my number, though, so we can plan another date.
7:30 p.m. — I don't feel like going home just yet, so I wander around campus. The rain has subsided and it's nice to walk around with my umbrella and look at the blooming flowers and trees. It's finals week, but I finished all of my coursework last week and I feel like summer has already started for me. There's a study zone at the alumni center with free beverages and food, so I take a fried chicken sandwich and relax while watching everyone else study.
8:30 p.m. — The bus route closest to my house doesn't run this late, so I take the next best one and walk 15 minutes from the stop to my apartment. It's not raining anymore and I take pictures of the blooming trees outside my building to send to my mom. There are no marked seasons back home, which makes winter here more tragic and spring more magical for me. I put ice on my knee every night to help with the pain, either while watching Netflix or reading. I just bought A Brief History of Time and am quite enjoying it, even if I feel I don't understand all of it. I go to bed at 10:30.
Daily Total: $0
Day Two
7 a.m. — I get up at my usual hour. I forgot to thaw blueberries in advance for breakfast, so I set out a bowl with the frozen berries, chia, oats, milk, and Greek yogurt, and then get in the shower. I'm trying washing my hair only two times a week, per Jonathan Van Ness's suggestion. It's been easier now that I'm not working out every day. I pack lunch and take the city bus to campus. Looks like another grey day today.
8 a.m. — I grab coffee at the alumni center and get to work. My boss/advisor is delivering a training on food safety for juice processors next month, and I'm preparing the presentation. I work until my laptop's battery runs out, and then my advisor emails me about something I need to get done at the lab, so I take the bus to campus.
12 p.m. — Another pasta lunch by a gray window. Usually I can see the state capitol from here, but today is just too cloudy. It'll start raining soon.
3 p.m. — I'm having my afternoon snack (baby carrots and almonds), when I get a text from a friend telling me which restaurant she chose for her birthday dinner on Saturday. I freak out a little when I Google the menu and see the $33 steak entrees. I don't think of myself as poor, but I know I can't spend that much on meals (plus drinks, plus bar cover, and so on) without upsetting my monthly budget. Luckily there's a $10 cheeseburger on the menu.
5:30 p.m. — I miss the 5 p.m. bus again, so I hang out at the main campus waiting for the 5:45. I get bubble tea from the food court while I wait. It's the day before the last day of classes, and everything is super quiet. $3.25
7 p.m. — I take an hour long nap when I get home. Then, I go down to my building's laundry room to put in a load of shirts and underwear ($1.50 for the washer and $0.75 for the dryer). I text yesterday's date, though I was kind of hoping he would text me first. I've spent most of my 20s just hooking up with guys, and I'm trying to grow out of that phase. Dating has been fun so far, but it takes way more brain power. $2.25
9 p.m. — I don't feel like cooking, so I have refried black beans on toast and a tangerine for dinner. I put away my laundry, text with the guy, and keep reading on juice processing. I also catch up on the E. coli O157:H7 outbreak in lettuce, since it's the kind of thing my office mates and I like to discuss. I ice my knee until I go to bed at 9:30.
Daily Total: $5.50
Day Three
7 a.m. — I get to the university health center 10 minutes before my doctor's appointment, and eat a black bean and cheese sandwich for breakfast while I wait for the specialist. He goes over my medical history and tests my leg's range of movement. It's very painful when he tries to fully straighten my leg, so he suggests I do physical therapy. I have to see another doctor to get the referral and then schedule my first session for next Tuesday. I take the bus from the main campus to my building, and arrive at work at 9 a.m.
11:30 a.m. — Our building is hosting a free walking taco bar today, so I go there with my office mates. I get Fritos topped with lettuce, beef, tomatoes, sour cream, cheese, and olives, and a virgin margarita. We sit together and talk about classes, research, and the PhD job market while we eat.
2 p.m. — I leave work early and head downtown. A friend is graduating today, and I want to get her a card, so I wander into a local art supply and pick one with a red, black, and white print of a sandhill crane ($4.28). Their spring migration is a destination wildlife event here in Nebraska, and we went to watch it together this year. I mess up the bus schedule (what is up with me this week?), so I barely have time to drop my book bag at home and take the bus back downtown for the commencement ceremony. $4.28
3:20 p.m. — I meet up with other friends at the entrance of the commencement venue. After the ceremony and hugs and pictures, we drive to the main campus so she can take pictures in her cap and gown with her favorite buildings and the blooming trees. Someone jokes that it feels like a wedding photo shoot. Hey, getting an M.A. is also a big deal!
