Late February it was announced that after 19 seasons REAL dance instructor Cheryl Burke would say goodbye to Dancing With The Stars. And only days ago Abby Lee Miller — the frank, no-nonsense dance instructor from Dance Moms — announced she was quitting the show.
Where oh where will Lifetime find a professional dance instructor with a fiery Paso Doble, a love of the limelight, and marketable character?
Yup. According to Entertainment Tonight, Burke has been recruited to replace Miller for the remainder of the season.
Late Monday evening Miller posted length Instagram post about her decision to leave the show. Based from what she said below, things got murky towards the end when creative differences were left unsettled. “The majority of children that follow me may be fast asleep, however now is the critical time to make the following statement: I WILL NO LONGER TAKE PART IN DANCE MOMS. FOR THE PAST SIX YEARS/ SEVEN SEASONS I HAVE ASKED, BEGGED, AND EVEN DEMANDED CREATIVE CREDIT FOR ALL THE IDEAS, AWARD WINNING ROUTINES, THEMES, AND COSTUMING - TO NO AVAIL! TODAY, I WAS SO PROUD THAT I WENT AGAINST THE PRODUCER'S IDEA (ONCE AGAIN) TO ENTER A COMMAND PERFORMANCE OF ONE OF MY FAVORITE NUMBERS... "WHERE HAVE ALL THE CHILDREN GONE?" ALONG WITH THREE BEAUTIFUL SOLOS!"
A post shared by Abby Lee Miller (@therealabbylee) on
She then continued saying that she felt manipulated and disrespected by the network, and that was when she called it quits. While the series drama will soon be behind her, Miller will soon face another set of problems. After pleading guilty to fraud charges, she’s currently awaiting sentencing.
"I'm good. I try to stay positive and happy ... I know I made some mistakes along the way, but I've pleaded to all those,"she said to Entertainment Tonight. "Maybe I need a few months' vacation."
Vacation? I guess that’s one way of looking at prison time?
Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
People reports that, during her appearance on Swedish talk show Skavlan last week, the two-time Oscar winner spoke about her defense of the unnamed female costar on 2008's big-screen adaptation of Brideshead Revisited. The British drama, in which Thompson played Lady Marchmain, also starred Hayley Atwell, Matthew Goode, Ben Whishaw, Felicity Jones, and Greta Scacchi.
"There was a wonderful actress in a film I did called Brideshead Revisited,” Thompson, currently starring in Beauty and the Beast, shared. “The producer said to her, ‘Will you lose some weight?’ And she was absolutely exquisite!"
Thompson said she was so outraged by the comments that she threatened to quit.
"I said to them, ’If you speak to her about this again, on any level, I will leave this picture. You are never to do that,’” she said.
She added that body-shaming is so common in Hollywood, she's come up with a go-to response for comments about her appearance: “Sorry, do you want me to be an actress or a model?”
“It’s evil what’s happening and what’s going on there, and it’s getting worse," she continued. "The French fashion industry said they would get rid of size zero and then, you know, they didn’t. “The anorexia — there’s so many kids, girls and boys now, and actresses who are very, very thin into their 30s, who simply don’t eat. They don’t eat … Sometimes there are just some subjects that you absolutely have to make noise about because it’s so tedious and it’s gone on and on."
Props to her for making some noise.
Related Video:
Get Real: Plus-Size Models Get Real About Their Profession
Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
Mila Kunis is back to work after giving birth to baby #2. The actress, who welcomed son Dimitri Portwood with husband Ashton Kutcher last fall, hit the CinemaCon red carpet in Las Vegas last night to tease her upcoming sequel to Bad Moms, which will be titled A Bad Moms Christmas.
The 33-year-old actress, who is also mom to 2-year-old daughter Wyatt Isabelle, spoke to People about the challenges of parenting two young children.
"It’s different, there’s two,” she told the magazine. “He’s also 3 months old and you forget what sleepless nights are like. I remember guys, talk to me.”
Though Kunis is still enjoying a social life, her nights out aren't quite the same, she revealed in a separate interview with E! News at the event.
"My girlfriends and I went out to dinner a month ago and I got home at 10:30 from a dinner and I had three penicillins, which is a delicious, delicious beverage," Kunis shared. "[I was] hammered. Three drinks. I am now a very cheap date."
The same goes for her date nights with her famous husband, whom she wed in 2015 after three years of dating.
"In the morning we still have kids," she joked of avoiding big nights out with her former That '70s Show costar. "Your date night can't be that wild because at 7 in the morning you still have, ‘Mama' and you're like, ‘What? I'm up.'"
One thing Kunis and Kutcher don't have to worry about is sibling rivalry. The proud mom shared that Wyatt is smitten with her baby brother.
"She loves it," she said. "She loves her brother. She wants him to sleep in her room and doesn't get jealous or envious. She's great. We got very lucky."
Watch her E! interview below. Jackie + Kelso 4-eva.
Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
Without a doubt, dating in 2017 is an art form. If you’re single and looking for love, you know where the scene is. It’s online. (Unless you’ve made it onto The Bachelor, in which case, bravo.) But whether you’ve been on 100 Tinder dates or zero, it’s a tricky little business. There's such a grand variety of dating apps to choose from — where do you even begin?
While there is no official handbook or rule guide, most dating apps operate more or less the same way. You download the app, create a profile, add some of your favorite pictures, and write a short bio. If you make a match, you can commence Instagram- or Facebook-stalking to learn more — at least that’s what we do.
We're here to help you with that first step: Figuring out which dating app is worth your homescreen space in the first place. There's no reason you should have to do all that leg work when we can do it for you. So, each month we'll test drive the latest dating apps and report back on what's worth your time.
Ready to find your match? Read on to check out the latest.
Our Experience: We were excited about Vouch from the minute former Bachelor star Sean Lowe announced it. Why? It takes all the endless swiping out of your hands and lets your friends — who know what you like and can be more objective — do all the leg work. On the flip side, it's fun to match friends with people you think are the right fit.
Both ends of the process worked seamlessly. Of course, after you've matched your friends, or they've matched you, the conversation is in the dater's hands. But it's so much easier to pick up there, with the swiping already done. So go on — match or be matched.
The Pitch: "They say a picture is worth a thousand words and a video is at least a thousand pictures!"
Our Experience: Mingle gives you more options than your traditional swiping app. To chat with someone directly, you'll need to match with them, but you can also choose to go into a "chat room" and talk with anyone else there. However, it will cost you, which is one of the main deterrents of the app. To send messages to users and enter chat rooms you'll need to buy coins. The lowest number of coins, 100, will cost you $1.99. This isn't unlike Bumble Boost, but it is annoying to have so many hidden fees.
The one advantage that Mingle has over many other dating apps is the video profile option. While it might take you at least a few tries to take a video that you like and think feels like you, it's nice to hear how someone else sounds — and really see them — before meeting.
The Pitch: "Meet someone who hates the same stuff."
Our Experience: Hater is similar to other dating apps in that you create a basic profile with photos and enter preferences for age. What's different is that instead of swiping on photos, you swipe on issues, indicating how much you like or dislike a show ( The Bachelor), Person (Tom Brady), or other part of life, such as "butt selfies." You match with people who dislike the same things as you do.
Hater just launched as a beta version on the App Store, so not many people seem to be on it yet. Aside from that, optimists might find it somewhat sad that you're meeting someone based on what you both hate. Then again, maybe true love can form over a shared dislike of cilantro.
The Pitch: “Your Lesbian, Bisexual & Queer Community In One Place”
Our Experience: Her caters to gay and bisexual women, and nonbinary and trans people. However, it is so much more than just a dating app. The first thing I saw on my feed was posted by the Her team and invited users to join a live Q&A with actress and comedian, Brittani Nichols.
As I continued to scroll down, I noticed people uploading selfies, sharing thoughts, and posing questions to the larger community about how to come out to their parents. The Her team also posts a question each day, including, for example, “How did your family and friends react when you came out to them?” Users can Like, comment, or share these posts, in addition to uploading their own.
The more time I spent on the app, the more I realized what a safe space it was. All the profiles are verified, and in order to chat with someone, you must add her as a friend first. Whether you’re looking for a date, a new buddy, a serious relationship, or all the above, everyone on the app is friendly and welcoming. You’ll find news, events, and women who you can connect with regardless of your sexual orientation.
Overall, the app feels like a hybrid of Pinterest (each profile has a board you can update and add to), Instagram, and Facebook, but with a dating component, too.
Our Experience: BeLinked is a dating app that connects to your LinkedIn account, catering to young, career-driven professionals. I’m used to dating apps that connect to my Facebook account, so this was a nice change of pace.
