Wedding season is nearly here, meaning that a summer of champagne toasts, bridesmaid dresses, and high heel-induced pain is no doubt ahead of you. And while a social calendar full of weddings can be challenging (just ask any serial bridesmaid), it does have its perks — namely this game-changing wedding capsule from & Other Stories.
The retailer recently debuted a limited-edition bridal collection, which means the days of wishing you hadn't checked 'yes' on that wedding invite is a thing of the past. Priced between £45 and £159, the line is chock full of festive pieces you can actually repeat, like orange sundresses, linen short suits, soft yellow bridesmaid dresses, and eyelet white frocks.
“This wedding capsule collection is designed with the aim to become go-to gems in your wardrobe. A dreamy palette of colours combined with beautiful details and cuts, these are the kind of pieces that you always feel comfortable in and can style to suit all sorts of occasions.” Malin Sone, Head of Design at & Other Stories, told Refinery29. In other words, you can officially say goodbye to bridesmaids dresses that look like they belong at a suburban prom in the 80s.
Before every maid of honour, mother of the bride, and hopeful girlfriend gets their hands on this collection, check out our favourite pieces ahead.
At Refinery29 UK, we’re here to help you navigate this overwhelming world of stuff. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. If you buy something we link to on our site, Refinery29 may earn commission.
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In a single weekend in 1988, Florence Griffith-Joyner (Flo Jo) broke the 100 meters world record three times at the U.S. Olympic track and field trials. But her manicure garnered as much attention as the fact that she’d clocked an astonishing 10.49 at the event, a record that still stands today. In an article “Griffith-Joyner Nails 100-Meter Dash Final ” the Chicago Tribune pointed out how the runner wore “4-inch, curved, tiger-striped fingernails" and a solid fuchsia manicure the following day.
Raised in the Jordan Downs Housing Projects in L.A.’s Watts neighbourhood, Griffith-Joyner learned to do hair and nails while working at a local salon. But her penchant for long, bedazzled manicures clearly clashed with the white, middle-class norms of the sportswriters who found brightly coloured nails to be gauche compared to nude and French tip designs.
“Regardless of intention, French manicures and pastel colours signal white, middle-class, heteronormative beauty. Long, sculptured, airbrushed nails, on the other hand, are markers of blackness, sexual deviancy, and marginalised femininity,” wrote Lynchburg College Sport Management Professor Lindsay Pieper in a 2015 essay. “Writers highlighted Flo Jo’s fingernails as both a source of intrigue and revulsion, subtly emphasising racial differences. Because she preferred long, colourful nails, the runner was depicted as abnormal, deviant, and different.”
Flo Jo's famous patriotic manicure at the 1991 Sports FestivalPhoto: Getty Images Sport.
Griffith-Joyner died in 1998 after an epileptic seizure. More than two decades after her death, the nails the media shamed her for wearing are now making headlines in a much different way. Long, artificial nails in an array of shades and designs have gone mainstream, but the origins are separated from the black women who routinely wore them more than a generation ago, despite being ridiculed and considered “ghetto” for their manicures. Now long, square-tipped, and bejewelled nails are more likely to be associated with a Jenner or a Kardashian than they are with women of colour. Complicating the issue is that black women comprise a small percentage of professional nail technicians, making it easier to erase them from the narrative about manicure trends completely.
The link between social class and fingernails predates contemporary designs by millennia. The ancient Egyptians and Chinese used nail shades to make class distinctions, with the most privileged painting their nails red and the least privileged wearing nudes and neutrals. Modern-day acrylics were invented in the U.S. in 1950, and African-American model Donyae Coles wore them on the cover of Twen magazine in 1966. They became ubiquitous with the '70s Disco period, with singers Donna Summer and Diana Ross rocking long, red, square-shaped acrylics with twinkling rhinestones. Flo Jo and La Toya Jackson wore intricate nail designs through the '80s. Then in the ‘90s, hip-hop legends like Lil’ Kim, with her famous dollar-bill manicure, and Missy Elliott started a cultural wave with nail art that continues to this day.
Gracie J, the key nail stylist on TNT’s Claws, a show about a black-owned nail salon that specialises in embellished nail sets, applauds the black women who expressed themselves with their nail art before it was commonplace in the US. “Nail art from the ’80s and ’90s to me was so authentic,” she told Refinery29. “At a time when we [African Americans] were under a microscope of constant judgment for our aesthetics, I think these women were brave for standing in their glory, unapologetic to social norms.”
If Griffith-Joyner has a modern-day equivalent, it’s tennis champion Serena Williams, whose manicures have been called “outrageous ” and “rule breaking.” While Williams, a licensed nail tech, is described as having a “proclivity for bold, spirited on-court manicures,” white celebrities like the Kardashians are framed as innovators of years-old nail trends.
Serena Williams is known for her intricate manicures on and off the court.Photo: Julian Finney/Getty Images.
“I don’t think we’ve always gotten the credit, but we [black women] are more daring about expressing ourselves, and nails can be a way of doing that,” says Cecily Ellis of Cgoldnglam Nails in Houston, Texas. “The airbrushed nails and the bubblegum-pink nails — these are the same trends black women have been doing for years. The long nails that Kylie Jenner and Khloé Kardashian have been wearing, women of colour have been wearing them.”
Kim Kardashian, for example, made headlines two years ago for taking her “game to the next level ” with a pierced nail manicure. But crediting a Kardashian with the trend concerned Temeka Jackson of Custom Nails by Temeka in West Hollywood, California. “Black women were doing this, wearing pierced nails, back in the day,” she pointed out. “This is not new.”
As a child, Gracie J saw black women embracing the styles most authentic to them. “The women that I know, that grew up within black urban culture — and I’m talking about an array of women — never conformed,” she says. “So growing up, it’s always been dominant to me to see women have ornate nails. It’s always been my norm.”
Kimberly Smith, CEO and founder of Marjani Beauty, which curates beauty products for women of colour, had a similar experience as she came of age in Philadelphia in the 1990s. She recalls getting long acrylic nails with hand-drawn art and rhinestone accents. “We weren’t calling it nail art,” Smith says. “But this has definitely been a thing for us [black women] for a while. I’ve been getting acrylics and nail designs since the ’90s and early 2000s.”
Erasing black women from this narrative is a classic case of cultural appropriation. But some manicurists are giving credit where credit is due, making it no secret that black women inspired their art. Last year, Mei Kawajiri of Nails by Mei did a colour-blocked manicure on model Binx Walton for an Alexander Wang campaign. In addition to bedazzling Walton’s nails, Kawajiri painted them with each colour of the U.S. flag, a clear nod to the patriotic manicures Griffith-Joyner wore during the 1984 and 1988 Olympics. In honour of the athlete, Kawajiri dubbed the manicure “Flo Jo Nails” and included a runner emoji in her Instagram post.
Now a go-to nail artist for celebrities, Kawajiri told Refinery29 that a stylist specifically requested the Flo Jo manicure for the shoot. As a nail artist, however, she admires how creative the track star was for her time. “I don’t know who did her nails, or if she did them by herself, but it’s very cool to me how she expressed herself with colour blocking, glitter, and nail art without being inspired by anyone else,” she says.
Kawajiri began working as a nail artist 16 years ago in Kyoto, Japan. There she mastered the embellished designs that are popular in the Harajuku district and an essential part of the Gyaru, or "gal," subculture. “I was working all day to make acrylic long nails, big giant rhinestones, 3-D nail art, and hand-painted glitter every single day," she says. "Everyone wanted to have long nails and crazy nail art.” In 2012, Kawajiri moved to the U.S. and began to work with celebrities like Hannah Bronfman.
While she still does the embellished nails that she mastered in Japan, Kawaiji's American clients crave “long sexy nails” that are similar to the ornate aesthetic Griffith-Joyner wore, and her clients also turn to the ‘90s for inspiration. “Old-school nail art is very trendy,” she says. “People get bored with the things everybody is doing now. They don’t want elegant nails, especially the cool girls; they want something different.”
But trying something new — be it box braids, door knocker earrings, or old-school nail art — often means borrowing from the styles that gained momentum in communities of colour. “Honestly, 100 percent, this happens all the time where black women have kind of created something, and someone from the majority embraces it,” Smith says. “It could be cornrows, but calling them something different, or nail art and long nails.”
But is cultural appropriation the right word to describe the shift that occurs when the mainstream absorbs these trends? Dr. Mia Moody-Ramirez, a professor in Baylor University’s department of Journalism, Public Relations & New Media, believes so. “Cultural appropriation is borrowing from cultures but not giving those cultures credit or not walking in the shoes of the people who are part of those cultures,” Moody-Ramirez says- “People have embraced some of the things black people do throughout history. But when other people do it, they’re praised for not being afraid to take a risk, and it’s considered high fashion. The sad part is that when black people do the same thing, it’s ‘ghetto.’ There’s a negative connotation.”
When Tasha did it “omg so ghetto, absolutely no class” but Becky does it and it’s “manicure sculpture “ ..... pic.twitter.com/5Pm4IfInyL
Co-author of the new book From Blackface to Black Twitter: Reflections on Black Humor, Race, Politics, and Gender, Moody-Ramirez says that black women are often discriminated against for their appearance. Even in 2019, when nail art is on runways and in fashion magazines, women in the cosmetics industry say their black clients don’t feel the freedom to experiment with their style to the degree that white women can. They feel like they will be stereotyped or deemed unprofessional for their fashion choices.
A working attorney before launching Marjani in 2017, Smith didn’t fully embrace nail art until leaving law to become an entrepreneur. More recently, she’s noticed that the types of manicures she grew up with in the ’90s have infiltrated popular culture and even the workplace, but black women aren't given the credit for influencing these trends — and a lot of it could do with the fact that they make up a fraction of licensed nail industry professionals.
According to a 2018 study by the UCLA Labor Center, just 2 percent of US nail salon workers are black. “Black women are not included in the conversation,” says Kitiya King, founder of the nail line Mischo Beauty. “We’re not included in the marketing. We’re thought of as last, if we’re thought of at all. I don’t think it’s right or fair. When you look at the buying and spending habits of women of colour and clack women, we spend more when it comes to beauty and personal care.”
Intricate nail designs are apart of Cardi B's signature style. Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images.
The black community is filled with women who appreciate beauty and can create it, too. But when it comes to nail art, very few actually go on to get licensed, says Lavette Cephus, owner of Beautè Asylum in Toledo, Ohio. When Cephus went to cosmetology school to become a nail artist, she did so with no financial aid, an undertaking some people can’t afford since it can cost up to $5,000 to become a nail technician. In addition to financial barriers, the black community may not consider the life of a nail artist to be a lucrative business opportunity.
“They don’t see it as an accessible career, but it can be,” says Cecily Ellis, who has worked with celebrity clients like Fantasia Barrino and Emily B. “Look at Beyoncé’s nail artist Lisa Logan. She has a nail salon, and she travels, and she’s an African-American female. There are also black nail artists that work runway shows.”
Since Asian people comprise the remaining 76 percent of the nail salon industry, some black women question whether they can succeed in the profession at all, Cephus says. Reports of tensions between the two groups in nail salons don’t help matters. Last summer, a dispute over an eyebrow wax at the Asian-owned New Red Apple Nails in East Flatbush, NY, turned violent, with staffers reportedly hitting a black customer and two of her family members when she refused to pay for the service.
The conflict led to calls among African Americans to boycott Asian-owned nail salons and patronise black-owned ones instead. But Temeka Jackson says that 14 years ago, when she was the sole black employee at an Asian-owned salon, she ran into African-American customers who were skeptical that a black nail artist could serve them as well as an Asian one.
Missy Elliott has been wearing embellished nail art since her debut in the '90s. Photo: Theo Wargo/Getty Images.
Moody-Ramirez says supporting black nail artists and black-owned cosmetics businesses is one way to change that misconception while investing in the innovation of black women as well. “Now, because of social media, we’re getting more and more recognised,” Jackson says of black nail artists. “Instagram was very popular and many of my customers in California found me by using hashtags. With nail art evolving over time, showcasing photos has become a tool for the public to view our talent.”