6:30 p.m. — We go to a local pizzeria for dinner. Our friend has never been before, and she's trying to do as many Nebraska things as she can before leaving for good on Tuesday. They're planning a visit to the state capitol and a local brewery tomorrow. I've already been to the capitol at least four times (I'm a museum geek), but I agree to join them for the brewery tour. The whole group shares a pie, and one of our friends insists on paying the bill and treating the graduate. I figure I'll pay him for my share later.
8:30 p.m. — A friend is driving back to her hometown an hour away, but her phone is almost dead, so I invite everyone back to my place and we hang out while she charges her phone. It's the first time I've had people over since I moved here four months ago, and I'm glad I bought a big couch! We talk about my rent, which is fairly high since I'm by myself and only a 15-minute walk from campus. Living alone was one of the luxuries I really wanted while getting my PhD. I lived with family for undergrad and had a roommate while I got my master's, so I figured this was a good time to have a place of my own. I ask about my share of the pizza bill, but my friend insists it's on him. Everyone leaves around 9 p.m. and I change into pajamas and ice my knee.
9:30 p.m. — A friend texts me about a different brewery visit on Sunday afternoon — the craft beer scene in town has really grown in the past couple of years! The visit includes a tour of the facility, a big historic building in the downtown area. I've never had their beer before, so I say yes and buy my ticket online. It's going to be a busy weekend, so I call it a night by 10 p.m. $12
Daily Total: $16.28
Day Four
7:30 a.m. — I wake up super early, eat some cereal, and take the bus downtown. I signed up for the city's half marathon this Sunday way back in January, but I won't be able to run it because of my knee. I go to pick up the race packet, bib, and shirt anyway, and walk around the runner's expo for a bit. I find the volunteer stand and they still need people to help out at the finish line, so I sign up. It's better than staying home and crying about it.
9 a.m. — I walk over to historic downtown on what is a sunny and beautiful day. They're hosting the first farmer's market of the season, and I can't resist going. There's not much produce yet, but there are tons of plants and baked goods. I refrain from buying more plants, since I just got basil, cilantro, and oregano, but I get two pounds of sweet potatoes ($2) and a poppy seed kolache, a traditional Czech pastry ($1). I find a sunny sidewalk to eat my pastry and people-watch. $3
11 a.m. — I take the bus to Aldi for my weekly grocery shopping. I usually do meal prep on Sundays for the week and then wing dinner every night. I have a Pinterest board for new and different lunch ideas, and I decide to do a lentil salad for next week. I already have lentils at home, so I get brussels sprouts, tomatoes, bananas, avocados, mangoes, cantaloupe, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, bread, tortillas, canned corn, canned bean salad, parmesan cheese, and milk. I'm very pleased that the total is under $30! I cram everything into my backpack and reusable grocery bags, and then take the bus home. $29.60
1 p.m. — I make a quick lunch from the week's leftovers and my new groceries: mozzarella quesadilla with sautéed wilted spinach and leftover ground turkey in pasta sauce. Then I check on my African violets and new plants, for which I still have to buy planters. My friends are picking me up for the brewery tour in a couple of hours and I have a birthday dinner after that, so after I clean up the kitchen, I take a nap. It's going to be a long day!
4 p.m. — My friends pick me up to go tour the city's largest craft brewery. Most of us are food science majors and have taken classes on fermented foods (wine, beer and cheese, yay!), so we geek out on the process. The guide is great at explaining and answering questions. The tour includes a free pint, so we hang out in the beer hall and make plans for the rest of the summer. It's so amazing to wear shorts again.
8 p.m. — My birthday friend picks me up to go to dinner. We get to the place around 8 and by the time all of her friends and labmates show up, it's already 9. I ate a tomato salad and a slice of bread with peanut butter before coming here, but I am starving. Mostly everyone gets steak, but I order the house cheeseburger. It's huge, with a half pound patty and a big side of French fries, but I manage to eat all of it. The birthday girl brought a cake — vanilla and chocolate with vanilla and coffee buttercream — and we sing "Happy Birthday" and take lots of pictures. $15
11 p.m. — After dinner, we go to one of our favorite bars, where there's a $5 cover at the door. We find a big table on the rooftop and talk and take pictures. A guy I went out with two weeks ago is texting me, and we discuss maybe going out again. The dance floor opens at midnight, and we go down to dance to our favorite DJ. $5
2 a.m. — The bar closes at 2 a.m., and my friend drives me home. It was a good night. I'm really tired, but I have to make sure to prep my backpack for volunteering at the marathon tomorrow. I go to bed around 3 a.m.