BeLinked operates more or less like any other dating app, but there are some notable benefits. I hate looking someone up on LinkedIn, especially a potential date, knowing that they got a notification saying I viewed their profile. On BeLinked, I can view their profile without them getting a notice about it. So, for example, I immediately see what they do, where they went to school, and what year they graduated. Having all this information gives me more conversation starters than Bumble or Tinder, which don't require as much background.
One downside: Because the app is so new, I came across many BeLinked tester profiles.
The Pitch: “Discover People & Places To Meet Nearby”
Our Experience: When I downloaded the app, a screen very reminiscent of Twitter popped up. I had 140 characters to write anything I wanted about myself. If you don't know what to write, you've got to think of something — it's not optional. I used that space to say, “I’m voting for Hillary Clinton!”
Aside from the Twitter-like bio, Loveflutter stands out from other apps because it puts personality first, and appearance second. Let me explain.
Under the “People” section, I was shown one profile at a time. I saw their short bios, which were superimposed on very blurred profile pictures, along with their ages, names, and whether we had any similar interests. But, if you then tapped on the image, the text would disappear and you could see that person's photo. Instead of quickly swiping based on someone’s main image, I found myself swiping left and right solely based on their text, often not even looking at the picture at all. (Certainly a change from Tinder!) If the match is mutual, you can chat with the person.
The app also has a nice “Date Ideas” section that suggests restaurants and bars nearby, taking out the awkward guesswork of choosing a first date location.
And if you really want to get straight to the point, you can press “Suggest-a-Date,” which will notify someone you’ve matched with, essentially asking them out for you. What’s the point in mindless small talk anyways, right?
Our Experience: Technically, Whisper isn’t a dating app, but many a wedding has come out of it. The app is an anonymous social network, and aims to provide users a safe online space to share thoughts, secrets, feelings, and opinions, and to trade advice.
After enabling push notifications, watching a short video introduction, and turning on my location settings, I was shown a feed of "whispers" (images and videos with text superimposed). No profile creation here.
Under the "Popular" section of the app were whispers that read, "Please don’t call me 'exotic.' I’m not a plant,” and, “I think the saddest thing I’ve ever seen to date was my dad spending 5 min trying to take off his wedding ring after my mom left him,” among others. I lost myself in a sea of thoughts. I liked the fact that I was connecting with people on an incredibly intimate level, while remaining anonymous. But plenty of people are also using it to hook up.
“25 Male 6ft-3 Italian…message me.”
“To the blond girl walking down Eddy st in hull, message me if you see this. I had the long red hair and beard.”
“Will you be my dirty little secret?”
While you can see whispers from all over, sticking to the "Nearby" section will limit posts to people in your general vicinity — which does make it a reasonable option for finding a date. When you post a whisper, other users can reply and heart it. You can also chat with other people directly on the app, but if you accept a chat request, both parties must provide their age, gender, and location.
If you're tired of traditional dating apps, checking out the personalities on Whisper could be an interesting — and even inspiring — way to go. And you might have fun sharing some of your own thoughts in the process.
Read on for the dating apps we've tested previously.
Our Experience: Feeld used to be a dating app for threesomes, but now caters to both singles and couples. While I wasn't necessarily into the idea of a threesome, I wanted to explore the app and see what all the fuss was about.
The app opens with a pleasant greeting: “Date awesome people around you who are kinky, curious, and open-minded.”
Profile creation was different than with your typical dating app. First, I had to specify whether this account was for a single person or for a couple. Then, I was asked to create an imaginary name. (That’s a first.) Another first: Adding a passcode and touch verification for security! But then again, I feel like the app is all about firsts.
When I was going through the “looking for” part of the process, I realized why the app had changed its name. It’s not exclusively for threesomes. I had the option of checking off female, male, male and female couple, male and male couple, female and female couple, and TS/TG/TV.
Then I had a look around. At first I was confused because I was shown a profile picture, and had to swipe left in order to find out details — counterintuitive for a dating app, if you ask me. Other than that, I was amazed by who I came across. Feeld has mastered fostering an online space where anonymity, exploration, and personal freedom come together seamlessly. This is rare in the world of dating.
After browsing through a few profiles, I instantly felt that I was part of a community where everyone was genuine and open.
Our Experience: Lively, built by Zoosk, uses videos to help you get to know other people around you faster.
In making my profile, the app quickly gathered all my videos from my phone and Facebook so that I could choose which media I wanted to include in my profile. The four videos I selected were then transformed into a collage, showing off my personality and interests.
So, the app Lively really is quite lively: My profile felt like a short film in which I starred. The videos I chose included one dubsmash, while the others were of me and my friends goofing off. I felt it was an accurate representation of me.
Unfortunately, the app is brand-new, so there aren’t a ton of people on it yet. But I enjoyed the idea of skipping the “about me” section in lieu of videos. In a world where video dominates social media — just look at Snapchat and Instagram stories — the visually stimulating factor at play is a serious plus. Instead of looking at a picture, I could decide whether or not I liked someone from watching 15 seconds of video footage, which feels a lot less judgmental than making a swipe based on a photo or two.
Our Experience: True to its name, Once is a dating app that handpicks one match for you each day. Instead of swiping, Once has matchmakers who do that for you.
After I downloaded the app and filled in my profile, I was ready to start browsing — except that I couldn’t. It was an unexpected surprise. I could just sit back, relax, and wait for the app to alert me when they found my match of the day. Both parties get notified of their match at the same time.
After you get your match, you can message one another — and you can enjoy 24 hours of their undivided attention. But, if you don’t like your match, you can request someone else.
I am a fan of any online dating app that focuses on quality over quantity when it comes to matches. And when I got a push notification about my first match, I’m not going to lie, I definitely got excited.
Photo: Once.
The App: Siren
The Pitch: Dating apps make you sell yourself. Siren lets you be yourself.
Our Experience: Siren “fights the swipe,” focusing on values such as comfort, respect, and privacy. And it’s unlike other dating app I’ve encountered. For starters, the gender selection gave “non-binary” as an option. And then, since the app is all about not objectifying its users, it focuses on your thoughts and opinions instead.
Each day, a new question is posted to the app and users are invited to respond. You can scroll down and see other people’s responses, and “heart” them based on their answers. When you like someone’s answer, only that user can see it.
After first downloading the app, the question of the day was: “You are given unlimited resources and tasked with creating a lifesaving device. What do you create?” The responses were plentiful and diverse. One user answered: “A non-dangerous car. Can’t be harmed in it, can’t be harmed by it.”
I hearted a user who responded: “nanobots that kill cancer.” Then, I pressed the connect icon below that, letting the person know I was interested. If that person reciprocates the connection, then the messaging feature will be unlocked. You have two privacy options in the app: keeping your profile private until a connection is approved, or making it visible to all (I went with the latter).
I liked that, right away, you have a conversation starter with someone you’ve matched with. It’s unlike any other dating app, and feels refreshing. It puts people’s personalities on display rather than just their profile pictures.
Our Experience: MiCrush is designed to help you find single Latin Americans. It is the only dating app on the market that is offered fully in English, Spanish, or Portuguese. Spanish is my first language (my mom’s side of the family has its roots in Colombia), so I was intrigued.
After connecting via Facebook, MiCrush asked me about my roots, presenting a multitude of Spanish-speaking countries I could choose from. I selected Colombia, but you can also select “bicultural,” "other," or leave out this detail.
After viewing and silently approving my new profile, I noticed I had the option of connecting with Instagram, too. I like this feature (and I’ve only seen it on one other dating app, Raya).
Next, I began filtering my matches by age, gender, and distance. But I could also filter by roots here. I decided to filter by choosing “Colombia,” seeing as my mother would like nothing more than for me to end up with a Colombian. Okay, done. I’m ready to get swiping.
As I scrolled through profiles, I was pleasantly surprised by how many people showed up. I thought I would get through all the profiles of people who had roots in Colombia quickly, but, as it turns out, there are quite a lot.
While the app itself is free, you can, “say hola,” to one of your crushes without waiting to see if they swipe right back by purchasing messages. Otherwise, messaging is free with people you match with. I liked the optional in-app purchase because it will get you noticed ASAP, but I wasn’t ready to splurge on five “holas” for $4.99. And being able to select the language of the app made the app feel really special — it was also a great way to practice my Spanish.