While black nail technicians and manicurists have used social media to highlight their work, Gracie J says that brands can also do their part to ensure black artists get the attention and the credit they deserve
“I would love to see brands feature a more diverse cast of nail techs and artists on their social feeds, write ups, and editorials,” Gracie J says. “I’m kind of tired of seeing the same three people over and over. This is a market we need to reclaim and be a part of as much as we’ve influenced it.”
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When it comes to nail art, there's no predicting what's going to take off as a trend. We thought the rainbow manicure lived and died in middle school, but mismatched polish is undeniably cool again. Surprisingly chic cow-print nails continue to climb in popularity. And the newest breakout trend is nothing we ever imagined putting on our hands. World, meet "fish nails."
We recently spotted the bright aquatic trend floating across the feeds of Instagram's in-the-know nail pros. And considering the tropical connotation, we're guessing it will continue to gain traction well into summer's beach season. From a detailed goldfish swimming across every finger to koi accents on just a few, scroll through for every way to style the fish manicure before everyone else catches the hook.
Place your colourful fish design over a clear jelly base to give your mani fresh-water vibes.
Alternating the directions of the fish keeps it looking cool, not cutesy.
You can paint one fish on your ring finger, and add chrome scales for extra pop.
Pair a more graphic fish design with pale-yellow polish and a seersucker dress for a look that screams summer in Cape Cod.
If you're really going for it, you can add clear, bubble-like decals over the top of every finger.
A mermaid turquoise polish makes a fun backdrop for these coral fishies.
Or you can stick with the same colour family and choose a fish design that plays with different shades of blue.
If you want a more subtle take on the trend, some artists are experimenting with fishy French tip s, and adding a teeny swimmer on just the thumbnails.
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Following the devastating fire that ravaged Paris’s Notre Dame cathedral, French President Emmanuel Macron addressed his city, offering hope. “Notre Dame is our history, it's our literature, it's our imagery,” he said during a televised conference Monday night. “It's the place where we live our greatest moments, from wars to pandemics to liberations ... I'm telling you all tonight — we will rebuild this cathedral together. This is probably part of the French destiny.” And two major French luxury conglomerates will help.
On Monday night, once the fire was finally extinguished, François-Henri Pinault , the owner of the luxury conglomerate Kering — which includes Gucci, Saint Laurent, Balenciaga, and Alexander McQueen — announced his €100 million, or about £86 million, pledge to help restore the historic church. “This tragedy is striking all the French people, and beyond that, all those attached to spiritual values,” Pinault (husband to actress Salma Hayek) said in a statement. “Faced with this tragedy, everyone wishes to give life back to this jewel of our heritage as soon as possible.” Pinault is also the president of Groupe Artémis, which owns the fine art auction house Christie's.
Not to be outdone, Bernard Arnault, the richest man in France, who leads his country's biggest luxury fashion conglomerate, LVMH —home to Celine, Louis Vuitton, Dior, and Givenchy — pledged €200 million (£172 million). “The LVMH Group puts at the disposal of the state and the relevant authorities all of its teams — including creative, architectural and financial specialists — to help with the long work of reconstruction and fund-raising, which is already in progress,” they said.
The list of bright-skinned celebrities who extoll the benefits of collagen supplements is a long one, peppered with names like Jennifer Aniston, Busy Philipps, Kourtney Kardashian, and Mandy Moore. Take one look at them, and it's clear that something must be working to give them minimal wrinkles and plump skin, two supposed byproducts of ingesting the protein. Could collagen supplements be the thing stamping out dull complexions all over Hollywood — or are they just another empty promise that Instagram won’t let us escape, like "flat tummy tea " or posture enhancers?
Collagen, dermatologist Debra Jaliman, M.D., explains, is "the most abundant protein in the skin, making up 75% to 80% of your skin." We come pre-loaded with the stuff when we're born, but things like repetitive facial movements, sun exposure, and the presence of an enzyme in our own skin called collagenase break down collagen in the dermis, leading to a loss of plumpness and fullness over time.
Our bodies do their best to counter this loss, but it's an uphill battle. “Every day we make collagen, but after the age of 25, we break down more collagen then we make, which is why we start to see fine lines and wrinkles," Dr. Jaliman says. Your diet is your first defense against the deficit. “Nutrition is a key factor influencing skin health and consequently its appearance," she explains. "Leafy greens and citrus can help with collagen synthesis and any foods rich in vitamin C, like strawberries, play a major role in collagen production."
Ideally, we'd all have no issue boosting collagen by eating a smart diet rich in fresh fruits and veggies. But this is real life, and sometimes meals are more deli-to-mouth than farm-to-table. That's where the basis of collagen shots, drinks, and powders comes in. “Collagen peptides are used as an ingredient in supplement products and have been shown in studies to improve skin barrier function and help the production of collagen after eight weeks of intake,” Dr. Jaliman says. “The collagen density in the dermis significantly increased, so the skin became thicker and the lines were diminished.”
It’s research like this that helps Dr. Jaliman get behind the idea of taking supplemental collagen to put a dent in skin aging. “Collagen consumption can increase skin elasticity and can help your body’s skin repair process, therefore encouraging your body to form new collagen,” she says. Her choice? A 600 mg daily dose of NeoCell Super Collagen +C Tablets.
For her part, Los Angeles-based dermatologist Jessica Wu, M.D., also recommends eating vitamin C-rich foods as often as possible, ranging from citrus fruits to red and yellow peppers, kiwi, guava, and kale. Like Dr. Jaliman, she approves of collagen supplements for inquiring patients, though she warns it’s crucial to be choosy when it comes to formulation.
“While some collagen supplements have been shown to improve skin hydration and reduce fine lines, they’re not created equal,” Dr. Wu says. “In general, I recommend choosing a supplement or drink containing collagen peptides, which are small pieces that are easier to absorb. Ask the company for clinical studies that show the benefits of that particular product and read the label to see where the collagen comes from. For example, if you’re vegetarian or vegan, you may want to avoid collagen that comes from a bovine (beef) source.”
Our skin may look forever 19 — or at least more plump — with a richer matrix of collagen to support it, but not everyone is convinced that the best way to encourage this boost is through ingestibles. Rebecca Oshiro, a certified nutritionist and board-certified behavior analyst with Arivale, says our bodies may not actually process collagen supplements in a way that’s useful to the skin.
“Like all other proteins, collagen is made up of individual amino acids. When you consume collagen or any other protein, your body breaks it down in to its individual amino acids before they are absorbed in to your circulation. Once in circulation, these amino acids are available to any of the tissues or cells of the body that need them,” she explains. ”Unfortunately, there is no way whatsoever to direct precise, individual amino acids to a certain area of the body. In other words, when you take a collagen supplement, the cells of your pancreas are just as likely to absorb the individual component amino acids for its own use as your skin is to do so.”
One thing all three of our experts do agree on: A healthy diet rich in vitamins and proteins still may be the best way to support collagen production and overall skin health. “It is important that your body obtains all of the essential amino acids that it requires for health and maintenance every day from your diet,” says Oshiro. “It doesn't matter where the individual amino acids come from: chicken, beans, quinoa, etcetera." Throwing collagen supplements into the mix won't hurt — but there's not enough research to suggest we should rely on them for glowy A-lister skin just yet.
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If you loved the twists of A Simple Favour and the cat-and-mouse drama of Gone Girl, then you should be giddy over the latest domestic thriller in development. According to Deadline, Liv Constantine's The Last Mrs. Parrish is being developed as a TV series for Amazon, and should it go to series, fans are in for one hell of a ride.
The Last Mrs. Parrish hit shelves in 2017, and was quickly picked up by Reese Witherspoon's Hello Sunshine book club. The novel follows a young woman determined to infiltrate the world of a high-society wife — all so she can steal her husband and her well-to-do lifestyle. However, things are not exactly as they seem in this posh family — and Mrs. Parrish may not be so hapless a woman.
Should the show go to series (right now, it's only in the development phase), it will be a great platform for two strong actresses — not unlike Killing Eve, the two-hander thriller for which Sandra Oh scored a Golden Globe.
News of this series comes on the heels of Netflix series You, another series about a person who attempts to worm their way into another person's life. Unlike in The Last Mrs. Parrish, the reason for the madness is "love" (well, what stalker Joe believes love to be), and not money. A season 2 is heading to Netflix.
Let's hope that Amazon decides to another tale of complicated people doing very bad things the green light.
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You spent four months trying to nail down a wedding venue that feels like home (before eventually settling on your own backyard), then three more on the hunt for a dress that makes you look like the best version of you. So it only makes sense that you would take a similarly personal approach to your makeup — and sometimes, that means keeping it as natural as possible.
Minimalist bridal makeup is much more than a trend set into motion by Meghan Markle last May: It's simple, it's classic, and it's the one thing that works for everyone. Ahead, all the inspiration you need to perfect the look (or show to your wedding-day makeup artist), so you can feel confident in looking like yourself — but better — on the big day.
Untouched Skin
Step one: Invest in good skin-care prep. That way, your face will be so glowy on your wedding day, you wouldn't dream of covering a single freckle with full-coverage foundation.
The natural texture of your skin is gorgeous, which is why many makeup artists recommend brides opt for a tinted moisturiser or a BB cream for a thin veil of dewy coverage that still makes the skin look like skin.
Feathered Brows
If the eyes are the window to the soul, your brows are the velvet drapes. Simply brushing them up and filling in the sparse areas can add a natural depth to the entire face.
You don't need a lipstick or a smokey eyeshadow on your wedding day if that's not your vibe — a bold, feathered brow is almost an even more glamorous statement.
Sun-Kissed Glow
If you're looking for that post-honeymoon bronze in the days before you actually jet off, consider a pre-wedding spray tan. (Just make sure you do a trial run first so you don't end up looking orange, à la Anne Hathaway in Bride Wars.)
The right bronzer can also help give that natural-looking glow. Remember to focus the color where the sun would hit: across the forehead, the tip of the nose, and the cheekbones.
Soft Contour
Your wedding day might not be the best time to experiment with a heavy Kardashian-caliber contour contour, but some soft sculpting can give emphasis to the natural shape of your face.
If you have a matte bronzer just a shade or two darker than your skin tone, you can blend the colour into the hollows of your cheekbones for a soft contour that reads as naturally stunning definition.
Flushed Cheeks
A well-placed cream blush melts beautifully into skin to leave the softest hint of color.
For a foolproof match, you can dab a little bit of your lipstick onto your cheeks, blending it out until the colour is perfectly seamless.
Natural Lashes
You know you'll probably be crying, so when you pick a mascara, it should probably be waterproof. But more than that, you should look for a natural formula that softly lifts and defines the lashes.
If you don't usually wear mascara and you have fair skin, a brown formula will probably be your best bet for a natural-looking lash with barely-there definition.
Glossed High Points
When dewy skin is the goal, you can gently gloss the high points of your face — eyelids, lips, and cheekbones — with a shiny (not shimmery) highlighter, to give the illusion that your skin is radiating light.
No matter what kind of bride you're channeling — bohemian chill or classic princess — a nude lip gloss delivers the perfecting finishing touch to your look.
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BeautywithMi, hosted by Refinery29's beauty writerMi-Anne Chan, explores the coolest new trends, treatments, products, and subcultures in thebeautyworld. Never miss an episode by subscribing here.
It may be 2019, but the 1950s have been top of mind recently, what with the success of shows like The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and the resurgence of vintage-inspired makeup. It's easy to see why a 21st-century audience would be enthralled by the era: Glamorous movie stars like Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, and Jayne Mansfield stunned on the silver screen, and the cosmetics industry was booming for the first time since before the war.
"When you're looking at the '50s, you're looking at a transitional period after World War II," says Gabriela Hernandez, makeup historian and founder of Bésame Cosmetics. "A lot of makeup wasn't in production due to shortages during the war, but then the '50s rolled around and all kinds of products were being produced." Colours like turquoise, teal, and various shades of red were being made into eyeshadows and lipsticks — a far cry from the more natural makeup trends of the decade prior. "Makeup wasn't taboo anymore," Hernandez says.