Daily Total: $52.60
Day Five
6 a.m. — I get up at the ungodly hour of 5:30 a.m., eat cereal, and shower. Then I take my bike and my backpack and head out to the university's football stadium, where the marathon's finish line is. I bike by all the runners making their way to the start line and try not to feel sad. Once in the stadium, I get a volunteer shirt and help prep post-race snacks for the runners. There are bagels, cookies, donut holes, oranges, bananas, trail mix, chips, water, Gatorade, and chocolate milk. I'll stay at the chocolate milk table.
8:10 a.m. — The first three runners come in! I can't believe someone can run 13.1 miles so fast. The race started at 7! All the volunteers cheer and clap for them and for the other runners who start trickling in. As the minutes pass, more runners start coming in and we all concentrate on stocking our tables and handing out food. It's a fun job, but also bittersweet. I really want to be out there running!
11:30 a.m. — People keep coming in, either the slower half marathon runners or the full marathon runners. I'm tired and kind of hungry, so I find one of the volunteer supervisors, who says my shift ended at 10:3o a.m. She points me in the direction of the free lunch for runners, volunteers, and families, and I get a pulled pork sandwich with a side of coleslaw salad and a cookie before biking home.
1:30 p.m. — I take a quick nap and then meet a friend for the brewery tour we signed up for. This is a smaller brewery, located in the former boiler room of a building on the National Register of Historic Places. The first part of the tour is about the building, which was first a post office, then a courtroom, and now hosts restaurants, offices, and apartments. It's gorgeous, with all the original wood, moldings, and marble floors. The brewery tour is much shorter, since they produce very limited quantities of beer, which also means they can take greater risks with their flavors. We each get a free pint, so I choose a Russian Imperial stout with coffee, coconut, and Guatemalan cacao nibs. It's amazing! My friend and I stretch out our beers and hang out for a long time at the bar.
7 p.m. — I get home a little lightheaded from the beer (11% ABV!) and the sun (80°F!) and standing up for four hours on three hours of sleep. I struggle to get my bike up the stairs to my third floor apartment. I wanted to cook lunch for the week today, but I need a nap.
8:30 p.m. — I fix a tortilla with black beans and Greek yogurt for dinner, and then get into pajamas and prep for bed. I fall asleep by 9:30.
Daily Total: $0
Day Six
6:30 a.m. — I get up earlier than usual since I went to bed super early last night. I spend the extra half hour making lunch to take with me to school: fried tilapia fillet and pico de gallo, using cilantro from my windowsill! I also pack mango slices and half an avocado. It's the first day of summer term, so campus bus service is reduced and I have to use a different route. I could ride my bike, but I'm taking my laptop to the office and it seems like too much work for a Monday morning.
11 a.m. — I have a meeting with my boss to discuss my work for the summer. We're having an undergraduate student as an intern for two months, and I'm in charge of training and supervising her while she's in the lab. I meet her and give her a tour of the building.
12 p.m. — I eat my food in the student lounge and chat with some friends about the food protection conference this summer, immigration, and taxes. I freaked out when Republicans proposed taxing grad students' tuition waivers as income. It would have severely affected my finances, and I'm glad the provision didn't make it into the final bill.
5:45 p.m. — I leave work at around 5 and take two buses to get to Home Depot. I need planters for my cilantro, basil, and oregano plants. I find three planters with matching dishes ($12.10) and walk back to the bus station before I'm tempted to buy more. $12.10
7 p.m. — I take a mini nap and then make guacamole that I eat with chips, black beans, and feta for dinner. It's too hot outside to heat it up! When I'm done, I go out to the balcony with the plants, potting mix, and planters to transfer them. I have a bunch of potting mix left, so I text my gardener friend to check what I should do about it. He suggests buying more plants...or storing it for re-potting next year. Fingers crossed that the plants will make it to next year!
9 p.m. — I start on the lentil salad that I'll have for lunch the rest of the week. I cube sweet potato and slice brussels sprouts, which I douse with olive oil and honey before roasting them in the oven. I've had issues with my smoke alarm going off when I bake, so I make sure to open the window and balcony door and turn on the kitchen extractor. While they roast, I cook the lentils on the stove. The vegetables smell amazing! It's been more work than I expected, but I'm excited for lunch tomorrow! I ice my knee and go to bed at 11.
Daily Total: $12.10
Day Seven
6:30 a.m. — I get up early to have breakfast (two bowls of cereal) and shower, and then bike to the university health center for my first physical therapy appointment.
8 a.m. — It goes well — the therapist is clear and patient with me and my questions. He does treatment for the inflammation on my knee and teaches me some stretches for my tight hamstrings. I schedule my next three appointments, one more this week and two for next week. Very thankful for my health insurance!