Our Experience: The League doesn’t just let you connect to Facebook automatically, like most other dating apps. It’s all about connecting you with people who share your same education level, are successful, and driven — it’s dating for ambitious young professionals. Before I started swiping, I had to give access to my LinkedIn profile, then wait to get vetted and approved. After sitting on the wait-list for a tense couple of hours, I received a push notification saying, “You’ve been officially drafted into The League!”
Okay, I know — it sounds a little obnoxious. But why not give it a try?
Here's how it works: Each day at 5 p.m. you receive a new batch of bachelors. If you “heart” someone, don’t be surprised if it’s not an instant match (not everyone receives the same daily batches of people). And you can join groups and group chats when you heart them in your feed. If users are inactive or unresponsive, they’ll get kicked off the app.
In my feed, I came across two surprising profiles: Soho House and Burning Man. If I were to heart Burning Man, I would be added to a group messaging chatroom where I could talk to other people who were going. Same goes for Soho House — except you already have to be a member (and send proof!) to the app in order to be added to this private chat group.
As for matches, I liked that I was only presented with a small manageable number of profiles (five, to be exact) each day. Instead of judging a person quickly, I delved into their profile before swiping so I could make an informed decision. I definitely felt like the quality of my matches were better here than on most other dating apps.
And while I initially thought the whole idea of connecting to your LinkedIn account to match you with someone with “drive and motivation,” was snobbish, I did like its core values: Keep your standards high and don’t settle.
The Pitch: “This Dating App Gets You Out Of The House”
Our Experience: Adventurely aims to help you have adventures. The app serves locals and travelers alike who want to discover a foreign city or their own — and are looking for some company along the way.
After downloading the app, I quickly composed my profile and pressed the “adventures” icon. I was prompted to choose from a selection of restaurants, museums, parks, landmarks, cafés, music venues, bars, and even bike paths that I was interested in and could add to my “itinerary.” I also had the option of entering in dates I was free to go.
If someone else had added the same adventures to their itinerary, I received a match notification. Thus, Adventurely connects like-minded people who want to do the similar things, allowing you to chat and make plans to get out there. (At last, no more pointless swipes or conversations that go nowhere!)
There is also a live feed where I explored other users’ adventure itineraries and had the option of joining. Even if you’re not using it in search of romance, the app is a great tool for seeing sights with a new friend.
The app is new and currently only available in New York City.
Our Experience: This app is popular. It makes a heavy push for you to enable location-sharing and after making a profile (or rather, allowing the app to access my location and Facebook), I started to explore. Within five minutes, I had messages, 31 people had liked me, one had favorited my profile, and 27 had visited it.
The app is advertised as a social site, rather than just a dating app, connecting nearby users for various purposes. However, in my experience, it came across exclusively as a dating app. It was slightly overwhelming — every time I tried to browse the app's different features, I would get a dropdown notification saying someone had viewed my profile.
I quickly eyed the “nearby” section, where I was presented with little bubbles with a bachelor's profile, but decided I would rather browse through the profiles of people who had already seen and liked mine. In that sense, I had a smaller pool of people to look at, instead of being bombarded with far too many profiles for any person to swipe through.
The main thing I like about Badoo is that the app places a lot of emphasis on security, eliminating some of the fears people have about online dating. For example, if you are chatting with someone you can send them a “selfie request” to confirm the person you are chatting with is who he says he is. As a frequent watcher of Catfish, I definitely appreciated this feature.
Our Experience: Let me begin by saying that the first round of drinks is on Cheers. +1. Once downloaded and connected with Facebook, I saw if any of my friends were already on the app, so I could form a group with them and get my free drink.
I was initially attracted the app because instead of going on a blind one-on-one date (which can be incredibly awkward), the app is all about connecting two groups of friends and going out for drinks. Hopefully, a match comes out of it.
So, you can invite friends on the app to join your group and form a collective profile that others on the app can see. You can’t form groups larger than three people, though. When swiping through potential groups to go out with, you’re presented with either a duo or trio, their respective information, any mutual friends that might be shared, and a nice variety of group pictures.
If the match is mutual, you are immediately prompted to press the “pick a place” icon. The bar or restaurant you select will have a round of complimentary drinks under your name. We love the idea behind this app, because it takes any awkwardness out of the date (" Who pays for what? "), takes out meaningless in-app conversations, and, of course, free drinks.
However, I had a bit of bad luck. The only friend I had on the app was a girl I barely knew who lived in a different city from me. I invited a few of my friends to join, but even after joining and creating a profile, the app did not register them as my friends. I was never actually able to form a group, making the app virtually useless, since the only way to meet other people and go out for drinks is when two groups show mutual interest.
Hopefully, it's just a bug and I'll get to take advantage of the app's free drink soon.
Our Experience: Tastebuds matches you up with someone who shares your taste in music. It's basically the Tinder for music lovers.
With Tastebuds, the major component in setting up your profile is choosing artists who you like. It gathers information from your music “likes” on Facebook and your iTunes library, automatically inserts them into your profile, and then prompts you to add more. Obviously, you can tailor it — you might not want potential suitors to see you as a die-hard Taylor Swift fan from the get-go.
Personally, I kept Taylor Swift in the mix for the sake of online authenticity, and then curated my list so it best represented me, a task that took me no more than three minutes. You can also round out your profile by answering questions such as what your dream concert would be, and what your favorite band was when you were 13.
Then, you're presented with profiles of people whose music taste most closely matches yours. In lieu of sending a message, you can flirt by sending someone a song. Pretty great icebreaker, in my opinion.
What I like most about this app is that while browsing other people’s profiles you might discover a new song you like, and then you can easily save it to your Spotify account without even having to exit the app. Also, because it’s centered around music, there’s a larger incentive to meet up (i.e., go to a concert together). That’s always a great first date idea, and in the case of this app, a very appropriate one.
Our Experience: helloTruly is unlike any dating app I’ve yet to encounter — in a good way.
When first opening the app, the screen shows a mission statement of sorts: “helloTruly helps you make real, personal connections at the places you go.” And the app means that in the most literal way possible. If you’re one of those people who typically opts out of push notifications, think twice, because on this app, you’re going to want them.
The app functions as a digital icebreaker, designed for people who would rather meet someone IRL than first chatting on an app. In lieu of all the standard dating app algorithms and questionnaires, helloTruly is simple: It's centered around a location based checking-in feature. You open the app and check in somewhere, whether you’re at a bookstore, café, bar, lounge, club, restaurant, or wherever, and if someone else (who meets your set preferences) checks in at the same spot, you’ll receive a push notification. Off the bat, you know you have things in common with this person because you’re both in the same spot at the same time.
Once you check in, you can press the “get found” button if you're interested in meeting someone new. You then share what you’re wearing, drinking, or doing, so you're identifiable to other app users. If you see someone you like that has checked into the same spot, you can send them a “wave” to let them know you’re interested. You don't have to check in to see who else is around you, but when you do check in, it shares your full profile with those in the same spot.
If you're not sure where to go to meet a potential date, the “Hot Spot” screen shows you the most popular places people have checked in near you, which is convenient.
Unfortunately, since the app is so new (it just launched in June), I haven’t seen other people who have checked in at the same spot as me — dating app fail. Hopefully it will pick up some steam, though, because we like the idea.
The Pitch: “A Dating App for the Fitness Community”
Our Experience: Sweatt is a dating app for people who love to work out. Naturally then, after I created an account via Facebook, the app asked me a series of workout-related questions, such as what my favorite time to work out was (I selected the “post work” option) and how many times a week I worked out (three to four). The next screen asks you to tap your true loves — icons representing activities such as lifting, Spinning, biking, running, yoga, and dance come up. You can only choose two, though! I tapped on the Spinning bike (because yes, I belong to SoulCycle) and yoga icons.
From there, you can fill out a short bio, and you can also list your preferred "fuel" (your preferred diet or dietary restrictions). I eat pretty much everything, so I chose the hamburger icon.
Once that's done, you're presented with five profiles each day. While I enjoy working out, I quickly realized I didn’t quite belong on the app. I am not an obsessive exerciser, nor would I even consider going on a Paleo diet. Many of the people I came across were trainers, hardcore gym fanatics, and people who wrote in their bios that they were looking for a workout buddy. But, the app itself is easy to use and has an attractive design scheme. However, it is truly geared towards fitness buffs. If you’re a fitness connoisseur, it's definitely worth a try.
The Pitch: "The nation's premiere invitation-only matchmaking service."
Our Experience: Technically, it's not an app, but it’s a unique, invite-only dating service that aims to do the same thing as an app like Tinder does. Founders of the site, Rori Sassoon, professional matchmaker and style consultant, and Errol Gluck, PhD, an expert in forensic profiling, work to assist you when you find the online dating scene scary or hard to navigate.