I got my hands on a pamphlet of real makeup tutorials from the '50s — so naturally, I tasked myself with following along as closely as possible. What started as a fun glimpse at a bygone era quickly became a conversation around the cultural, social, and economic impact of makeup, which you can watch in the video above.
Max Factor Pan Stik Foundation, £5.30, available at Amazon; Bésame Black Cream Mascara, £31.47, available at Bésame; Ben Nye Cake Eye Liner, £7.90, available at Justmylook; Bésame Crimson Cream Rouge, £31.00, available at Bésame; Bésame Vanilla Brightening Powder, £32.02, available at Bésame; Guerlain KissKiss Cream Lip Colour in Red Insolence, £22, available at JP Parmacy.
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Jenny from the Block has truly mastered the high/low style. On the Louboutin -studded heels of her just-announced collaboration with fast-fashion retailer PrettyLittleThing, Jennifer Lopez will receive the Council of Fashion Designers of America's Fashion Icon Award.
"From the infamous Versace dress, to her music videos that are cemented into pop culture world history, and to her myriad of iconic red-carpet moments, Lopez’s style has always been a standout,” the CFDA says in a statement. “Lopez also pioneered the business model of turning her beauty and style into that of a brand. Through her fashion, beauty, and fragrance lines, the Jennifer Lopez brand has to date grossed over a billion dollars.”
The multi-hyphenate will claim her trophy at this year's CFDA Fashion Awards on June 3 in New York City. “Jennifer Lopez’s style is bold, uninhibited, and always memorable,” Steven Kolb, President and CEO of the CFDA, said. “Designers, including many of our CFDA Members, love to dress her for both stage and private moments.” Further, as CFDA Chairwoman Diane von Furstenberg puts it, “Jennifer Lopez uses clothes as a way to express confidence and power. Both designers and fans look forward to her fashion statements.”
Lopez joins Naomi Campbell, Beyoncé, Rihanna, Pharrell Williams, and Johnny Depp, who’ve each been honoured as Fashion Icons.
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Romanian photographer Maria Sturm says her project "You Don't Look Native To Me " , a series documenting the lives of young Native Americans, all started from a conversation with her stepfather. "[He] told me about his friend Dr Jay Hansford C. Vest, an enrolled member of the Monacan Indian Nation," she tells Refinery29.
"At the time, my stepfather told me that the tribe was unrecognised. In fact, the Monacan were among six Virginian tribes that were only federally recognised for the first time in January 2018," she continues . " I stumbled over that word: unrecognised. What does that mean? Why are there people that aren't recognised? What are the criteria for it and who are the faces behind the institutions deciding who you are and who you are not?"
Maria’s stepfather told her that Jay has blonde hair and blue eyes and at this she found herself checking her own internalised assumptions. "I paused for a while, realising my own confusion. Why couldn’t a Native American have blonde hair and blue eyes? Where did I absorb the knowledge of what Native American identity looks like?" From here, Sturm began to think about how we absorb references and solidify tropes, and how racist and offensive stereotypes perpetuate as a result.
Her stepfather’s friend teaches in the American Indian Studies department at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke – a place that also happens to be the economic, cultural and political centre of the Lumbee tribe of North Carolina. Some 89% of the city’s population identifies as Native American. "The Lumbee has sought full federal recognition from the United States government since 1888," Sturm says. "It is the largest tribe in North Carolina, the largest tribe east of the Mississippi River, and the ninth largest in the nation." Curious to find out more, Sturm visited Dr Vest’s class and asked if there were students who would like to spend some time with her, show her around and talk. The project began to unfold from there.
In tender portraits, townscapes and interiors, "You Don’t Look Native to Me" chases the notion of identity away from being defined by the way a person looks. Instead, it celebrates the vast cultural differences of Native American appearance, taste and lifestyle that Sturm found in the community of young people she spent time with; young people who are forging their self-image outside of the boxes the world has placed them in. Here, Sturm tells us the story of her journey, shares anecdotes from the conversations she had along the way, and picks out the pictures that made the project.
"Even though the work in 'You Don’t Look Native to Me' is centred around Pembroke, Robeson County, the Lumbee tribe of North Carolina live in neighbouring counties too. Robeson County is the poorest and most violent county in North Carolina. Between the '90s and the '00s, most of the industry had left (for example, Converse in Lumberton, where many Lumbee people had worked). The people I met throughout this process weren't forced to move and traditionally they were farmers. They have a very strong bond to their land."
Across many trips between 2011 and 2017, Sturm spent time in the county meeting people, making connections and being introduced to the friends and family of people she photographed in order to begin building a network of subjects. In the early years she’d travel to Pembroke from her home in Germany, and from 2015-2017 she studied in America, which put her at least on the right side of the ocean to continue with the project in a more concentrated way. Sometimes she would stay for six weeks, and other times just seven days, if that’s all she could manage. It felt important to her to keep a regular presence there throughout the project, to form lasting bonds.
Over time, Sturm found herself naturally honing in on the young people of the communities she was moving among, photographing friends and siblings as they hung out together and chatted about their lineage and how it relates to their futures. "I was particularly interested in youth and in the way their identity is presented, because it is the period of time in which you think about self-definition, hyper consciously but also unconsciously too."
Representation is a big part of what Sturm investigates with her work, and often when talking with the people of Pembroke she would find herself having conversations with her subjects about the way they saw themselves, and the way they wanted to be seen. She notes how the rise of social media has intensified the pressure on people to think constantly about the way they present themselves. While she was in Pembroke, she spent time collecting the recurring hashtags that were being used across the community and found it fascinating. "The main theme of my work is the paradoxicality of identity," she explains. "Identifying as Native American but not fitting the stereotypical image of a Native American makes it hard to be visibly recognised, while at the same time you are not being recognised politically, for similar reasons."
"Each time I flew back to Pembroke I brought prints of the photographs I had taken before. Usually I would carry the whole stack with me and every time I met somebody, I'd ask them to reflect on what they saw and to take out their photo, of course. I recorded these conversations and I quote some of the passages in the book.
"There was a conversation, for example, with Kim, who hosted me along with her friends Chris, Robert and Virgil, where they were browsing through the images asking one another who they would cast in a Native American movie, if they were to make one. A portrait was picked and when Chris asked why, Robert explained that it was because of the long hair and the bone structure. He also acknowledged that, of course, his decision was influenced by media. They later went on to a discussion about stereotypes and privilege – these sorts of conversations are really the undercurrent of the project."
"There are many people I met many times throughout my stay. One person in particular is Jonathan Jacobs, whom I met right at the beginning, in 2011 in Dr Vest’s class. He showed me around and we met his family and friends and throughout this whole project he was my constant companion. It was especially beautiful and important to meet Jon, because he was interested in his identity, so we would roam around and meet people and Jon had all these sets of questions he was curious to find out the answers to. When I met him he identified as Lumbee and throughout this project he came to find out that he is actually Tuscarora.
"This is where it gets a bit more complex. Pre-colonisation there were several tribes inhabiting the same area: the Cheraw, the Tuscarora, the Haliwa-Saponi and the Cherokees to name a few. You can find three native language families: Algonquian, Siouan and Iroquois, which suggest migration due to wars, climate change, etc. All these tribes weren't recognised. In an attempt to gain federal recognition, the Lumbee name was voted for in 1952 (and passed legislation in 1953) to unite all tribes living in and around Robeson County. The idea was to form a conglomerate, so the BIA (Bureau of Indian Affairs) wouldn‘t ignore a large group of people in their petition for recognition. The tribe petitioned again for federal recognition, which failed because the BIA stated the Lumbee had only existed since 1953, and it can't be proved therefore that they existed before 1492. So the Tuscarora fall under the umbrella of the Lumbee and even though the Lumbee name is fairly new, many people only know the Lumbee name nowadays."
Each of Sturm’s portraits is beautifully set, in natural light, away from any overtly theatrical or staged representation. "My initial idea was to photograph people outside in the surrounding natural environment in order to subtly but consistently include the importance of land," she explains. "But after I met people multiple times and started to hang out with them, I naturally became more of a fly on the wall, observing and photographing. I also moved away from the outside portraits, because in a way I wanted to come closer and also make images that are less static." Here, a young woman called Mescal nurses her baby Frankie, accompanied by her eldest daughter Kassidy.
Of all the pictures that Sturm has taken, it is perhaps only this one, of a young girl called Kearsey wearing vampire teeth, that would fall into the category of staged. "I met her at a Powwow on Halloween weekend. I had photographed Kearsey during the day, when I found her wearing the fangs, but I deleted my card by accident and so went back to her later in the night and asked her to put them back on for me so I could restage the situation. This became one of the key images for me."
Kearsey also identifies as Tuscarora, which leads us down the road of identity politics. Many Tuscarora don’t identify with the Lumbee name and have prejudices against the Lumbee people. The Tuscarora have a very strict enrolment policy – you have to prove one quarter of bloodline being Native – in comparison to the Lumbee, which is another reason for disliking. Kearsey and her mother Tamra were dancing among the Lumbee, setting a hopeful example in these inner tribal conflicts."
As well as portraits of the Lumbee people, there are townscapes, landscapes and little glimpses of the world they live in too. "The interiors and the landscapes are important because they are like portraits too," Maria muses. "They show how the place has been shaped across generations in connection to the importance of land (that ironically isn't their land, since the Lumbee aren't federally recognised). In a more intimate way, the interiors show how identity is also visible in people’s homes."
When asked to select some of the most significant images from the project, Sturm goes straight for this one, of Patricia, Mescal and Frankie. "It’s an important image for me because it distils the strength and pride I found there. Lumbee pride is also in particular stemming from the story of Henry Berry Lowrie. It is said that Henry Berry was hiding in the swamps when he led the resistance in North Carolina during the American Civil War. He is remembered as a Robin Hood figure, particularly for the Tuscarora and Lumbee people, who consider him one of their tribe and a pioneer in the fight for their civil rights, personal freedom, and tribal self-determination. Mescal is also somebody I spent a lot of time with, she's the daughter of Reggie, who leads the Culture Class in town."
The next image Sturm selects to tell us about is this one, of a young boy called Manny in his regalia wearing a bandana covering his face. "Manny told me that he's actually dancing with the bandana on. I was already unconsciously focusing on portraits where people's faces were covered somehow – what can you tell about somebody's identity, if you only see half their faces? I think about this a lot, about our ways of seeing and our perception."
In another image of Manny and his partner, the two sit in his car, her gazing at him with her hand on his head, him gazing out of the window, hands on the steering wheel. Afternoon sunlight streams through the windows and casts long shadows across the vehicle. In a different photograph their hands clasp together tenderly. In yet another one, a young couple embrace. Sturm’s images are filled with these quiet reflections on the sensitivity and bonds between the people in these communities.
On the subject of connection, Sturm reaches for a final portrait. "This is a particularly important image I took of Scottie, who I spent a lot of time with there. He's wearing a Redskin jacket and hat, which would be considered politically incorrect by outsiders, but also by other Natives. Scottie was wearing it with pride. 'This is who I am,' he told me. What you can see in an image like this is that identity can manifest in pop cultural symbols too. It also reveals another paradox in that people argue that Scottie is not a real Native, because he doesn't know his history. But the reasons for this don’t seem too important. Especially for tribes in the southeast who have lost a lot of their history, not only through assimilation but also through fear, living in the Jim Crow south. And who are we to judge what is right? None of us live like we did 500 years ago, but it’s easy for us to judge others for not fitting the stereotypes we have of them. If Scottie finds strength and selfhood through this clothing, why shouldn’t he be allowed to wear it?"
Sturm says that she showed others this image of Scottie, and while many of them said they wouldn’t share his choice of clothes, they recognised him as one of them and didn’t judge him for it. "There’s an understanding between them," she says. "They share the struggle."
