Our vaginas are dirtier, smellier and more toxin-filled than ever -- or at least that's what the personal-care industry leads us to believe. A quick Google search can acquaint you with more vaginal cleansing products and treatments than you probably knew existed. You can make your vagina smell like fruits and flowers with deodorizing washes, sprays, wipes and suppositories; clean it with probiotic douches; "detoxify" it with herbal sachets; balance its "hormonal levels" with a steam treatment; and "clear" your "chi pathways" by sticking a jade egg in it.
Remaining body positive while scrolling Instagram's endless stream of individuals filtered to perfection (or, ahem, beyond recognition) is no easy feat. The flaw-free barrage of drop-dead gorgeous 'grammers can make a gal feel like she needs to hide or whittle away at every supposed imperfection (Can we say #unrealistic?).
In the past few years, self-care has been occasionally and incorrectly equated with self-indulgence. Sure, self-care can mean throwing down for spa treatments, a new wardrobe or fine leather goods, but there are plenty of other ways to "treat yo' self." Some of the most powerful and healthy self-care habits for your mind and body are actually pretty simple, not to mention free (or pretty close to it).
You've probably seen the Instagram posts for jade stone and rose quartz facial gua sha tools. But you've no idea how to use them, or why. Order online and the tool comes with no instructions. What's a girl to do?
Before you even ask: No, CBD (short for cannabidiol) will not get you high. It's lacking in the psychoactive effects of its 420-friendly cousin, THC. But some evidence suggests the plant compound found in hemp and marijuana, two varieties of the cannabis plant, may ease pain, anxiety, sleepiness, inflammation, nausea, and, in the right dose from a doctor and in combination with other medicinal compounds found in the cannabis plant, may even treat everything from seizures to withdrawal.
As beauty editors (and self-professed product junkies), nothing gets our adrenaline pumping quite like an impromptu visit to the most mystical of makeup meccas -- Sephora. Hearts racing and hands grabbing, our typical shopping M.O. involves walking through the aisles with childlike abandon and subjecting our limbs to the beautifying mercy of countless products. From lipsticks to perfume to eye cream, we want it all. And while this strategy has proven beneficial for our ever-evolving beauty collection, over time, it's done a serious number on our bank account. (Blame it on our champagne taste.)
Some people will tell you that summer bodies are built only in gyms -- but we're here to tell you that those people simply lack imagination. The way we look at it, we're constantly burning calories. Standing in line for an hour to buy your first Balmain dress from H&M burns 94 calories*. Reading "The Girl on the Train" for 30 minutes? Torches 44 calories.
In some ways we've come a long way in the body image department, but the sad truth is it's still a major issue for many women. And since summer is the season of skimpy clothes and swimsuits, it can also be a terrifying time for anyone who doesn't have Beyoncé's bod -- or body confidence.
July is a lazy, steamy month. It kicks off with the Fourth of July holiday and then melts right into August. We're all living for the weekend this time of year -- and all the beauty product shopping and playing that comes along with a little extra time off. Fortunately, the best new beauty products launching in July are right on trend. There's a stellar new SPF, a makeup kit that's perfect for travel, a lightweight hydrator that's ideal for sticky weather -- and so much more to make your summer the best one yet.
These days, it seems like everyone and their mother are tweeting about some natural supplement that has cured their [insert health issue here]. And when it comes to skin, the supplement of the moment just so happens to be collagen. Collagen supplements have become ridiculously popular among the wellness set and regular folks alike, as they're touted to smooth out wrinkles and boost your complexion's radiance. Sounds pretty sweet, right?
If you're anything like us, there's probably no shortage of hair- and skin-saving products to be found in your medicine cabinet, but the secret to complexion perfection and stellar strands may just be hiding in your kitchen, not your bathroom. Ahead, six natural ingredients -- plus easy, DIY recipes -- that can help solve any and every beauty woe.
Though the credits have rolled on the final Harry Potter film, J.K. Rowling's world lives on forever in the hearts of true, ride-or-die Potterheads. The wizards and witches among us know the core Harry Potter spells better than we know our own country's state capitals: "Wingardium Leviosa" levitates; "Expelliarmus," disarms; "Expecto Patronum" defends against Dementors and Lethifolds. Come on, we speak fluent Hogwarts.
Travel quotes show us that wanderlust isn't just the desire to take a vacation. For the curious souls who seek out the unknown, wanderlust is a perpetual state of mind. And, considering the state of our Instagram feeds these days (what with all the festival-going, jet-setting, twirling-in-international-fields-of-flowers 'grammers out there), it's hard to not feel frustrated if you're still saving up the money and time for your own world tour.
Sleep and hydration are the two basic tenets of beauty. It's annoying, but true: Press almost any beauty guru for the secret behind her glowing skin and bright eyes, and drinking water and getting enough sleep will inevitably make the cut.
We all love drugstore beauty, but it can be difficult to separate the wheat from the chaff — which products are actually worth checking out, and which are better left behind? With aisles stuffed to the gills with different products, it's easy to get overwhelmed at times. No fear, though: Because luckily for us, we've got beauty gurus to help us figure out which products we should try next. Their drugstore faves are always spot-on, and honestly: if it's good enough for one of the top YouTube beauty vloggers in the world, chances are it's good enough for us.
With products as far as the eye can see (or mouse can scroll), there's -- obvi -- no shortage of options to shop from at Sephora. But amidst all of this beauty bounty, there are a handful of standouts that continuously sell out. We're talking items that are gone almost as soon as they hit store shelves or the website, the favorites that Sephora shoppers just can't get enough of. Case in point: The 13 best-sellers featured here consistently sell out within 10 hours anytime they're restocked online.
June means summer Fridays, summer vacations, and, of course, summer beauty products. Whether you're looking to upgrade your scent, revamp your makeup bag, or find your signature manicure shade, we've got a new beauty product to recommend. There's something for everyone hitting store shelves this June.
Talk about travel stress -- it's usually after our clothes, shoes, bras and thongs have been meticulously packed into every inch of a carry-on that the realization hits: That massive cosmetics bag sitting on the bathroom counter doesn't stand a chance of squeezing in -- even if we hide all the lipsticks in our kicks. So what's a jetsetter (with a major aversion to checked bags, because honestly who has the patience...) to do? Here's the truth: a few easy adjustments to your packing list (like swapping in some hero multitaskers, spill-free skin savers, and fab minis) can shrink your beauty bag and make it adhere to the TSA rules on liquids; plus, add more chill to your travel -- no luxury lost. You might even have some room left over for that fancy duty-free French eye cream.
You know the definition of the perfect beach body? In the words of body acceptance activist and author Lesley Kinzel, "A 'beach body' is whatever body you take to the beach." And we're proving it by showcasing 13 gorgeous plus size models — such as Ashley Graham, Natalie Drue and Robyn Lawley — who demonstrate that curves are seriously sexy at any size. We even reached out to a handful of them for their perspective on remaining body positive while splashing around at the shoreline, chilling poolside or otherwise.
When it comes to protecting yourself from the sun, establishing stellar sunscreen habits is by far the numero uno most important thing to do. But, once you've nailed the SPF sitch (as an obligatory reminder, this means using a broad-spectrum formula with SPF 30 or higher, 365 days a year), upping your defenses with a hat is a great next move.