Platinum Poire caters to NYC singles only, for now. If you’re interested, the first step is to send along a short biography and a photo of yourself. Then, a consultation is arranged with Sassoon, followed by a one-hour profiling session with Dr. Gluck, where you talk about your relationship history.
Then, you complete a 10-page questionnaire about yourself. With all of this information, the Platinum Poire team builds your profile and presents you with suggested matches. Every introduction is confidential.
If two parties agree that they would like to meet, Platinum Poire then discloses contact information and allows you to take it from there to arrange a date.
The duo behind this service does more than just play matchmaker, though. They help you with everything, from what to wear and what to say, to how to handle your nerves. If you need more than just an app, you should give it a shot.
Our Experience: If you don't like being judged, this is not the app for you. The Grade is, naturally, all about grades, as in, the app uses a grading system for you to judge and be judged by other people on the app.
But the app is very user friendly and easy to navigate. Once you grant it Facebook access, it loads up your profile with information, and gives you a “Grade Pending” next to your name until you've entered enough data to be assigned a number.
So, how do you get a good grade? The letters are assigned based on how many people "like" you (how many swipe right), how responsive you are to messages, the quality of your messages, and the anonymous feedback you receive from other users. The higher your grade, the better your chances are of meeting someone you like.
Why have this grading system in the first place? The goal of this app is simple: #NoMoreCreeps. The app tries to eliminate things such as X-rated messages and pictures, matches with people who don't respond, and matches with people who are already in relationships. The Grade holds users accountable for this type of behavior — and if you get an "F," you get kicked off the app. However, if its algorithm does expel you unjustly, you can go on its website and appeal.
Other than that, the app is kind of like Lulu, which lets users anonymously comment on guys, so other ladies can see from the comments whether a guy is worth their time. You can review your friends who are on The Grade by clicking on the “review your friends” icon, and pressing "yes" or "no" when asked if they are a “quality person.” You also have the option of adding or editing a full review.
Our Experience: Score has an interesting premise: It keeps your image blurred out until someone else "scores" with you. Half of the personal information that you fill out in the app — your profile image, and up to three additional images — is hidden to casual browsers unless you match up.
Here's how it actually works. After setting up my profile, I was presented with bachelors nearby. Their faces were blurred, and I could only see their usernames, location, age, height, gender, and something they like (i.e., humor). Then, I pressed a red, “Let’s Score” icon, which led me to a list of categories to choose from, as shown in the image here, and I answered five questions in whichever category I chose. From there, the app matched us based on the compatibility from our answers.
The questions are generally light and fun, which makes it seem more like a game of compatibility rather than a dating app. The questions are quirky, like, “You just got to Moscow. First thing you do is: (and here you choose one) Free Pussy Riot. Photograph the Kremlin. Find the dude from Borat.”
If you have two or more of the same five answers in common, you unlock each other's profiles.
Our Experience: Sochat is an app that’s all about chatting with those who you know, along with some you don’t know. It's a messaging service first, and a dating app second.
After requesting access to your phone contacts and Facebook friends, it automatically adds them as your friends on Sochat. Chatting via Sochat is different than, say, iMessage because of its in-depth GIF integration. “Magic Words” (specific keywords) let you send videos or songs, and you can create events and polls within different groups. You can also see who is currently online, and see who is nearby, which is where the dating aspect comes into play.
If you see someone nearby who you think is cute, tap on their profile — and then you can tap a heart emoji-emblazened button that says “like,” or the blue hand waving button next to it to say, “hi.”
If you press “hi,” that person will automatically get a chat request, which they can ignore or reply to. You also have the option to “swipe chat,” which transforms the app into an iteration of Tinder, where you see one picture and a short bio of an individual, which you can then swipe right or left on. If the person likes you back, you get notified that you’ve matched.
Overall, my favorite feature on this app is its GIF integration. You can access a wider variety of GIFs organized by category, search GIFs, and see which ones you have recently sent, along with ones that you like and can collect for later use.
Whether you’re looking for a fun, new messaging service, or to meet new people and potential dates, Sochat does a pretty good job of combining them all into one easy app.
Our Experience: Zoosk is your standard dating app, but it does have some interesting features. After setting things up and answering questions about my body type, if I have children, and my education preferences, I created a password, a display name, and answered a bunch of other optional questions to complete my profile. Then came security: I had to verify my phone number, as well as my pictures, which the app did by opening the camera and asking me to stare ahead, then turn my head to the right and then to the left. Extra points for countering fakes and scam accounts!
There are three sections at the top of the app: "Carousel," "Browse," and "SmartPick." I pressed "SmartPick" first, which shows you people with similar interests. The "Carousel" shows you profiles picked at random — you can then select “yes,” “no,” or “maybe” based on their profile pictures and age. The "Browse" section shows full profiles, including how far away they are from you, plus the last time they logged in.
To boost your profile (and — the app claims — get an average of three times more views), you can pony up 100 coins of Zoosk's in-app currency system. You get coins by paying to become a member: a one- month subscription is $29.99, a three-month subscription for $59.99, and a six month subscription for $74.99. Kind of steep!
The benefits of subscribing include being able to chat with other members and connect with singles who have been chosen for you using their "SmartPick" algorithm. Personally, these perks do not seem worth the price of the membership.
The main perk of the app is being alerted when someone has viewed your profile. But you can get that for free on so many other apps, why pay if you don't have to?
Our Experience: Dine is all about matching you up — with a focus on getting you out on that first dinner date. It's perfect for foodies looking for a partner with similar taste buds.
After your typical set-up process, you are asked to select from a list of restaurants that you like or would like to try out and your favorite cuisines. The app uses that information to pair you up accordingly. Having similar taste in food is a major plus (and obviously the cornerstone of any healthy relationship?).
Typically, if someone were to suggest a dinner first date, I’d be taken aback. I’d rather get drinks — a date option with less pressure on both parties. But Dine will have you rethinking that mentality. The first date venue is already chosen, which takes out some of the pressure and adds an element of safety, as well.
Dine is very much about keeping the old-fashioned idea of chivalry alive and well, which is where a “my treat” feature comes into play. If one party is willing to pick up the tab, the "my treat" icon is highlighted, so there's no post-meal payment confusion. If you see someone you like, you can send him a wink so they know you’re interested, but it's up to him to ask you out. Once he does, you can freely message one another.
The app also has a fun “dine with friends” feature, which basically sets up a double date. And to keep things fresh, every day, the app's restaurant options change and new picks are presented, so you’re not left choosing from the same Japanese joint over and over.
Our Experience:Align is all about astrology dating, showing you profiles whose signs are compatible with your own. The L.A.-based app, which launched in May of 2015, is now also available in NYC and the Bay Area.
Here’s how it works: Connect to Facebook and put in your birthday. Based on your sign, you are presented with a list of characteristics to choose from. You have to choose six that you identify the most — I chose silly, food, drink, stubborn, goal-oriented, and warm.
Instead of having to sift through endless matches that miss the mark, Align gives you a neat-and-tidy roundup of just five matches per day. You also get a detailed report explaining how you two galactic lovebirds would get along. If both people choose to align, you'll be able to exchange messages.
The app presents your matches in a unique way — they appear in the form of circles, varying in size, orbiting around your profile. The larger the circle, the more astrologically compatible you two are.
If you don’t like any of the matches for that day, don’t worry, they refresh at midnight.
Our Experience: If you are a dog owner (or a dog lover), Sniffr is for you. The app targets those who truly know the value of the statement made famous by Frederick II, King of Prussia, “Dog is a man’s best friend.”
A major deal-breaker for me personally is meeting someone who hates dogs. On Sniffr, you automatically know you have a shared love with everyone on the app right away (and that's one less potentially awkward question-and-answer section of your date).
When you open the app, you have to make two profiles: one for you, and one for your pup. Then, once you give the app to access your location, you can find bachelors, bachelorettes, and pooches nearby. If you see a furry friend you like, you can "sniff" their profile to show your interest — you and your pet could find a new playdate or a new real date.
Our Experience: After connecting with Facebook, the app asks for some basic information such as your age, gender, sexual orientation, and religion. It feels a little like filling out doctor’s office paperwork, but most of it is optional, so there’s no pressure to answer. From there, Clover lets you filter people by their relationship intentions (friendship, a hookup, or a serious relationship.)
The app doesn’t waste any time. Right away a bachelor appeared, taking up my entire screen. He was online, and lived in the same borough as me. “Javi, 26/male/straight. Brooklyn, NY.” Before I even looked through his pictures, I had a short bio in front of me, which was convenient.