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While makeup artists like Val Garland and Erika La' Pearl like to use their fingers when it comes to applying foundation, eyeshadow and concealer, others extol the virtues of a good brush set for ease of application, precision and seamless blending. But not all brushes are created equal. From nylon to taklon, bristles vary from brush to brush, as does the shape: domed or angled? Round or flat?
It's safe to say that with thousands of brands and brushes to choose from, finding the perfect tool is no mean feat. How do you know which brush will blend your contour to flawless perfection and which one will shed after the first wash? (And yes, you should be cleaning your makeup brushes regularly.)
Luckily, we asked the experts. Ahead, you'll find the best makeup brushes professional makeup artists always use, on clients and themselves.
I'm a huge fan of the whole Nanshy brush range, but the Buffed Base gets my vote for applying foundation seamlessly. It's vegan, cruelty-free and very affordable for such great quality.
Nanshy Buffed Base R02, $10.57, available at Nanshy
Cruelty-free, My Kit Co brushes are a great go-to brand for both professional makeup artists and makeup lovers. This is one of my favourite powder brushes as it's perfect for dusting on setting powder, blush and bronzer in a controlled way.
My Kit Co My Flawless Powder, $17.5, available at My Kit Co
I love how seamlessly highlighter glides on to the skin when I use this brush. Because of the way the bristles are shaped, it's so easy to pack on and blend out highlighter for a mesmerising 'glow to the gods' effect.
Zoeva 114 Luxe Face Focus Brush, $13, available at Beauty Bay
This is my favourite multipurpose brush. It works on both liquid and powder products, like foundation, concealer, blush, highlighter and more. It gets a 5-star review from me.
My Kit Co My Flawless Face Medium, $16.5, available at My Kit Co
I had a pot of brushes go missing last year and my Armani blender brushes were the first tools I rushed to replace. I use very little foundation on the skin, and find that these allow me to distribute and buff the product on in a super thin layer. It's smooth and is the perfect shape for both applying and blending. Between these and my fingers, I get the most natural application. It's also great for cream blusher and cream contour application.
Giorgio Armani Maestro Blender Brush, $60, available at John Lewis
I use this MAC brush for all sorts. It's technically an eyeshadow brush, and is firm enough to pick up and pack on eyeshadow to give the real, true colour of each shade. However, its lovely tapered shape and packed-in fibres also make it great for applying concealer and lipstick, as well as blending eyeliner for a more smoky look.
MAC Cosmetics 239S Eye Shader Brush, $21, available at MAC Cosmetics
These brushes apply product flawlessly thanks to the densely packed bristles. I love using them to achieve a perfect, polished appearance to base makeup.
Iconic London HD Blend Base Set, $45, available at Iconic London
Kenneth Soh, celebrity and editorial makeup artist
I love the F brush for it’s luxuriously soft bristles. They are cut with skill and pick up eyeshadow pigments beautifully. This makes application and blending a dream on the eye.
Suqqu Eyeshadow Brush F, $48, available at Harrods
Based in Singapore (they ship to the UK), this is one of the best synthetic brush companies around. Brushes are super soft and the hair doesn't drop out. The Universal is a wonderful all-round brush that picks up and blends pigments beautifully while hugging face contours with ease.
13rushes Universal Do-It-All Face Brush, $22.56, available at 13rushes
This is like a brush extension of my fingers. I use it every single time I do makeup to blend foundation and concealer under the eyes, around the nose and on the forehead, literally everywhere on the face. Also great for spot application of highlighter or blush.
My Kit Co 1.7 - MY ULTRA MULTI™, $16.5, available at My Kit Co
This very dense, oval-shaped brush is great for precise contouring. Use it to place a bronzer or a shading blusher in the hollow part of the cheeks and it'll give instant definition and shape features effortlessly. It can also be used for very intense pigment payoff when applying highlighter and also to press translucent powder onto the T-zone to control shine strategically.
Illamasqua Blush Up Brush, $14.5, available at Illamasqua
This is a very versatile tool. I like to use this brush to blend eyeliner pencils and also press powder eyeshadow on top. This sets the liner and adds extra colour intensity. It is also a great tool to use to apply eyebrow makeup as it lends a very blurred effect, which makes brows slightly darker but also really natural.
Illamasqua Smoulder Eyeshadow Brush, $20, available at Illamasqua
The bristles in the brush are so short and so make for sharp application of any eyebrow product. You can draw the hairs one by one, as if you are doing microblading, but with makeup.
Illamasqua Angled Brush, $20, available at Illamasqua
You could say I have a thing for using brushes not for their specific purpose and I use this one to create the perfect lip. The brush is actually made for eyeshadow but the hair is great for applying both dry and liquid formulas, including lipstick and gloss. It has a round shape which is different from your typical lip brush, so it helps when applying lipstick in and around the Cupid's bow. I have around five of these brushes in my brush belt and they have lasted me over seven years. The bristles don’t shed and they are really good quality. I won’t use any other brush on the lips.
MAC Cosmetics 228S Mini Shader Brush, $16.5, available at MAC Cosmetics
I'm a big fan of brushes that are versatile and work with both dry and liquid formulas. I have this brush in my personal makeup bag, a spare one in my handbag and three more in my brush belt. I use it for concealer, under eye powder, cream blusher and sometimes foundation touch-ups on set. It’s perfect for blending in cream products as it’s super soft. I highly recommend this as the price point isn't bad at all.
Real Techniques Setting Brush, $7.99, available at LookFantastic
To apply lipstick properly you need to have a lip brush. I tend to opt for a square-shaped brush to give clean, precise edges. This one can be used with concealer or foundation post-applying lip colour to clean up the edges.
Rae Morris Jishaku #19 Lip Brush, $26, available at Cult Beauty
I keep brows groomed and in shape with My Kit Co's Brushed Brow Brush. It's much softer than a standard toothbrush and more hygienic, too.
My Kit Co 2.3 Pro My Brushed Brow, $8.5, available at My Kit Co
I started off using MAC Cosmetics' 217S brush as an eyeshadow brush but it’s now my all-purpose go-to for blending. Whether it’s shadow or concealer, it is light enough to give a flawless finish. Always remember to wash in between uses.
MAC Cosmetics 217S Blending Brush, $21, available at MAC Cosmetics
This is the ultimate smoky eye brush. With shorter bristles than most blending brushes, it provides great control, allowing you to blend away to create a sultry finish. In summer, try fashioning an eye makeup look with golds and bronzes rather than deeper shades.
Hourglass Brush No 11 Smudge, $33, available at FeelUnique
This is my all-time favourite little foundation brush. It's angled, so is perfect for seamless application on every angle of the face. It’s so easy to use and also has a sponge on the other end ‘press' foundation into the skin. It's especially helpful on the areas that need a little bit more coverage. The ultimate 2-in-1.
Suqqu Dual-ended foundation brush, $26, available at Selfridges
I just adore this eyeshadow brush. Funnily enough, I use it mostly for blending foundation and concealer. It’s great for buffing out any areas where you feel you have applied a little too much foundation or concealer. It creates ‘pixel perfect’ looking skin, which is so beautifully flawless really close up. It's just a brilliant tool for super polished skin.
Tom Ford Beauty Eyeshadow Blend Brush 13, $44, available at Tom Ford
Dominic Skinner, global senior artist for MAC Cosmetics and judge on Glow Up
Everyone should have this socket blending brush but most people think it’s too small. In actual fact, it's the the perfect size because when you apply the product it blends it the exact way you want it to go. Most people go for a slightly larger blending brush and they wonder why they suddenly have panda eyes!
MAC Cosmetics 221S Mini Tapered Blending Brush, $21, available at MAC Cosmetics
This foundation brush is an old school duo fibre. The difference with this is that tips are what we call feathered and the fibres almost look like split ends. What it does is it polishes. When applying foundation, do so with the black part which allows the white part to fan back. It'll give you this feathered movement which just polishes up the foundation. If you want flawless foundation every single time without fail, this is the one to go for.
MAC Cosmetics 187S Duo Fibre Face, $34.5, available at MAC Cosmetics
This is the perfect shape for applying eye shadow, as it’s the right width for an eyelid. Apply your eyeshadow with this, then use the 221S to blend it out and you will never go wrong. It’s also really great for brows, too, because it gives you a really lovely, soft finish, not anything heavy and hard.
MAC Cosmetics 239S Eye Shader Brush, $21, available at MAC Cosmetics
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Picture it: a laid-back musician wants to marry a fashion editor. Neither of them wants a traditional wedding. Both are set on the day being an intimate affair with just family and closest friends in attendance. No fuss, no sit-down dinner, just fun. Unfortunately, every wedding fair they attended was the total opposite of the individuality they wanted to promote on their wedding day. In fact, the bride-to-be had never been a fan of wedding shows, had always felt they were too girly, oozed too much tulle, were an explosion of white and sparkles – they weren't really her.
Fast-forward to today, the recently married fashion editor (which would be me) is the newly appointed maid of honour for her best friend Christy’s June 2020 wedding. As privileged as I feel to be asked to do the honours, I am also kind of dreading the nonstop traditional bridal shows. My invite to the Nu Bride wedding fair arrived in timely fashion but was anxiously received, to say the least.
For those of you who haven't come across Nu Bride, it's a wedding blog run by Nova Reid. And it's the biggest in the UK to be dedicated to diversity in weddings which, in case you haven't noticed, is an industry that's a little behind the times in terms of representation of women of colour.
Writing for Refinery29 last year, Nova said: "The wedding industry is steeped in patriarchy and tradition, so it is no surprise that it is lagging behind. The people who occupy positions of power generally all look the same. It is not hugely representative of people of colour, of people with different abilities, from different classes, or from the LGBTQ+ community. Which is ironic, since love is the one thing in our world that is rich in diversity and wildly universal."
So it's safe to say that I was hoping the Nu Bride wedding fair might provide something different for Christy and me, especially compared to the traditional fairs I had attended as a bride-to-be. And true to form, Nu Bride was the total opposite of any other wedding fair I have experienced. Entering the building to the sound of Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell’s "Ain’t No Mountain High Enough" sung by the Songbird Sessions, the top class all-female vocal group, was a nice touch. As was the building: with floor-to-wall windows and packed with stylish Tom Dixon interiors, Camden House, in the heart of Camden Lock, made a nice change from your local homogenous conference centre.
Photo by Becky Bailey PhotographyPhoto by Becky Bailey Photography
The dress designers on show included House of Bilimoria, which uses south Asian influences, embroidery and saris which they upcycle with high quality vintage and end-of-line fabrics. Also there was Rita Colson, a Ghanaian London-based fashion designer who specialises in bridal couture. Not only are her dresses divine, they've also got a secret weapon. "I have a thing about movement," she tells me. "My dresses have inbuilt bras so you can feel free to dance and enjoy yourself without constantly adjusting." Yes. Please. UK designer Charlie Brear shows off a range of left-of-centre gowns – think sequinned overdresses, tiered skirts and beaded belts. The best part? Across the fashion and accessories selection were traditional wedding elements with a tapestry of ethnicity throughout, further reiterating the event's ethos of diversity.
Nu Bride had workshops on wellbeing to manage stress during wedding planning, a vow-writing workshop for creativity, a talk on making your marriage work which featured Brides Do Good – a charity that funds programmes to empower vulnerable young girls and educate communities in order to eradicate child marriage.
Nu Bride is about "being the change," Nova told me. With a background in musical theatre, singing and acting, Nova has experienced the feeling of being "other" throughout her career. "I was always one of very few black people so I lost my confidence. I had an injury and I retrained in holistic therapy mainly for disability and mental health. I did that for about 10 years and during that time I got engaged and then I just felt invisible as a black woman and thought, Wow we get married too! "
She continues: "I started to question where the black people were in the [bridal] magazines and I asked if there was an all-black magazine I could buy and I thought, Why do I have to buy a black magazine? I’ll just create my own! And so Nu Bride was born."