12 p.m. — I was right to be excited about lunch — this lentil salad is super good, and the balsamic vinegar adds a nice punch. A friend joins me while I eat and we talk about his upcoming road trip to Mount Rushmore. I get a text from Mr. Second Date to make plans for tonight, and he suggests bowling. I haven't bowled in years and I'm not very good, but it sounds fun.
5 p.m. — I rush home after work to change clothes and put on makeup. My date already had dinner, so I eat avocado and mayo on toast. I bike to the bowling alley, and between enjoying the sunshine and trying not to get too sweaty, I'm ten minutes late.
6:10 p.m. — Since it's a weeknight, the bowling alley is almost empty. We play two games, and I'm as bad as I remembered. He give me tips, though, and I do improve by the end. We switch over to pool, and I'm better at it than I thought I'd be. The three rounds are fairly close, and there's a lot of teasing and bantering and light touching going on. We call it a night and he pays for our tab. We have a quick goodbye kiss in the parking lot.
8:40 p.m. — I get home very pleased with the date. We'd talked about taking it slow, and it feels right. I'm fairly hungry after the bike ride, so I eat black beans on toast. Then I prepare mango slices for tomorrow, eat about half of them, and check on my plants, which seem to be okay after the potting. I ice my knee, check social media, and go to bed at 10:30.
Daily Total: $0
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For the longest time, lingerie was looked at as more of a treat for the man than the woman in the relationship. A common TV or movie trope dripping with misogynistic glee, it always implied that the woman involved could not want a frilly confection for herself; no, it was a suggestion of seduction solely focused on pleasing a man (and always a man). Thankfully, we’ve evolved past that antiquated cliché, and more women aren't afraid to wear intimates for their own pleasure.
Although there’s obviously nothing wrong with trying on a little something for your significant other, there’s also nothing wrong with dressing up for yourself. That’s why we say treat yo’self this season to something adorable, something sweet, or even something down-right naughty. Whatever your taste, we found an array of pieces that are bound to make you feel sexy. Shop now so you can slip into something a little more comfortable later.
There’s a lot of product out there, some would say too much. No doubt this has left you with an overwhelming set of questions about the latest must-haves. Luckily we’ve got answers. At Refinery29 we are here to help you navigate this epic world of stuff. All of our editorial market is independently selected and curated by the team. But if you buy something we link to on our site Refinery29 may earn commission.
(Editor’s note: Although not all of the models featured are plus-size, all of the pieces are available in sizes 14+).
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Getting a matching tattoo with your sister basically solidifies all the bullshit you've gone through together. The fights. The tears. The late-night drunk texts begging her to just leave the leftover pizza on the counter for when you get home. But if you're willing to permanently ink your body alongside your best gal pal, you better make it good — right?
This doesn't have to mean cheesy quotes or intertwining hearts, of course. Whether it's a tribute to your favorite childhood memory, a nod to one of your many inside jokes, or a simple matching design, these sister tattoos — which you can check out, ahead — are just as timeless (and meaningful) as the friendship you've worked so hard to build.
An elephant never forgets — and neither does your sister. Just ask her about all those secrets she kept for you in high school...
Like flowers, a good relationship has to be nurtured to thrive. But at least your sister will always be there, even when you forget to text her back.
Sisters can never have too many promises, solemnized by a pinky-sworn oath.
This is one friendship you know will last forever.
Two halves of one perfectly pitted pair.
Fingers crossed your sister lets you borrow her clothes even after you returned her last sweater with a hole in it.
Who better to fight the patriarchy with than the woman you admire the most?
We all need someone to hold our hands, especially when we're mid-tattoo.
This one honors the fact that you both still want to be Hermione.
Hard times are easier with a built-in BFF by your side. But just in case she's nowhere to be found, this calming mantra will do the trick.
"Nothing says sisterly bonding more than permanently tattooing your body," Lucy Hale wrote on Instagram of her new ink. "After years of wanting our grandmother's writing, we did it! Our Grammy was our favorite person [and] now she’s even more a part of us. Also, my sister is a badass who raises two kids, teaches combat classes and goes on tattoo runs with her baby sister. Also, ouch. This one hurt."
Switch up the placements so your tattoos aren't identical, just to keep things interesting.
Miss your childhood home? Get it inked forever with your lifelong bestie.