I’m not going to lie, this app has a lot of unique capabilities, such as an on-demand dating option that chooses the place and time for a date with your in-app match. But what really got me excited was the “20 Questions” game, which lured me in to find compatible matches based on my answers. If you’re browsing someone’s profile, you can see their answers to these questions, and see how many you answered the same. (My match Javi and I answered 13 questions identically.) 13 out of 20 sounded pretty good to me, so I proceeded to swipe left to see more pictures of him. You can upload up to 100 pictures in the app. From there, you can “heart” or “X” a match, or send him a message. Anyone can message anyone, whether you’re a match or not, which could be good or annoying, depending on your personal preference. In the app's chat feature, you have the option to share videos, images, and audio clips, and control who can see if you’re online, and your location.
You can manage your busy new dating life within an hour of downloading Clover with its Prospects feature. This lets you manage and track your matches, people you’ve liked, people that have liked you, and those you passed.
This app, surprisingly, made me excited. You can’t say that about most dating apps.
The Pitch: "Speedy online dating for the restless."
Our Experience: Quickflirt is a hookup app. It connects to your Facebook, and then asks you to upload your main photo. After a brief tutorial, I pressed the app’s little funnel icon to filter my feed to specify what gender and age group I was interested in, and location.
I liked that the app offered a ‘Safe mode’ to keep things from getting creepy (or unsafe). There are three safe mode options: off, basic, and full. When set to off, you can be contacted by all members; when set to basic, you can be contacted be everyone except people who've been flagged as suspicious by the app's safety team; and in full, only trusted members can get in touch with you. I want to feel like I’m in a safe space when online dating, so I set it to full.
Below that, you can customize advanced parameters. Here, you can choose to see who is near you, who is online now, and new members. The app also gives you the choice to choose between three different interfaces. You can see potential matches on a grid, scroll through them one by one, or tap the map and see where people are in relation to your location — handy if you don't want to end up across town.
Personally, Quickflirt was not for me. It’s advertised as the Fast and Furious of dating apps, and that’s exactly what it feels like. Within minutes, I had received a few flirty messages so, uh, "flirty" that I was slightly taken aback. If you’re looking to step up your sexting game, or want a fun fling, this might be the right place for you (but it's definitely not for me).
The Pitch: #1 in dates, relationships, and marriages.
Our Experience: When we think of Match, we typically think of our high school gym teacher on an old iMac (the one with the see-through, colored back) scrolling for potential matches. When it launched in 1995, Match.com pioneered the online dating world. Now in 2016, it's dropped the ".com" and is trying to prove it’s still a hip place to find a date.
But it’s still old school, in a way. When you download the app, instead of connecting to Facebook or Instagram, you're prompted to answer a series of 29 questions to fill out your profile. The nitty gritty queries range from “How often do you drink?” to “Tell us about your ideal date.”
After that, it’s standard procedure. You tap on Discover, and the app uses your location to show a stream of bachelors or bachelorettes that match your preferences and location. You can ‘like’ them by pressing the thumbs up icon, or send a message right then and there. This is different from most dating apps now — you don’t have to wait until there’s a match to strike up a conversation. Downside: All the annoying unsolicited messages. The app does show you your daily matches, and lists what you both have in common.
Overall, I didn’t feel like I would find someone on here — it felt like an older community to me (but if you prefer an older partner, this is definitely where you should hang). It's still worth a try, though.
The Pitch: "Chat, date, connect, and mingle with people around you now."
Our Experience: Just Say Hi is interesting because your profile is a video. It’s basically video chatting strangers (potential matches) instead of browsing a typical online profile. The idea is that while a picture is worth a thousand words, a video can communicate way more about you and your personality. It sounds silly, but I like the idea of knowing what someone’s voice sounds like before meeting them.
After filling out some basics, you then upload a video (bet you didn't see that one coming). Instead of filming one on the spot, I decided to upload an old video of me singing along to some of my favorite T-Swift songs, along with a random video of me and my goonsquad friends.
After completing my profile, I browsed other peoples’ video profiles nearby, and around the world. The profiles were fun to watch. Usually, it would be a guy saying something like, “Hey my name is Logan, I’m 26 and from New York. Come say hi!” If you see someone you like, it’s standard procedure: like, heart, etc. If they like you back, then you can chat with one another. There is also another way to meet people: through the app's group chat feature. Here, you can browse a variety of chat rooms AIM-style circa 2005. Since it is a video based app, you feel like you're really meeting people from all over the world. There is a USA chat, a variety of international rooms, one for new users, locals, and…a roast room? Intrigued, I immediately tapped it. The chat room is true to its name, with a message that pops up saying, “Warning: Do Not Enter." This room is for people who like to be insulted and laughed at. It’s fighting room with rude people. Enter at your own risk!” I like to think I have thick skin, so I went in anyways. After browsing through though, none of the messages were that malicious.
While the app itself is free, you have to pay to see your fans. For $2 you can unlock fans for seven days, and for $6 you can unlock fans for 30 days.
The Pitch: Learn from others. Ask questions. Share your experiences. Meet new friends.
Our Experience: This app is for those thinking about getting back into the dating game following a divorce (that, for better or worse, could be a lot of us at some point, considering the divorce rate in the U.S.). The app is an empowering and resourceful place, featuring educational articles, current divorce news, forum discussions, lawyer ratings, and much more — just what you'd need if you'd come to the conclusion your high school sweetheart wasn’t such a catch after all.
If you don't want to create an account at first, you can 'go incognito' to view content anonymously, which is cool and welcoming. I tried this out first. It took me to the ‘Discussions’ page, where I was presented with a pleasantly laid out list covering topics such as advice on choosing a lawyer, mediation, child support, and getting back in the dating game. Cool, right? A little blue box labeled, ‘What to do first’ can guide you if you don't really know where to begin. If I were going through a divorce, I would have to say that this page was incredibly informative, educational, and helpful, filled with discussions and articles. Most of all, it felt like a really safe space.
When you make an account, the experience is more customized. You choose topics to follow (parenting, custody, new relationships), selecting your gender, your location, and your name. For those currently going through a divorce (or contemplating the idea), the app suggests creating a new email account to protect your identity. This app cares about you! 10 points for DivorceForce!
With an account, the app had much more to offer. You can connect with people and filter by all sorts of granular topics ranging from gender and age to topics followed. Overall, the experience seems pretty great. You can meet people who are going through or have gone through a similar situation, and also connect with people on a romantic level, without any stigma about having been previously married.
The Pitch: "An exclusive dating and networking platform for people in creative industries."
Our Experience: Unlike most dating apps, Raya screens applicants through their Instagram account before rejecting or accepting them into the app. Based on their Instagram presence (and referrals from existing users) an anonymous committee votes on whether to let you in or not. Sounds kind of brutal, huh? So, why all this screening you might ask? The goal is to create a niche where like-minded people can connect.
Raya is serious about this vetting process — which makes the app quite exclusive. Since launching in March, it has been known as the dating app for celebs. According to Page Six, spotted Raya users include Joe Jonas, Kelly Osbourne, Moby, and that new SNL cast member...So if you get in, always swipe right! (PSA: Be careful. If you’re caught leaking pictures or screen grabs of app users, they’ll kick you right off!) But(there's always a but), Raya doesn't come cheap. Accepted users have to pay $8 a month. In my opinion — totally worth it.
Raya's premise and design differs a bit from most other dating apps. To kick-start your profile, you have to choose a song and then curate a slideshow to go along with it. When making my profile, I chose Carly Simon's classic, "You're So Vain." Conversation starter, right? They also show you who your mutual Instagram friends are. But since the app is known for its exclusivity, there aren't that many people on it. Running into my brother as I was swiping felt kind of funny, until I saw his bio: "I'm a guy with a big, throbbing vocabulary. I like girls with tight, neat grammar." When I confronted him about it, demanding that he change it immediately, he responded with, "What! It was a really popular Whisper post!"
Overall, I love Raya. You never know who's going to be on there! But if you don't make the app's rigorous selection process, no stress — there are plenty of other options for meeting boys and girls with your phone.
The Pitch: "Find the people you've crossed paths with."
Our Experience: See someone you like on the street? Are you always on the same train as him or her, but never had a chance (er, the bravery) to chat them up? Let Happn help you out.
Like Tinder, Happn connects to Facebook for your basic information, pictures, and to be able to tell you if you have mutual friends with someone you've liked. From there, it works like this: You scroll through the app and if you see someone you like, you can heart them. If they heart you back, voila. It's a match and you're both notified.