Photo by Becky Bailey Photography
The entrepreneur has not been alone in her quest for diversity in the wedding industry. "Other couples and brides said they’ve been waiting for something like this," she says. "And now, seven years later – this is the show. I am tired of being invisible. For anyone getting married [who feels like I did], there is something for you too." The cellist Jay Emme begins to play, contemporary dance company SolDans starts to perform.
Nova is right, the wedding industry is very traditional in terms of representation. However, there’s a demand for change and just like fashion it is finally taking steps to show more diversity. My husband and I, like so many couples, wanted a wedding we could put our stamp on and it was refreshing to see an infusion of cultures at Nu Bride, in comparison to other wedding shows I have attended, which catered only to a European-themed day.
Photo by Becky Bailey PhotographyPhoto by Becky Bailey Photography
If there is anything Nu Bride could have done differently, it would have been to showcase more ethnic customs and decorations. I would have loved to have seen more bridal fashion like in the Nu Bride poster, which featured a black woman in what appears to be traditional African dress. The event is incredibly ambitious and the foundation is there to really be the change they would like to see but, next time, it definitely needs a larger selection of diverse brands to truly cater to its target audience. I left feeling inspired but confident that I wouldn’t have changed anything about my big day.
As for Christy? We laughed, ate, drank and danced at an event that created an opportunity for us to celebrate her upcoming nuptials and it’s safe to say we’ve bagged a few contacts to get the look and feel that she wants for her wedding. Nova, we salute you!
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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 a cross-section of women how they spend their hard-earned money during a seven-day period – and we're tracking every last penny.
This week: "I’m a 23-year-old master's student in Manchester. I spent the past four years in London studying and working but couldn’t afford to stay to do my master's there. I moved to Manchester for the course but also to see whether life back in the North could be for me after experiencing how expensive London is and how many hours I had to work just to get by (50-70 hours a week across two part-time jobs after graduating).
I took out the master's student loan for my tuition and am self-funding my living costs through working at the Students' Union in my university. This has proved harder than expected as the hours can vary depending on how much is going on at the SU (I’m on a zero-hour contract). Also, because I worked so much from April to September in London in order to afford the move, I had pretty much used my tax-free allowance by October, so I’m still getting taxed despite not earning much at all.
My overdraft is pretty much my best friend at this point, though I am increasingly worried that each month I’m slipping further towards the limit by about £200 due to my outgoings being too much for my wages. I also want to move back to London with my boyfriend after finishing the master's, but I have no idea how I’ll be able to afford this as things are."
Industry: Student Age: 23 Location: Manchester Salary: Don’t really have one anymore? Paycheque amount: £600 – £800, but usually towards the lower end Number of housemates: Two (my boyfriend and flatmate – we’re all students)
Monthly Expenses
Rent: £225 (my half of £450 for our room, boyfriend pays the other half) Loan payments: Hilarious. Despite having around £60k (without the interest accrued on top of that) in student loans, I haven’t started paying that back yet as never earned over £21k. I also pay £40 a month to pay off my credit card (I got it when I was switching jobs and had a seven-week gap in pay in London). Utilities: Approx £35 – £50 a month for electricity (no gas in the building so depends on what season it is), £20 for water and £8 for internet. Transportation: £16 weekly for my bus pass. Manchester travel is unbelievably extortionate for a terrible service, but unavoidable unfortunately. Phone bill: I’m lucky that my dad gets this for me as he got a good deal for a family set and knows how skint I usually am so said not to worry about it for now. Savings? I have a Plum account (really recommend to anyone who is not good at saving – it calculates what you won't notice coming out of your account, e.g. price of a latte and puts it into a separate saving pot for you) with about £270 in, but can’t touch this as it’s my Glastonbury ticket money – also not adding to it as I’m too far into my overdraft atm. I also saved up six months of rent from working to death over the summer in London in my savings account, of which I still have two months left. I have an automatic transfer of £10 a week going into this account hence why it's lasted longer than it should have.
9am: Wake up (this is my one day of having a sleep-in during the week, and it so helps). Got a bit of a headache from drinking red wine last night, so I snooze in bed looking on Twitter for a bit before getting up about 9.55am.
10.30am: All ready for university and I’ve downed an Alka-Seltzer for the headache. I make myself a breakfast of scrambled eggs and bacon while giving Ed Miliband’s Reasons to be Cheerful podcast a go – I cannot believe it took me this long to try it! It’s so funny and endearing.
11.16am: Leave to get the bus to university, don’t have to count this in my log as I bought my bus pass earlier this week (score!).
11.38am: STILL waiting for the bus (I absolutely despise Manchester public transport) and am heavily tempted by an Uber as I have an important meeting at 12 with my tutors about my student documentary I’m filming, but resist as friends have pointed out I have a problem with Uber…which they’re not wrong about.
12.03pm: Somehow get to my meeting right on time – the gods are smiling on me today! Have a great meeting and thankfully get our new idea approved (a key interviewee fell through this week, nightmare). Grab a caramel latte from the café downstairs before my film class starts at 1pm as I’m in dire need of a lift. £2.45
2.15pm: Great class so far, but still can’t shake this headache so I pop out in the break and get a Fanta because a) I need something to take my painkillers with, and b) I feel like the sugar should replenish me from the hangover. (I know this isn’t how it works at all, but let me dream?) £1.09
4pm: Class is finished and got an hour to kill before a careers event, so head to the SU bar for a quick pint and a chat with my friend from class. There’s a special offer on so it’s only £2 for a cider – result! £2
5pm: Head to the careers event, which is interesting but unfortunately I didn’t hear any mind-blowing advice I hadn’t heard before. Also irritated by the amount of men who a) talk over women with more experience / way more interesting jobs, and b) seemingly walked into creative jobs with little to no experience. Additionally, the 'refreshments' promised had a severe lack of free wine, so bit of a wasted evening (I’m a student, don’t judge).
7pm: Go back to the SU for a quick drink with a few classmates to discuss the event and catch up – we’ve had a lot of deadlines recently so haven’t seen each other much. Leave after one as trying to save money. £2
8.20pm: Jump the bus home and stop off at the Co-op for some last-minute supplies for dinner (eggs and parmesan, I’m making carbonara). Have my NUS card and some money saved up on my Co-op membership so use that to make it a bit cheaper. Boyfriend gets in about 10 minutes after me and we cook dinner, then watch Call the Midwife with our flatmate (she’s a bit obsessed). £1.64
11pm: I have a quick shower and blow-dry my hair, then catch up with my boyfriend about our days and finish off a funding application for travel costs for my dissertation. Head to bed around 12.30am – not looking forward to the early wake-up tomorrow.
Total: £9.18
Day Two
8.30am: Up after snoozing the alarm a few times, I hate early mornings!
9am: Jump on a bus into town. It’s my day at the archives as an intern so not going all the way to uni. I grab a Cathedral City cheese stick from Tesco on my way – weird snack I know, but I skipped breakfast in favour of more sleep and I am starving, plus it fills me up and we’re not allowed any food in the archives so as not to damage the items. 68p
12.30pm: Meet my boyfriend for a quick lunch date at Nando's – we haven’t seen much of each other this week because we’ve both been so busy, so it’s nice to grab some quality time with him. He also just got paid so very kindly treats me to lunch. It’s really nice to actually eat out as well – we’ve been trying to save money and cooking at home mostly, so nice to have a break from it!
3pm: Having a really productive day at work and trying to digitise the archive’s ancient index to make it far quicker to get through cataloguing. Stop for a quick tea break and chat with colleagues, then get a text from my auntie saying she’s coming into Manchester later (she lives in a nearby town) and asking if I want to get dinner – two free meals today, is it my birthday?
5.15pm: Meet my boyfriend at a pub so I can meet his new course mates, and have a lovely time – they’re all really interesting! I buy the round as thanks for lunch. £6.25
6pm: Boyfriend and I dart across town to meet my auntie and uncle at Wagamama (I love their sides, especially tori kara age) and have a really nice catch-up. I’m terrible at keeping in touch with people so it’s nice to fill each other in.
7.45pm: Head to a bar with my boyfriend, auntie and uncle to continue chatting and I get a round in as thanks for dinner. Wince at the total and it dawns on me that it would perhaps be cheaper to just buy my own food. £20.90
9.15pm: Leave the bar and say goodbyes to auntie and uncle, then boyfriend and I decide to have a nice little movie night at home and grab supplies from Sainsbury’s on the way back (wine and popcorn). I also pick up a sewing kit – my backpack has ripped but in the interest of trying to save money, I’m going to attempt to stitch it up. Considering I ended up bribing my friend in textiles in school to make my projects in exchange for doing her written reports, I’m not hopeful. £10.45
12am: Head to bed after a lovely evening of drinking red wine, catching up and laughing at how awful Suicide Squad is (he did not believe me – he does now). Excited for a lie-in tomorrow as I have nothing planned (bliss).
Total: £38.28
Day Three
8am: Get woken up by boyfriend’s alarm, he’s heading off to his part-time job today. Try to go back to sleep but end up just being on my phone reading articles and checking Twitter (I waste so much time on Twitter it is unbelievable).
9.30am: Get a call from my boyfriend – he’s turned up to work and they’ve changed the rota! I’m annoyed for him, but he is overjoyed to have the day off. He comes home and we make a lovely breakfast of scrambled eggs and bacon on toast – my favourite weekend breakfast.
10.30am: Do a bit of cleaning around the flat while we have the time, and my best friend calls for a catch-up. End up chatting for about an hour, which is lovely as we don’t get to talk often enough.
1pm: Head into Manchester city centre for a coffee with boyfriend. We go to North Tea Power in the Northern Quarter and he pays.
2.30pm: Decide to try out the new arcade bar in the Northern Quarter, NQ64. I buy our tokens as he got the coffees. The bar is really cool but quite small and already packed, so quite difficult to get onto any of the machines. We have a go at a really old WWE fighting game (we’re talking young Hulk Hogan) then end up leaving. We’ve still got our tokens and we'll give it another go when it’s a bit quieter. £5
Head to Paperchase and grab the last parts of my flatmate’s birthday present for Tuesday. Split the cost. £5.80
3.30pm: Go to Aldi for the weekly shop. I’m a bit obsessed with it now I’m trying to spend less money, and I also find their blatant ripping off main brands very funny (Lurpak to Norpak anyone?). Get lots of veg in as we’ve been mainly on spinach this week and I’ve been craving some asparagus and sweet potatoes. Split with my boyfriend – I transfer later. £16.51
4.40pm: Head home, looking forward to having a relaxing Saturday night in. Haven’t been in Manchester all weekend for ages, between research trips, seeing friends in London and visiting family in Liverpool.
7pm: I make Korean food for dinner. I love cooking as I find it so relaxing, and I am OBSESSED with Korean food atm, especially since Manchester recently got an Oseyo (Korean food shop). We make an interpretation of Korean BBQ (aka using a frying pan instead of the grill) and watch An Education on Amazon Prime – I love historical dramas.
11pm: Head to bed for a relatively early one as thanks to boyfriend’s impromptu day off, I haven’t got any of the work done I wanted to so having a big research day tomorrow. Finish the night with a Pukka Blackcurrant Beauty tea (I’m such a bougie bitch when it comes to tea) and off to sleep.
Total: £27.31
Day Four
10am: Wake up far later than expected (why is it when I don’t have a drink, I can sleep for England?) but must have needed it, and slowly make my way up and tidy around the flat from last night.
11am: Boyfriend kindly makes us both breakfast – scrambled eggs with smoked bacon (we skip the carbs this morning). He is really good at cooking breakfast so takes charge at weekends, while I do most of the other cooking because a) I enjoy it, b) I HATE dishes more than anything and this way he does them, and c) my boyfriend finds it impossible to cook a new thing without asking me so many questions it would be more efficient to just do it myself (love you babe). I’m slowly training him up though – none of that male 'oh I’m just bad at it!' shite being tolerated here.