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Not long after the Parkland shooting, I attended a meeting at my high school in Elmhurst, Illinois to help plan our walkout. My town is pretty politically mixed — if we did a walkout here, I wasn’t sure how it would go. To keep a close eye on the situation, a vice principal had joined the meeting to listen in as we discussed our feelings of safety in the face of school shootings. The all-important question finally came up: Do you feel safe in school?
I want to laugh and cry at the ridiculousness of that moment. I want to scream. So much had come to mind: Parkland, Sandy Hook, Columbine — and so many shootings in between that get less attention than they deserve, both on the streets and in schools. How in the world could I feel safe? The only situation that had been running through my mind in the hallways was the potential of an active shooter. I always felt helpless once the bell rang — in crowded hallways, it is difficult to protect everyone. After voicing my fears, the vice principal tried his best to make me feel safe, but it was clear that there was little he thought he could do. Besides, it hadn’t happened in Elmhurst yet, despite multiple threats.
I would like to have sympathy for those who don’t care about gun violence in my area because there hasn’t been a mass shooting yet in Elmhurst. Yet we’ve had serious threats at my high school. And many students have stayed home because of threats of violence. Still, they haven’t had the courage to walk out of school to stand up for their right to not be afraid in the first place. I cannot empathize with their choice. Inaction, in my mind, is a sure path to the collapse of the fundamental principles of our rights as human beings to mutual well-being and free speech.
If there is one thing I have learned as an activist, it is that there is no such thing as a safe community. But for so many other students my age, school might be the safest place they have. According to Everytown for Gun Safety research, gun homicide is the leading cause of death for young black men between 15 and 24. The potential for growth that every young person has is stifled when they have to fear for their life every day. How are we supposed to grow up when we live in fear of being shot? And gun violence is preventable, but not without the passage of stronger gun laws.
The sheer amount of meetings and political rallies that I have been at in the past few months has been overwhelming. Sometimes it is difficult to see if we are making change, but I have faith and keep attending. I wish more people would.
I know I’m not alone. The most amazing part of activism is meeting so many other students who feel like I do. There is always someone with a story to share that keeps me going. I am hoping to organize a Town Hall for Our Lives to hear more of those voices, and to keep the pressure on lawmakers who may hope that we stop watching the action they take. We’re getting organized, and so many of us are committing to vote.
And even if you aren’t old enough to register, you can make sure others are. I’m working with Students Demand Action to register as many other students to vote as possible and help get people to the polls this fall, too. Across the country, Students Demand Action groups have committed to registering 10,000 voters this summer — because we know that voting is how we win. I hope every single voter registered will decide to stand for our safety and against gun violence.
I know my voice is not the most important. Yet, I am at the meetings, the rallies, and the summits for a reason. It is to hear the survivors, and it is to expand on my perspective. The world won’t change if we don’t listen to each other, if we don’t have tough conversations, and if we don’t vote. Don’t wait until it’s your school, family, or neighborhood to fight this fight. Too many have.
Ava Uditsky is a rising junior at York Community High School in Elmhurst, Illinois and a volunteer with Students Demand Action.
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With a net worth of $4.9 billion, ABC Supply (the largest roofing distributor in the U.S.) cofounder and chairman Diane Hendricks tops the list for another year, followed by Little Caesars cofounder Marian Ilitch, worth $4.3 billion. Computer programmer and Epic Systems CEO Judy Faulkner comes in third (with a net worth of $3.5 billion), followed by Meg Whitman ($3.3 billion).
Oprah Winfrey, who is sixth on the list (with a net worth of $3.1 billion), has benefited from her investment in Weight Watchers: She netted a cool $110 million in May after selling two million company shares.
But some of the names we know best on the list are the newcomers, more than half of whom earned their wealth from cosmetics, "thanks to soaring beauty sales among Gen Z." Among those entrepreneurs is Anastasia of Beverly Hills founder Anastasia Soare (worth $1 billion), Kylie Jenner (worth $900 million), Huda Kattan of Huda Beauty (worth $550 million), and KKW Beauty founder Kim Kardashian West (worth $350 million).
Kylie, who started Kylie Cosmetics less than three years ago and owns 100% of the company, is the youngest entrepreneur on the list at only 20 years old. While she isn't part of the billionaire club just yet, Forbes says "another year of growth will make her the youngest self-made billionaire ever, male or female, trumping Mark Zuckerberg, who became a billionaire at age 23." That's a hell of a lot of Lip Kits, endorsements (Puma, PacSun), and E! reruns.
In an interview with the magazine, which made her its August cover star, Kylie attributes a lot of her success to social media, "an amazing platform" that has given her "such easy access to my fans and my customers."
"Maybe one day [I'll] pass this on to Stormi, if she's into it," she said.