However, you also have the option to "charm" them. This is a feature most dating apps do not have and allows you to let someone know that you like them, even if they haven't liked you back...yet. You receive a "charm sent" notification and if the receiver does not send a charm back within 24 hours, you get your charm back. For females, the app is completely free. But, for men, sending charms is going to cost you.
Where the app gets its namesake is its location awareness. A profile will have "now" written up at the top when you are crossing paths with that person within 250 meters (see train cutie above). I am a fan of the proximity factor, because chances are you'll have more in common with the stranger that frequents the coffee shop by your apartment than the guy who lives two hours away. From what I can tell, it's got a decently wide pool of users (here in New York, at least), so even if you've seen that passerby a dozen times, you won't be stumbling on their profile every time you open the app.
Our Experience: This app is brand-spanking-new, making its New York launch just before Valentine's Day. As its name would suggest, Double is an app for double dating. You can double up with a friend and your profiles will appear side by side. Then, instead of browsing for one potential match, you're looking at two. You and your wingwoman choose a couple together, using the same swipe left or swipe right navigation we are all too familiar with. If your pairs make a match, then you enter a group chat. From there, you all can decide whether or not a double date is in the cards.
Double aims to take out the awkwardness and stress that seems to be synonymous with first dates, because this way, you go with the support of your friend. Going on a date with a pal makes the whole situation much more comfortable — and safer — and much more likely to actually happen. And despite being brand-new, when I signed up, I already had four friends using the app in NYC.
One thing that was slightly confusing was the matching process. When scrolling through prospective bachelors, the app shows you two side-by-side. (In the same way as it shows my profile next to my friend Zara's.) If I click to X one, both are technically swiped left, and vice versa. What if I like one of the guys, but not the other? Then what? And if I only liked one of the two guys paired together, chances are my friend will, too. So, then what? Do I convince my friend to take one for the team and go on a double date with me even if she doesn't like her match? And then there's the general issue of who gets who once you do actually meet your matching pair. (As it turns out, it only takes one person from each pair to like the other for a match to be made.)
Since the app is still so new, I haven't quite figured it out yet. But my "doubler" and I were just matched with another duo, so we'll update you on how it goes.
The Pitch: "Friends, dates, relationships, and everything in-between."
Our Experience: With Tinder, you create a profile that is connected to your Facebook account. Tinder will never post anything on your behalf, but it lets you know if you have any mutual friends with the bachelor or bachelorette on your screen. You can make the pool of applicants more manageable to sift through by filtering age, gender, and location. The trademark feature of Tinder is how you go through matches by swiping right or left to like or pass (but you can also Super Like with the blue star on the far right).
The thing with Tinder is this: It feels like a game and matches come in quick. Once you match, if you decide to utilize the messaging feature (which everyone does), it turns into an exercise in creative writing. Due to the nature of online dating, my experience and the experiences of my friends has led me to believe that "Hey, what's up?" isn't going to get a response. You need something catchy from the get-go, a conversation starter. Openers that work: "Does your onesie come in other colors?" "Do you have any free time this weekend to babysit my poodle?" "What a funny group of mutual friends we have!"
If all goes smoothly, you might get to level two, which I call "exchanging numbers." Now the conversation has moved from a carefree flirtation in your Tinder inbox to an actual name and number in your address book. After that, it's pretty standard procedure. You aggressively stalk his or her social media accounts and then decide if level three, meeting IRL, is worth it.
There's a reason that Tinder is the dating app du jour; it's tried-and-true. The app boasts ten million matches to date and a high school friend of mine counts herself as one of the successes in that bunch. (She met her fiancé on Tinder about three years ago, one thing led to another, and their wedding is in April. B-A-N-A-N-A-S!) If you're a Facebook user and haven't tried it yet, it's worth some experimental swipes.
The Pitch: "We're changing the rules of the game."
Our Experience: Bumble is the Sadie Hawkins dance of the dating-app world; if a match happens, the only way to chat is if the girl makes the first move. Conversations begin on her terms and hers alone. If the female doesn't say anything within 24 hours of connecting with someone, that person disappears and the connection is lost. If a connection with someone of the same sex is made, each has one day to spark a conversation before the connection is deleted. If the 24-hour mark is approaching without a message, matches can request another 24 hours.
It's definitely an ego boost thinking, Ha, he is waiting by his phone for me to text him and there's nothing he can do about it! (We watch a lot of He's Just Not That Into You rom-coms around here, so it's nice to envision the tables turned.)
Another fun Bumble feature is backtracking. Say you by mistake swiped left or right too soon — no worries! Just shake your phone and it'll take you to the previous profile.
Photo: Courtesy Bumble.
Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
Steven Yeun, the much-missed star of The Walking Dead, and wife Joana Pak welcomed their first child on March 17. Yeun later confirmed the birth in an Instagram post thanking fans for their well wishes, and now we know the little fella's name.
E! News reports that the new parents, who got married in a Los Angeles ceremony in December 2016, have named their son Jude Malcolm Yeun. Go ahead and get all those Baby Judith/Baby Jude jokes out of your system. We'll wait.
In case you're interested, the name Jude is an abbreviation of the Hebrew name Judah/Judas, meaning "praise." It has many Biblical connotations, though it's just as possible that Yeun and Pak are big fans of Thomas Hardy, the Beatles, or The Young Pope.
Jude has already made his social media debut, popping up on both of his parents' Instagrams. The proud papa posted a pic of his newborn baby's teeny-tiny hand along with this message to fans.
"We are well," the 33-year-old actor wrote. "Much much love."
Here's a better look at the kiddo, courtesy of Pak. The professional photographer captured her son enjoying the sleep of someone who never has to worry about zombie invasions.
Jude's not the only kid Yeun, who will star alongside Tilda Swinton, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Paul Dano in the South Korean action film Okja this summer, has fathered, in a manner of speaking. Though his Walking Dead character Glenn Rhee was (spoiler!) brutally brained by Negan and his baseball bat last fall, Glenn's onscreen wife Maggie (Lauren Cohan) is carrying his child. In the comic books, that baby is also a boy, whom Maggie names Hershel after her father.
We look forward to more social media snaps of Jude in the years to come.
Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
Green irises may be the rarest, and Van Morrison sure loved those brown-eyed girls, but there's always been something about baby blues. The genetic mutation has been a source of envy and if you've got blue eyes, you probably already know just how fun it is to play them up.
But what's the best way to bring out the color? To answer that, we asked makeup artist Janessa Paré: "For blue eyes, the key is to focus on contrast. The initial thing to decide when you’re doing makeup for blue eyes, is do you want them to look paler, brighter, or do you just want to show off what is already there?"
Ahead, find her best tips and product recs for using light and contrast to make your gaze as piercing as possible.
To Make Blue Eyes Look Brighter... Paré recommends warmer colors for brightening the blue in your eyes. This chocolate brown works perfectly as a deeper color to play up that natural contrast.
Tarte The Eye Architect Liner & Shadow in Bronze/Gold, $24, available at Tarte Cosmetics.
If you want something a bit lighter, look for peachy and golden tones to brighten up your blue stare.
Laura Mercier Caviar Stick Eye Colour in Rose Gold, $29, available at Sephora.
Rich, copper shades like these are perfect for lighter eyes. One side boasts a metallic sheen that works alone and the other holds specks of glitter to turn your day look instantly into post-work drinks.
Revlon PhotoReady Eye Art Lid + Line + Lash in Burnished Bling, $5.69, available at Target.
"With a lighter color eye makeup, it’s good to have an iridescent quality with the pigment. This will bring light into the eye, and make the eye color pop without needing to go dramatic on pigment color. That way, you’re drawing attention to the color of your eyes, and less so the color of your makeup," says Paré.
Urban Decay Mooniest Eyeshadow in Cosmic, $21, available at Sephora.
To Make Blue Eyes Look Lighter... Emphasizing your eyes with mascara is pretty obvious. But blue eyes are so light that you don't even need to go for a deep black pigment to get the effect.
Yves Saint Laurent Mascara Volume Effet Faux Cils in Burgundy, $32, available at Yves Saint Laurent.
Instead, Paré says, "You can look to a chocolate brown or even dark plum red to add the benefit of color as well as depth."
Benefit They're Real! Mascara In Beyond Brown, $24, available at Benefit.
Luckily for you, Benefit's cult-favorite mascara comes in chocolate brown.
Benefit They’re Real! Lengthening & Volumizing Mascara, $24, available at Sephora.
To Show Off Icy Blue Eyes... "A taupe colored shadow with soft golden flecks is a natural color option for a girl that has icy blue eyes," says Paré. If your irises don't have any yellow tones, then this is for you.