12pm: All dressed and ready to leave (I hate studying in the flat and go out if I can help it – it’s too small to have a good study space) when I realise my backpack still has a massive gaping hole. Twenty minutes later and a very precariously held-together backpack in tow, I head out to catch the bus into town.
1pm: Get to Foundation in NQ and manage to get a seat with a plug (a rare thing in Manchester). Grab a latte to fuel study; it turns up 15 minutes later tepid and only half full. Wasn’t worth the money. £3
4pm: Boyfriend heads into town to meet me, and we plan to revisit the arcade bar in the hope that it’s a bit quieter and the machines that were broken yesterday have been fixed. No such luck and still as packed, so we head out ASAP and plan to go back once it’s not so hyped.
5pm: Pop to the shops again for a few things we forgot yesterday and also grab a chicken to roast midweek. Not only does this only cost £3.09 for an entire chicken, it lasts us around three nights and two lunches, saving huge amounts of money but also reducing our meat intake as we add a small amount for flavour rather than basing meals around meat. I also bought the wrong batteries for my toothbrush (and let’s be real, my vibrator) yesterday so have to repurchase – total waste of money. Split the cost of the shop with my boyfriend. £5.45
5.30pm: Home and start prepping dinner – I really like to go all out with the cooking on a Sunday as I can really indulge the time. Make honey roasted carrots and sweet potatoes, garlic roasted asparagus, sautéed garlic spinach and steaks with béarnaise sauce. Enjoying cooking, but my experimental foray into honeyed sweet potatoes does not pay off despite online recommendations – too sticky sweet for me, will be back to the paprika next time.
7pm: Do a bit of reading and life admin with emails and planning my trips to the archives. My project is really interesting and hasn’t been done much, which is half incredible but then also a nightmare as there isn’t really a clear blueprint on what sources are seminal and how to do the study. Spending a night chasing a pamphlet through 37 links to then find it’s useless is not fun!
9pm: Work abandoned through frustration, boyfriend and I decide to relax before the start of the week with a game of Mario Party on my old Wii I brought to uni. We fancy wine and boyfriend runs out, so I give him my card to pay in exchange for him going (I’m feeling lazy). Head to bed around midnight after catching up with my flatmate who has been away for the weekend. £6
Total: £14.45
Day Five
8.50am: Finally get up after snoozing several alarms, I do not feel well at all. I’ve got work today so drag myself out of bed and start getting ready.
9.30am: Remember that dinner tonight is meant to be a slow cooked beef, broccoli and carrot stew as I’m working late hosting a pub quiz (I do this every Monday – £50 each week, counted in my monthly earnings). Text work and let them know I’ll be in more towards 11am, which should be fine as I’m on a zero-hour contract and the hours are when I can come in (but I work 2.5 days anyway). Prep the food for tonight using a dubious looking sauce that we froze after last time eating this. Realise it might be takeout if this goes wrong during the day.
10.30am: Head out to catch the bus, today isn’t awful and only have to wait about five minutes (well done for once, Manchester buses). However, my bus pass ran out yesterday and have to take the £16 hit for the week. Daydream wistfully of the £1.50 bus prices to anywhere in London. £16
11am: Arrive at work and take full advantage of the free tea and biscuits available in the office. Manager grabs me for a quick chat and explains there is going to be a bit of restructuring and all hours are going to change. Trying to be hopeful but restricting working hours sounds a lot like me losing more hours I can’t afford. Feeling a bit despondent.
1pm: Take my lunch break and have a prosciutto, mozzarella and spinach ciabatta I made and brought to work with me (thank you Aldi for making my bougie food choices affordable). Check my emails and get the news that the themed quiz I was meant to be doing tonight has been pushed to next week, so I’ve got to write a new quiz in the 45 minutes between jobs. Oh joy.
3pm: Back in work, and having chatted to one of my best mates in London a bit over text, catching up and moaning about how skint we are, I get hit with a wave of emotion and have a quick stress cry in the office about my hours being reduced and missing my friends in London. It’s difficult as I’m proud of being self-sufficient and making this big step for my future, but losing my support network and missing out is incredibly tough.
4.45pm: Finish work for the day and jot a quick to-do list for tomorrow afternoon, and frantically start writing the new quiz. Remind myself that at least it’s less work for future me next week now the themed quiz is done.
5.30pm: Arrive for the quiz with very low energy – not good when you need to have a presence and fun energy for the mic! Buy a pint even though I am fully aware this is not the best financial attitude to finding out you might have even less money, but I feel like shit. £3.50
7.30pm: Finish the quiz in good time, and realise dinner won’t be ready for another two hours once I get back as boyfriend came to meet me so no one has thrown broccoli in. We go to Oseyo and stock up on Korean food for dinner, justifying the spending as this will easily do three dinners. £6.74
9pm: Have dinner and settle in for the night before remembering we don’t have a gift bag for flatmate’s present (it's her birthday tomorrow). Pop to Co-op and grab one, along with supplies to surprise her with Nutella pancakes in the morning. £2.40
Daily: £28.64
Day Six
7am: Up very early to try and surprise our very early riser flatmate with breakfast in bed. Does not work thanks to our utter failure to successfully make pancakes, but she likes the breakfast and loves her presents. Get back in bed and laze on Twitter for a bit before scanning over my readings for the day.
9am: Get dressed and make myself a Tassimo latte to take to uni. These cost 40p a coffee as opposed to £3 each morning so I try to save money despite them being not half as nice.
9.15am: Go to grab my coffee on the way out, and an explosion of watery, gritty coffee is all over the side. Haven’t got a clue what happened to the espresso part of my coffee, but have to try to clean up before I leave, very frustrating.
9.55am: Quickly grab a cup of tea (want coffee, but double the price) at university before heading up to my class. £1
11.30am: Finish class (feeling much better about my upcoming presentation now). Head to work and make full use of the free tea and biscuits.
1pm: Take a quick lunch break and enjoy the slow cooked dinner I made last night for lunch instead.
5pm: Our department is having a staff social as a catch-up – finally a university event with free wine! Have a lovely chat with some of my course mates I don’t see as much and lament the job market we’re soon to be released into.
6.15pm: Department party ends and we move onto a nearby bar that does £2.50 cocktails for students. I get two gin-based cocktails and a small portion of mac and cheese as I’ve still got to last through my flatmate’s birthday and I don’t want to get absolutely smashed with no food in me. £8.50
7.45pm: Arrive at my flatmate’s birthday at Flight Club, a darts bar (sounds very old-man pub, but it's actually really fun). My boyfriend gets the first round, I grab the second. £11.60
9.45pm: Finish up at the darts bar and head to Wetherspoons to finish the night off – I can’t remember the last time I drank this much, mainly due to two different events. I just get one pint and some chips, in the vain hope it’ll help with the hangover in the morning. £6.75
12am: Get home around midnight in an Uber, boyfriend paid because he is lovely. I’m absolutely knackered and just about get my contacts out and get changed before passing out.
Total: £27.85
Day Seven
7am: Wake up feeling AWFUL, why did I drink so much? Quickly hit with post-drinking anxiety where I can’t stop panicking in case I was an idiot, especially since I was out with people I didn’t know that well. Try to go back to sleep, to no avail.
8.30am: Give in trying to sleep despite being exhausted because my heart won’t stop pounding, and get up and try to motivate myself for the day.
10am: Get into work with a pounding head and try to crack on, fully knowing I am working at half speed thanks to the hangover. Listen to a bit of the Ed Miliband playlist and a bit of The xx (excellent sombre hangover music if you ask me).
11.40am: Have a quick meeting with my supervisor about my upcoming deadlines, leave feeling much better about the assignment having chatted it over. Take lunch at 12 as I don’t fancy heading back to work just yet, still feeling anxious and hoping a walk will do me good. I head to Caffè Nero, where I get a caramel latte. I’ve got a fully stamped loyalty card so it's free.
2.30pm: Been back in work now for about an hour and a half when I check my messages and realise I sent messages last night and forgot – some have been read and not answered. Whole new wave of anxiety hits and tempted to cry as I’m just stressed out, but pull it together.
3.30pm: After some reflection, I decide to give up alcohol for Lent / reduce it to once a week. This anxiety isn’t worth the hassle and more importantly, it’s costing me so much money that I can’t afford.
4pm: Head home and, feeling a bit fraught after the day, hibernate in my room for a bit and attempt a bit of reading, though I’m not sure any of it goes in.
5.30pm: Boyfriend gets home from uni and I have a bit of a vent to him. He’s going to a pub quiz with his course mates tonight, and invites me to go along to take my mind off everything. Still feeling anxious, I am hesitant, but weigh up options of going and trying to have a good time, or sitting at home lamenting how shit I feel, so decide to go. Make a quick dinner to save money while we’re out.
6.30pm: Dinner took longer than expected and we’re going to be late, so we split an Uber there. £2.67
6.55pm: Get to the pub right on time for happy hour ending – boyfriend gets a pint and due to my new resolve to get better at not drinking, I get an espresso macchiato and tap water. Boyfriend pays.
10pm: Had a lovely time at the quiz and am glad I went as it really helped with my shit mood. I book an Uber home as thanks for the coffee as we both have early mornings and just want to get home (plus boyf doesn’t have a bus pass). £4.37
Long before Sally Rooney's Normal People hit shelves, booksellers were preparing for a tidal wave. It had already made huge waves in the UK when it was released last summer, and its arrival in America this April was expected to make just as much of an impact. McNally Jackson, an independent bookstore in New York City, normally orders 30 copies of a book when its author is coming to speak. Ahead of the store's Wednesday night event with Rooney, they've ordered 300.
In fact, almost every bookstore Refinery29 spoke to, based all over the U.S., was seeing unprecedented interest in the novel. But while its popularity may sound similar to other buzzy novels that gained rapid success thanks to platforms such as Instagram (a notable recent example being Stephanie Danler's Sweetbitter in 2016), Rooney — and her millennial characters — would be uncomfortable to hear her books were getting Instagrammed with oat milk lattes next to tubes of Glossier Balm Dotcom.
Rooney has blown up this past year after her first book, Conversations With Friends, won the Sunday Times Fiction Prize in 2017 and was praised by everyone from acclaimed author Zadie Smith to actress Sarah Jessica Parker. In both Conversations and Normal People (longlisted for the Man Booker Prize), Rooney deftly intertwines philosophy and Marxist theory with college party scenes and illicit emails, perhaps for the first time fully capturing the nuances and scope of the conversations and behaviour of young people. It doesn't hurt that the stories are packaged in irresistibly Instagrammable covers, the combination of all this launching her reputation from her work's more muted beginnings as a popular 2015 essay in The Dublin Review to an emphatic recommendation on Emily Ratajkowski's Instagram Story in a matter of years.
After much anticipation, Normal People finally hit US shelves Tuesday morning, 16th April. From the whimsical Books Are Magic in Brooklyn (owned by novelist Emma Straub) to the bright and welcoming Dog-Eared Books in San Francisco, booksellers told Refinery29 that patrons have been asking every day about the sophomore novel in eager anticipation of its arrival. When they host their event, McNally Jackson is expecting to fill up their downstairs event space, which has a capacity of around 175 people, and seat overflow in their cafe in front of a livestream. Books Are Magic, who is holding their event with the author tonight, had to move the event to an entirely different venue in order to accommodate the over 250 people they expect to attend.
Unabridged Bookstore in Chicago says they received several pre-orders for the book, and have sold 13 copies already which is "pretty extraordinary for a brand new release," the seller on the phone told me. BookPeople in Austin is also seeing increased interest, telling Refinery29 that of their 20 copies, six have been pre-ordered or put on hold — which, for independent bookstores in 2019, is unfortunately still impressive.
At the same time, Books Are Magic says Rooney's first novel "has been number one our best seller [list] this week, and it’s been on the list consistently the last couple months." As those who were already fans of Rooney's clamour for the first copies of Normal People, the rest of the public is catching up on Conversations With Friends with equal gusto.
Then, just today, Camila Morrone, actress, model — and reported girlfriend of Leonardo DiCaprio — posted a photo of the novel to her Instagram story.
"I am finally reading this but need more book recommendations!!!"
Like Sweetbitter before it, a Sally Rooney book has become the perfect Instagram cool-girl symbol. Additionally, Normal People is taking over the feeds of actual normal people:
It's worth noting that Rooney would probably hate to hear her books classified as a symbol of an "Instagram cool girl," because it's antithetical to the ethos her books preach.
"I don’t know if I should say this, but I didn’t actually take any interest in how much the book sold," she admitted to Gulf News last September, later adding, "Because, the thing about books is that anyone can read them. There are a lot of people who probably enjoyed Conversations with Friends who are part of the system that is actively exploiting other people’s labour. I am sure there are landlords who read it and thought it was a great read. Am I happy that I have given those people 10 hours of distraction? Not really!"
But that's the magic of Sally Rooney novels — how they can trojan horse hard politics and leftist theory into an unsuspecting demographic, while at the same time representing a demographic that rarely makes it to the bestseller list. Is it ironic that part of that is through Instagram, a company owned by Facebook, which has recently taken responsibility for both its role in spreading misinformation in the 2016 election and its misuse of user data? That's a subject for a dinner party in the next Sally Rooney book.
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Simkin starts her book with the revelation that she first meditated when she was a 2-year-old thanks to her father, who was a shaman. But life for Simkin wouldn’t be simple or emblematic of a happily meditating baby in Lotus pose.
She had dark periods. Her mother died. She started doing drugs. Her father died. She had a baby named Ula that passed away at 4 months old from SIDS. Half of her apartment burned down, Sony dropped her recording contract, and down the spiral she went. When she was sober, she’d try to meditate, but had trouble focusing. “I was the kind of ‘spiritual’ person who took breaks in the middle of a yoga class to blow coke lines in the bathroom!” Simkin writes.
Eventually, she made drastic changes to her life. She is now a successful public speaker, musician, and the founder of the Center of the Cyclone, a meditation style that blends spirituality, music, and self-reflection. Simkin has led meditations everywhere from the Sundance Film Festival to the Amalfi Coast.
Studies have shown that meditation can be beneficial f or patients who have depression, anxiety, high blood pressure, and pain, according to the The National Centre for Complimentary and Integrative Health. But some studies have found meditation can also have negative effects. A 2017 study from the peer-reviewed journal PLOS One conducted by researchers from Brown University and the University of California found that it can prompt negative thinking and may cause you to relive negative memories.
Ultimately, Simkin lays out her own spiritual philosophy in the book, which she says builds on the philosophy of enlightenment known as The Fourth Way and involves self-observation over a long period of time. Ahead of her book launch, she shares what she’s learned from writing about her spiritual philosophy — and how you might achieve bliss, no matter what life throws at you.
One overarching theme in your book is how to find peace during the not-so-peaceful parts of life. What would you tell people who are going through those tougher phases?
"I would say: If you’re going through hell right now, you are wrong about why that’s happening to you. If you’re going through something: Maybe a breakup, or a loss of career, or a health crisis. Maybe your go-to perception of that is that the universe or God hates you and is trying to ruin your life. That a malevolent force is actively working against you. I would say that the takeaway is: It’s actually working in your favour. And those setbacks are actually setting you up for incredible success if you could just see them differently. They become stepping stones to your success."
Sounds easier said than done. What’s the first step in seeing that failure differently?
"It’s saying: What if my tragedies, my problems, my losses, my woes, my failures — what if they are actually ingredients to my success? What if they make me the human I was meant to be. For example, Michelangelo’s David. He carved the David and said: Oh, I carved the David, but really he carved himself out. He already existed within the stone. We are like the David, but we’re also like Michaleangelo. We’re sculpting ourselves.
"So imagine taking a chisel to your own body, and sculpting it out and coming out like the David. It would be great. But imagine the feeling of the chisel going against your skin. That doesn’t sound pleasant does it? It sounds horrible. Life is this chisel that haunts you and hurts you and cuts you and wreaks you. If you can just tolerate it and say: This isn’t really here to hurt me, you’ll see that what it’s trying to do is chisel out the David. We’re trying to become this beautiful version of ourselves, and we have to accept that some of that comes from chiseling."
When you’re in the painful part, is meditating one way to make it through?
A lot of people have achieved great success just by pushing through, but they’re not enjoying life. This book gives you tools so you can make it to the top, but you can do it while drinking a margarita by a pool or making love or smiling at your baby. You don’t have to stop being in life to pursue your dreams. Meditating creates more time, and it creates a calm state of being and allows for pause in life. Pause is something we don’t have generally as humans. We’re reactive. So if someone says: “you’re fired.” We’re like: “Oh my god.” If someone says: “I don’t love you anymore.” We’re like “Ahhhh I’m never going to find love.” But if you meditate, someone can hurt you and you'll say: “Oh, that’s interesting. I wonder what this is an opportunity for.”
Photo: Courtesy of Biet Simkin.
What would you say about meditating to someone who struggles with it?
Do the thing you’re doing with one attention, but with another attention, watch yourself from above doing the thing. Do it with me now. Look at something around you.
Ok, how about a door knob?
Now, listen to the sounds of the room. Try to do both of those things at the same time. See those two attentions? Add a third: Your breathe. And then see yourself from above doing all of those things. As meditators, we can follow ourselves around with an imaginary documentary film crew. Imagine who you would be if you were having a conversation with your lover and it was being filmed. Would you make better choices if your life was being documented?
So, when you’re seeing yourself from above, is that a way to focus or a way to better yourself? Or is it both?
It’s a way to lose focus. As humans, we are fascinated. We have fascinated attention. Every minute, we’re like: Oh my god, my calendar. Oh my god, a text. Oh my god, I need to make my bed! This meditation allows us to have focused attention — but focused on something that’s invisible. We’re taking our attention away from only being focused on everything around us. It allows us to have one attention on all the insanity in our lives, and one attention on our soul.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
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But, she's officially back, baby — and with a perfect-sounding new project. Lawrence is set to star in an A24 and IAC FILMS production. The untitled film will be directed by Lila Neugebauer, an acclaimed young theatre director making her feature film debut, from a script by first-time screenwriter Elizabeth Sanders.
Lawrence will also produce alongside Justine Polksy, her best friend, former assistant, and current producing partner at their recently launched production company, Excellent Cadaver. That's four women leading the charge on a project that is also backed by two names (Scott Rudin and Eli Bush) responsible for Lady Bird, Mid90s, and Eighth Grade. Yes, perfection.
While Lawrence is obviously known, and lauded, for her acting skills, recently she's been flexing her producing chops.
"In a relatively short amount of time, Jennifer has already proven herself to be a one-of-a-kind actress and businesswoman," Brad Weston, who has a first-look film deal with the company, told THR of her new venture. "Her versatility and commitment to working with the greatest filmmakers in the industry highlights our shared ambition to create thoughtful, fearless films, and we are extremely excited to partner with Jennifer and Justine as they start this new chapter."
According to IMDb, Lawrence is also a producer for Bad Blood, in which she'll star as disgraced Theranos entrepreneur Elizabeth Holmes. Both films will likely drop in 2020, so get ready to see a lot of everyone's favourite relatable gal.
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The past three days have seen activists take to the streets of London to participate in protests of civil disobedience planned to go on until 29th April. So far there have been almost 300 arrests, mainly for acts of public order offences. Extinction Rebellion – the non-violent UK-based grassroots environmental group behind the protests – has apologised for blocking traffic over the past three days at some of London’s busiest junctions but, they say, they need to get climate change to the top of the UK agenda, and so far their strategy is working.
Photo by Guy Bell/REX/Shutterstock.
Joy Rowell, a 64-year-old grandmother of soon to be nine grandchildren, was arrested at Waterloo Bridge for blocking the public highway. Here is her account of what went down...
"I have always been aware of sustainable living and then when I read the latest figures about climate breakdown about six months ago, I researched and came across Extinction Rebellion.
When I looked up Extinction Rebellion, I realised it was my duty to get active and not just write letters. That’s why I am here at the London demo. I have taken part in a lot of other protests – such as the anti-Iraq war protest – but protest only gets you so far. If three million people can’t persuade a government not to do what you don’t want them to do, then you have to do something more. That’s why I like Extinction Rebellion, the thrust of it is civil disobedience and that’s the only way that we can make sure the powers that be take notice.
It breaks my heart that my children will not hear the birdsong I grew up with, see the variety of wildflowers that I grew up with...
It breaks my heart that my children will not hear the birdsong I grew up with, see the variety of wildflowers that I grew up with. The rate of losing them is accelerating. I am really angry, we have known about this for so long and it is so low on the government agenda.
Guy Bell/REX/Shutterstock
I attended with Roger, my husband, and we met up with the local Forest of Dean group at the demonstration later on for moral support. There is a fantastic atmosphere, people are incredibly supportive and there are places you can go if you are feeling apprehensive. You only put yourself forward if you are prepared to be arrested, and there is no shame in saying you don’t want to be arrested for any reason. A lot of the people who attended the demonstration are employed and so they can’t be arrested. Whereas I am retired so I can do whatever it takes.
A lot of the people are employed and so they can’t be arrested. I'm retired so I can do whatever it takes.
The protest is a bit like a festival. People say that we are the 'great unwashed' and 'a load of hippies'. It’s not like that at all – there is a huge spectrum of people. From professionals to the unemployed, babies to people in their 80s. People were distributing coffee, a guy was cooking and giving away free food, everybody is sharing. Everybody is in the same frame of mind of 'this is it, this is our last chance and we need to get the authorities to see it'.
When I was arrested, they said we were breaking the law in terms of Section 14 [of the Public Order Act], which is blocking the public highway. We were sitting down at Waterloo Bridge, and the tactic was to make a lot of noise so that we couldn’t hear what they were arresting us for. I’m actually slightly deaf so I couldn’t hear anyway!
They asked if we were going to move, and I smiled, and then they asked us to go with them to the van. The policemen were incredibly gracious and they were on long overtime; in times gone by I have seen police aggression, but they weren’t aggressive in the slightest. At the police station they were incredibly caring, they were bringing us food and that aspect of it I was quite surprised by.
I was kept in a cell in Wood Green for seven hours, and my husband who was arrested 20 minutes before me was kept in Wembley. I think from the messages coming through in the police van, every police station in London was full. I was released pending investigation, but my feeling is they didn’t know what to do next because there were too many people arrested.
I would do it all again. I certainly will be back to the protest this week – probably not to be arrested as I want to see what happens with the 'pending' thing – and if nothing happens and it comes to doing something else more creative than sitting in the street but which is still civil disobedience, I am still happy to do that. My conscience tells me now that I need to protect the Earth, not only for my children and grandchildren but because we are seeing floods of refugees fleeing climate change already. That will increase so much, and we will start to see real problems here and all over the world. We need to have system change and that’s why I am prepared to take civil action."
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After getting ready for a wedding, seventeen-year-old Zoe Laverne pulled out her iPhone, took a slow-mo video of herself twirling in her bedroom, and paired it with "Castle on the Hill" by Ed Sheeren. Two days later, the video has 337,000 likes and over 10,000 comments. Zoe, like a growing number of teen influencers, is well-known and loved for her videos on TikTok.
Unless you’re a Gen Z’er, or are super hip and with the times, you might still think TikTok is just a Kesha bop from 2009, or worse, the sound a clock makes. And while you’re not wrong, if you ask any young person under 20, they’ll tell you TikTok is their very lifeblood. A complete subculture, TikTok has taken the tweeny boppers by storm, leaving us millennials completely in the dust of Instagram and Facebook.
What is TikTok?
Originally launched in April 2014 as Musical.ly, TikTok is a lip-synching app that boasts over 500 million users worldwide. Musical.ly was purchased by Chinese company ByteDance in November 2017 and officially absorbed into their already existing app called TikTok in August 2018. The app is known for 15-second lip-synching videos, endless challenges (ex. The Mannequin Challenge), and making Millie Bobbie Brown’s friend, Jacob Sartorius, break the iTunes charts. A social media platform teeming with Gen Z users, TikTok is basically the new Vine, with a music twist.