Her go-to shade at the moment? "I love the Laura Mercier caviar eye sticks right now. They have a skin-like texture, while still having great color pay-off."
Laura Mercier Caviar Stick Eye Colour in Khaki, $29, available at Sephora.
But, she says, "If you do want to play with more color, a merlot will be a great fit." This one has golden flecks throughout, which will bring the light into your eyes.
Lancome Hypnôse Dazzling Eye Shadow in Rouge Cabaret 201, $25, available at Net-A-Porter.
For Going Natural... If you want to go for a very natural look, Paré named taupe and pewter as two shades that complement blue beautifully. A little smudging around the outside and you'll look like just-woke-up effortless.
Marc Jacobs Beauty Highliner Gel Eye Crayon Eyeliner in (Stone)Fox, $25, available at Sephora.
For Those Who Want Options... This palette, full of flattering-to-blue hues, is one of Paré's favorites right now.
Maybelline The Rock Nudes Eye Shadow Palette, $8.99, available at Target.
For a simplified routine, go for a four-shadow palette that gives you everything you need to create a grey, smoky look.
Burberry Complete Eye Palette in Smokey Grey, $62, available at Sephora.
Like this post? There's more. Get tons of beauty tips, tutorials, and news on the Refinery29 Beauty Facebook page. Like us on Facebook — we'll see you there!
Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
Regardless of how you pronounce it, there’s no denying that the GIF has taken a graceful tumble from Tumblr into the rest of our digital lives. You can use GIFs to share expressive reactions in emails, texts, and even work messages. And now, there are a ton of new apps to help you make them.
From insta-celebrity F*ck Jerry to our favorite hipster filter-makers at VSCO Cam, it seems that nearly everyone wants to get into the moving-picture game. (Cue Reel 2 Real’s '90s reggae dance hit “I Like To Move It," because that's what's happening on our phones right now.)
“But how many GIF apps does one really need?” you ask. We’ll let you be the judge. After all, only you truly know how demanding your GIF-creation needs are. But to make things easier, here’s our roster of the top 18 GIF-making apps. Read on to figure out which ones make sense for your home screen.
19. GIF Maker
If you want to take a more playful approach to your GIFs, download GIF Maker. The app stands out from others for its fun selection of fonts and stickers, which you can resize and place anywhere on your image.
Photo: GIF Maker.
18. Snow Snow is known for its many Snapchat-like lenses, but the app also has a Gif maker worth using. It lets you add filters, put on flower crowns, and add other playful, animated filters.
Photo: Snow.
17. Emoji Me Face Maker Emoji Me Face Maker is similar to Bitmoji, but turns the animated character you've created into a gif. You can choose to have yours raise a glass, throw a snowball, blow a kiss, and more, although some actions will cost an extra fee in-app.
Photo: Emoji Me Face Maker.
16.Motion Moving Gif Pictures + Gif Maker forPhoto The Motion Moving Gif Pictures app lets you turn live photos into Gifs. What sets it apart from other Gif makers, though, is the ability to edit those Gifs. You can add filters, adjust the speed, and change the playback to make sure it appears exactly as you want it to.
Photo: Motion Moving Gif Pictures + Gif Maker for Photo.
15. GIF Keyboard GIF Keyboard is easier to use than many other GIF apps because it lives right within the Messages app. Once you add the keyboard, you can use it to easily search for great GIFs or to make and text your own without having to hop from one app to another.
Photo: GIF Keyboard.
14. GIF Camera This one is strictly for Android phone owners. GIF Camera lets you shoot video that is then transformed instantly and easily into a GIF. You can adjust the frame rate and delete extra frames if you want to tweak what you recorded, and then save your GIF in the app, or share it with friends. The app has a section where you can browse funny GIFs, too.
Photo: GIF Camera.
13. GIF Editor GIF Editor is basically a photo-editing app for GIFs. After you take your GIF using either video or burst mode, you can add filters, colorful backgrounds, and text. You also have the option to adjust the speed, so you can go with super slow motion or fast-forward for a dizzying effect.
Photo: GIF Editor.
12. LoopVid This app is as simple as GIF-makers get. Take a one-second video of a moving object (longer videos will cost you $$$), and instantly share the resulting video loop on Instagram and Facebook, or via text or email. It will also be saved in your camera roll. Here, a coworker kissing a pumpkin got the glam GIF treatment.
Photo: LoopVid.
11. Live Studio If you want to turn the Live Photos on your iPhone 6s, 6s Plus, or SE into GIFs, this is the app to do it. The $1 Live Studio app makes it incredibly easy to save Live Photos as GIFs or as videos — and it even lets you convert GIFs and videos back into Live Photos, if you want. It's a simple premise and simple app, but it gets the job done.
Photo: Courtesy Live Studio.
10. GIFYme This GIF-maker incorporates one of our favorite Snapchat features — filters — in order to enhance your endlessly looping creations. GIFYme includes 30 different live filters, which you can then use on slow-motion GIFs, wiggle GIFs, and seamless loops.
You can also use the app to create time-lapse animation GIFs. When you're done, you can export your creations, either as GIFs or video files, and share them via your favorite apps, such as Instagram, Tumblr, and WhatsApp.
Photo: Courtesy GIFYme.
9. Motion Stills Google's free app recently launched and is already earning rave reviews. And for good reason: The app lets you to turn any Live Photo into a high-quality GIF in seconds. Plus, Motion Stills' stabilization technology evens out any choppy filming on your part at the touch of a button. The resulting super-smooth GIF can be shared on Instagram and other social platforms.
The first GIF I posted using Motion Stills received double the number of likes my Instagram pictures usually get. Big props to Google.
Photo: Courtesy Google.
8. Giffer Giffer offers a ton of versatility for your GIF-making endeavors. You can create GIFs from your Camera Roll's live photos, burst photos, videos, or pictures (as well as by pulling images from the web, or by copying and pasting them into the app). And then, if you want to share your GIF to Instagram, you can also save your creation as a video. The only catch is it's $3, and sometimes the output quality is on the low side.
Photo: Courtesy Giffer.
7. Boomerang While technically not a “GIF” maker (a GIF is, after all, just a file type), this Instagram app takes a bunch of photos at once and, it explains, "stitches them together to make a video" that loops. Leaner than most traditional GIF apps, Boomerang is simple and sleek, offering easy shares to Facebook and Instagram (duh), as well as options to save to your camera roll.
Photo: Courtesy Instagram.
6. Phhhoto An oldie (relatively speaking, since it launched almost a year and a half ago), but a goodie, Phhhoto is a veritable social network, with over a million registered users and over 10 million little, looping pieces of content on its platform. Its discovery tab, called “WOW,” showcases some pretty mind-boggling looping videos, and it’s always fun to check in and see the app's latest filters, which it updates frequently to correspond with holidays, seasons, and pop culture trends. Phhhoto is available for iOS and Android.
Photo: Courtesy Phhhoto.
5. Ultra Text For more textually driven individuals, Ultra Text turns any written message into a brightly colored animated one — and it's compatible with Facebook Messenger to boot. It’s almost as if YO! (Remember that? Yeah, you do) let you say something more than...well, you know.
The Ultra Text iOS and Android apps offer a ton of fonts, colors, and stickers that create a dramatic texting GIF. This is particularly useful for attention grabbing when a good old-fashioned text goes unanswered.
Photo: Courtesy Ultra Text.
4. GifX If GifX were a senior in a high school full of other GIF-making apps, its yearbook superlative might be “most likely to follow Phish around.” That is to say: GifX is undoubtedly the trippiest of all the GIF-making apps out there — and the quickest way to jazz up your static camera roll.
Either take a picture or choose one from your iPhone’s photo library. Then, add a layer of screen-saver-esque movements on top. You can control the opacity of the image's top layer, making the effects more or less obvious. Then, you can save your trippy little snippet as a video or a GIF.
Photo: Courtesy Gifx.
3. Giffage When something is co-founded by funny guy “F*CK Jerry,” the humor bar is set pretty high. Giffage gives that bar a high five; it’s fun “AF,” as they say.
The iOS app uses the GIPHY library as its GIF source and includes all of GIPHY's awesome categorizations — like a dedicated corgi category, for example. Swiping down gives you a menu of search options, organized by categories, trending, and things you’ve “loved,” and swiping left will give you an almost-endless horizontal feed of moving images. The coolest feature is the ability to invent your own category and have access to your creations (along with any other GIFs in the app) right from your keyboard. Who needs the eye-roll emoji when you can just send a GIF of your very own eyeballs?