What Does It Do?
Originally made for lip-synching to your favourite songs, TikTok has exploded in all different directions. The feed is filled with fifteen-second vertical videos across genres — from dancing to gymnastics to short-form comedy— their one uniting factor is some kind of audio (either a song or voiceover). It has its own audio library, with a diverse catalog including popular songs and silly voiceovers (a la the emoji challenge), as well as Snapchat-esque filters. Users can garner likes and comments similar to Instagram, and, of course, like any other social media platform, TikTok has its very own influencers, called “Musers.”
Why Is It In The News?
TikTok made headlines in the last week for propelling country trap star Lil Nas X into the spotlight. After his single "Old Town Road" went viral via a meme on TikTok, the song found itself on top of Billboard's Hot 100 chart and Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs, but not on the Hot Country Songs chart — despite Lil Nas X identifying as a country artist. Only the third country song to hit the number one Hot 100 spot in thirty years, the exclusion from Hot Country Songs sparked a hot debate about race and the definition of country music itself.
The app is also somewhat controversial: This week, the Government of India asked Google and Apple remove the app from their respective app stores. The Madras High Court originally asked for the ban months ago stating that the app was “inappropriate for children” and “encouraged pornography.” The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (Meity) has put a ban on downloading the app in India, though existing users have yet to lose access. Whether or not a complete ban will go into full effect is still up in the air, this isn't the first time TikTok has been in the news for being a bad influence on children. Last July, Indonesia banned the app.
Who Are TikTok Girls?
Also known as egirls, the TikTok girls are 2019’s version of MySpace girls. With colourful hair, thick winged eyeliner, and a signature black heart under each eye, egirls are the ultimate cool girls. Though the term “egirl” can be sometimes used as a dig, many of these young influencers, such as, fattysalmonella34 (formerly thiccbeefcake69) and Ashley Eldridge, have garnered thousands of followers.
Is TikTok Safe?
Like any other social media platform, there is always the possibility for inappropriate behaviour, especially when minors are involved. TikTok’s parent company, Bytedance, does work to remove videos in violation of the Terms of Use, but that can only go so far. In recent months, many social media sites have taken action to protect young people on their platforms — for example, YouTube has disabled comments on videos made by minors to protect them from predators. Only time will tell how TikTok continues to fend off potential threats, but for now TikTok and its community of booty-shaking, challenge-accepting tweens is mostly harmless.
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Olivia Wilde's directorial debut Booksmart may be hailed as the next Superbad, but the central friendship is completely unique. In the comedy, Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever play besties Molly and Amy, who, despite their honor roll status and buckets of extracurriculars, neglected to have any wild-and-crazy high school shenanigans. The friends agree to let their fun flag fly, leading to a night of complete hilarity.
In real life, Lady Bird star Feldstein and Last Man Standing alum Dever really did grow close on the Booksmart set. During a visit to the real school where Booksmart filmed pivotal scenes (Refinery29 and other journalists were treated to their very own notebooks and lunch bags, with mom-approved inspirational messages and me-approved Oreos inside), Feldstein and Dever talked about how they created a lasting bond offscreen.
"We’ve been living together throughout the shoot, which has been so immeasurably important and special," Feldstein told journalists during the visit.
The move was suggested by director Wilde, but ultimately it was the stars who wanted to make the co-living situation a thing. Explained Feldstein:
"It was that thing where you don’t want to be the person who is like, ‘So, do you want to?’ We both sort of looked at each other and were like, 'Well, I would do that.’ Everyone making the movie was kind enough to make that happen for us, and it’s been so special."
"It’s made a huge difference," added Dever. "I think our chemistry would be totally different if we weren’t spending 24/7 together."
"So many pancakes have been had," joked Feldstein of the pair's morning routine. "It’s really made it a once-in-a-lifetime experience."
The actors have a lot of love for each other, but also their onscreen counterparts.
"When I read for Molly, it was so exciting because she’s so strong and so fierce," explained Feldstein of her character. "I’ve never really seen that before or played that before, a young woman who is so unapologetically fierce in that way, and just very gung-ho and forward thinking."
"I think they’re really like sisters, and they’d do anything for each other," said Dever. "The character I play, between the two of us, I’m more of the good cop, she’s more of the bad cop."
"[The fact] that the comedy comes from their intense intellect is so exciting," said Feldstein. "There are so many of these films where [the women are] so funny but also silly. These girls aren't that silly. They're smart. They're so smart. I think it's exciting to see that duo at the center of that teen comedy."
Check out a behind-the-scenes look at Booksmart below.
Booksmart is out in the UK on May 24.
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On a recent Tuesday evening, Ashley Sorrondeguy was folding laundry when a notification lit up her phone. New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the progressive darling and youngest woman ever elected to Congress, was live on Instagram. From her home in Massachusetts, Sorrondeguy watched the 29-year-old freshman congresswoman assemble some IKEA furniture while drinking white wine and chatting about everything from President Donald Trump’s tax returns to her Green New Deal proposal. While Sorrondeguy is not one of Ocasio-Cortez’s constituents in New York’s 14th District, she feels a sense of kinship with her. Both women were born in the late 1980s, are of Puerto Rican descent, and share a lot of the same ideology. To Sorrondeguy, Ocasio-Cortez’s social media presence has made her accessible in a way no other lawmaker has in the past. “I always thought that in order to be a politician you needed inside connections or lots of money. It’s really cool to see her in a real light — not just photo ops with lobbyists that other politicians do,” she told Refinery29.
In true millennial fashion, Ocasio-Cortez had already been incredibly effective at connecting with constituents via social media even before she delivered the biggest primary upset of the 2018 election season, a victory which launched her into immediate stardom. Hence, the “AOC” moniker she’s known by. But the Instagramania began in earnest shortly after the election, when she began documenting scenes from the congressional orientation via the app’s stories and livestreams — offering a peek into a process that remains foreign to many people outside the Beltway. There she was, a “girl from the Bronx, ” as she often refers to herself, exploring the tunnels below the US Capitol, posing in front of Shirley Chisholm’s portrait, nerding out about the office lottery process and guides on how to be an effective member of Congress. This is around the time that Liz, a 30-year-old from Miami, FL, got hooked. “The most interesting part to me has been the behind-the-scenes of what it means to be a representative, how things work, and why they work as they do,” she told Refinery29. “She will sometimes talk about her day and say, ‘I have this office and it’s not set up yet.’ Or when she went to chase [Senate Majority Leader] Mitch McConnell. Here she was, actually on the job. It’s something that I had not seen before.”
Call me a loser if you must — and LET’S TAKE POLITICS OUT OF THIS FOR A SECOND — but Ocasio-Cortez’s Instagram is endearing and refreshingly earnest during new-member orientation week. (Seems she discovered the tunnels under Congress today?) pic.twitter.com/UgaCAMKS6d
Ocasio-Cortez currently has 3.9 million Twitter followers and 3.2 million Instagram followers. Thousands engage with her tweets, which are usually quick clapbacks or short explanatory threads. Her Instagram stories and livestreams are another monster altogether, with hundreds replying in real time as the congresswoman explains policy and current news while making dinner or tending to a community garden. (Refinery29 asked Ocasio-Cortez’s office for details about her social media engagement, but they declined to comment for this story.) The congresswoman said earlier this week she’s pulling back, limiting her interactions to the workweek, but she has definitely left her mark.
Other lawmakers have noticed AOC’s success on Instagram and have attempted to engage with their constituents in a similar way. Think of Sen. Elizabeth Warren drinking beer in her kitchen while doing a Q&A or Beto O’Rourke getting his teeth cleaned while discussing the U.S.-Mexico border. Jennifer Grygiel, a social media expert and assistant professor of communications at Syracuse University, said it makes sense that Ocasio-Cortez’s main platforms are Instagram and Twitter. (This week, she said she quit Facebook.) “The ability to engage people on Twitter is often the ability to engage influencers, who can carry her message on social media but also possibly bring it into neighbourhoods and communities not only in the United States, but around the world,” Grygiel told Refinery29. “Instagram is rising because of its memetic force. A lot of imagery there is shared through visual-based memes. A lot of people think that an internet meme is a picture with a silly joke on it, but a word is a meme…branding for a policy like the Green New Deal is also a meme. Her ability to have a biting response is memetic in nature. People are excited about her because she has shown that strength.”
However, Grygiel cautioned about the impact of Ocasio-Cortez cutting out the middleman, i.e. the press, when delivering her message to constituents. While her strategy does differ from President Trump’s aggressive and meme-filled Twitter use, Grygiel argues the gatekeeping can quickly become a slippery slope. “AOC has grown into a position where she can manage her relationship with the free press. She’s able to put out her message and get her view and narrative into the public by way of social media,” they said. “But there’s risk in this. As good as her platform is and as good as she might be as an elected official, some of her practices, [such as] not granting comment, is showing a selective gatekeeping, and maybe avoiding the hard questions coming from the free press. We want our public officials to really engage with the free press… And I would encourage her [to do so].”
Questions about the impact of this approach on the press aside, some of the people who follow her social media activity almost religiously admire her effectiveness. While Liz considers herself a progressive, she doesn’t always see eye-to-eye with Ocasio-Cortez. “I don’t always agree with AOC on all of her politics. But I’m so interested in seeing how she communicates what she believes in, not so much in the what but in the how,” Liz explained, giving as an example what she has found to be a lacklustre response on the part of the congresswoman to the crisis in Venezuela. “A lot of the times, the reason why I keep watching is because she breaks down things in everyday language, she speaks authentically, she gives you her opinion and then backs it up with what her constituents want — which is what she’s there to do. She is explaining things in a conversational way, which I take away for my own work but also when talking with my friends and family about the issues I care about.”
Hadiya Afzal, a 19-year-old student from Chicago, IL, has been following Ocasio-Cortez’s career long before she won her primary. She said the congresswoman’s ability to connect is due in part to her past life as an educator and organiser, and it's something other lawmakers should also try. “I want other politicians not to take her techniques, but the motivation behind it,” Afzal told Refinery29.
The pull of Ocasio-Cortez’s social media presence is also tied to the issue of diverse representation, or lack thereof, in politics. Karla, a 27-year-old from Nashville, TN, has not seen a lot of young Latinas running for office and winning in her state. Ocasio-Cortez has filled that space to an extent. Karla met Ocasio-Cortez last January in Washington, D.C. Despite her obvious stardom, the congresswoman “opened the door with a donut and a cup of coffee in her hand.” Karla says it was the same type of approachable behaviour that she has seen on social media. “She’s telling us about her day, but she happens to be a congresswoman. It makes the process more accessible,” Karla said. “It gives me hope. There are not many in our community who are encouraging people like us, with our backgrounds, to run for office.” The duo snapped a pic — which led Karla to start dating her partner, Ángel. The way the couple tells it, Ángel, 30, pretty much slid into Karla’s DMs after seeing the photo and told her he was also an AOC fan. They met up for a date and magic ensued. Now, one of their favourite pastimes is tuning in whenever Ocasio-Cortez is live on Instagram. Both of them are political nerds and discussing the congresswoman’s policies has brought them closer together.
Ángel said: “She seems like a familiar friend you’re talking to, it’s really relatable. There are a lot of politicians who already try to use social media in that way, but it doesn’t seem natural when they do it. It was easy for us to connect with her that way. Who our age doesn’t assemble IKEA furniture by themselves with a glass of wine in hand?”
When asked about their favourite livestream, the couple pointed to the video of Ocasio-Cortez repotting her plants. “We were talking about getting plants. Typical dude that I am, I had plastic plants,” Ángel said. Karla interjected: “Not only is she awesome, but she also loves plants!” The day after watching her livestream, the couple set out to buy Ángel’s “first plant children” both for his office and his apartment. “They are alive, in case you were wondering,” he said.
* Some last names have been withheld out of privacy reasons.
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