Photo: Courtesy Giffage.
2. DSCO Cam Leave it to the team that brought you VSCO Cam to make GIFs feel less like deep internet humor and more, well, “cool.” This is the app for the more refined GIF-maker, if you will.
You can hold your finger on the shutter for a longer GIF, or just tap for a quick, moving loop. There’s a slick left swipe that takes you through signature VSCO filters, such as M5, A6, and B1, plus a new, MTV rainbow-hued overlay. Another subtle, two-finger swipe-down gesture will take you to your settings. Once you’re satisfied with your GIF, tapping “publish to VSCO” will share your creation to the VSCO community, automatically save it to your camera roll, and then offer up other standard Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, and Instagram shares. It's available on iOS only, for now.
Photo: Courtesy VSCO Cam.
1. GIPHY Cam It makes sense that GIPHY Cam would snag the top spot on our list. GIPHY has been the best at bringing “all the GIFs” to the internet since its inception in 2013. Its latest iOS app for actually making gifs, Giphy Cam, is evidence that its team just gets it.
GIPHY's super-clean and straightforward user flow lets you hold the shutter to record a long GIF (something DSCO Cam also adopted) or tap for a looping GIF. But what really wins it for GIPHY Cam is its superb selection of filters and effects. From adding a “VHS” grainy blur to superimposed cats, tears, and tacos, this app is easy to use, endlessly entertaining, and just all-around fun.
Photo: Courtesy GIPHY.
Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
Coco Arquette is cashing in on that Hollywood DNA.
The 12-year-old daughter of Courteney Cox and her ex-husband, actor David Arquette, is starring in the new music video for indie pop star Monogem's "Wild." The preteen's parents proudly announced her big moment on social media yesterday.
"Check this out! Great song, great video, and that's my daughter!" tweeted Cox, whose own big break was starring in Bruce Springsteen's "Dancing in the Dark" video. The Friends star also appeared in the music videos for Counting Crows' "A Long December" and Toad The Wet Sprocket's "Good Intentions."
"So proud of my daughter Coco and her performance in the @monogem video," added Arquette, who shared a screenshot of his daughter and her costar Matthew RC Taylor on the set. The actor also has music video roots, having starred in "Why Wait" for Rascal Flatt. His actress sisters, Rosanna, Patricia, and the late Alexis, meanwhile, have racked up roles in videos for Michael Jackson, Johnny Cash, The Rolling Stones, and The Tubes.
A post shared by David Arquette (@davidarquette) on
Coco, who is the goddaughter of her mom's close friend and former costar Jennifer Aniston, wears dark lipstick and smeared eye makeup in the video.
"The video is a dreamy and colorful story about two best friends," Monogem told LadyGunn. "I thought it would be interesting to create a visual showing two young teenagers getting wild in their own unique way. Amidst the kids' smokey, neon reality, the boy is cross dressing for the first time in a safe and comfortable environment without any judgment. That is a beautiful thing. With all of the craziness going on in the world today, I felt compelled to deliver this message and lyric to our very important younger generation: ‘Life's too short to not live wild.'"
Watch the video here. Is another star in the making?
Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
The new year festivities may be over, but many of us still have an inkling for change. For us beauty aficionados, that means changing up our tried-and-true looks with a more graphic cat-eye or ditching our same ol' red lipstick for something dark and moody. Resolving to try a new beauty look is not unlike hitting an exercise class — getting up and going is the hardest part. Luckily, we're making it easier.
We've rounded up our favorite makeup looks from — where else? — Instagram to fuel your inner beauty chameleon. Seriously, there's no shortage of stunning shadow looks and minimal-yet-polished makeup feats in the slides ahead. Don't believe us? Start clicking!
It's finally time to give the colorful highlighter trend a go.
Peach is equal parts cool and flattering when worn on the eyes, lips, and cheeks.
Burnt orange makeup toes the line between a pop of color and a bold neutral — that's why we love it so much. Our favorite way to wear the trend? All over the lid as an alternate smoky eye.
PHOTO: VIA @PATRICKTA.
Take your liner to a whole new level this year. Instead of working on the perfect cat-eye, try out the monochrome trend. But instead, opt for a liquid liner — it's long-lasting and holds up better than any powder.
Photo: Via @vogueitalia/Instagram.
Mix braids, your natural texture, and a few hair accessories with loads of glitter for the ultimate party look.
Photo: Via @therealkamie/Instagram.
Red lips, full brows, and minimal base makeup — a winning combination, if you ask us.
Photo: Via @nikishabrunson.
This yellow nail and liner look is a playful way to pull off the matchy-matchy trend.
Photo: Via @thecutestberry.
Tired of your standard liquid-liner cat-eye? Create a winged-out shape with your eyeshadow, instead.
Photo: Via @hungvanngo.
We don't know what we love more: YouTuber Christen Dominique 's perky half-pony or her vibrant burgundy shadow.
Photo: Via @christendominique.
All-peach everything. Need we say more?
Photo: Via @iamkareno.
This is the perfect time to experiment with different beauty techniques, like draping.
Photo: Via @hungvanngo.
For those that want to go big — and we mean big: Match your hair to your makeup. (And backdrop, and chocker, and sweater...)
Photo: Via @ahitsrosa.
We're huge fans of sartorial and cosmetic matching. Here, Refinery29's very own Lindsay Arakawa rocks peach lips and coordinated shades.
Photo: Via @blindsaay.
Freelance model and artist Jaraé Holieway steps it up a notch by matching her red lippie to her entire ensemble.
Photo: Via @blacmagic_woman.
Swap out your typical burgundy or wine lip color for something even moodier, like black.
Brown lipstick reigned supreme in 2016, but our guess is the shade will be popular far into 2017.
Photo: Via @maryamnyc.
Frigid temps have us reaching for plum- and wine-toned lippies.
Photo: Via @nabelanoor.
Jazz up your usual black flick with gold liner on top.
Photo: Via @nikitahhx.
Gilded lids are the perfect subtle update to your night-out routine.
Photo: Via @rochellewick.
Want to experiment with glitter, but don't want to go all-out? Try tracing some iridescent liner on your lower lashline for subtle sparkle.
Photo: Via @sabrinecat.
This month, experiment with graphic eyes.
Photo: Via @sabletoothetigre.
Cat-eyes and red lips are a classic combination.
Photo: Via @patrickstarrr.
Like this post? There's more. Get tons of beauty tips, tutorials, and news on the Refinery29 Beauty Facebook page. Like us on Facebook — we'll see you there!
Photo: Via @blacmagic_woman.
Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
Base makeup is one of those notoriously hard beauty products to shop for. Like picking out jeans or bras, the process takes time, commitment, and patience. The trial-and-error situation gets even harder when you only have a handful of choices — all of which are typically nowhere near your actual complexion shade.
Unfortunately, this is the harsh reality for women of color. There's a whole spectrum of "fair" shades on the market, while those with more pigment are left choosing between "tan" and "brown." (And, don't even get us started on "one shade fits all.")
Thankfully, according to CoverGirl makeup artist Jennifer Fleming, there's been progress over the past few years. "Many brands are offering shade extensions catering to a much wider range of skin tones and complexions," she says. "As the world continues to become more blended, there will always be work to do."
According to makeup artist Sir John, who's worked with everyone from Queen Bey to Joan Smalls, not having a uniform complexion is another big problem that plagues women with darker skin. "Women of color — [and that includes] Pacific Islander, Asian, Latin-American — have two different colors that they're working with," he says. "They're lighter in the center of the face, and they’re usually deeper around the hairline and under the cheekbones." To counter that, he suggests mixing two products: one that matches your hue and one that's slightly darker. Genius.
Ahead, get more base-makeup wisdom from these pros, along with their go-to brands for women of color.
This creamy foundation — which comes in a whopping 26 shades — delivers one of the most natural-looking finishes we've seen from a stick formula.
Hourglass Vanish Seamless Finish Foundation Stick, $46, available at Sephora.
This creamy foundation is a makeup artist and editor favorite for good reason. Not only does it have excellent medium-to-full coverage, the finish is extremely natural.
Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation, $64, available at Sephora.
Kat Von D just added 13 new shades to her Lock-It Foundation range, making it easy to score your perfect hue — sans mixing.
Kat Von D Lock-It Foundation, $35, available at Kat Von D Beauty.
This line of classic mineral foundations was just expanded by 12 shades, so you can find your unique color without excess trial-and-error. If you dig mineral makeup that smooths on to a creamy finish, this is your pick.
BareMinerals Original Loose Powder Foundation SPF 15, $28.50, available at BareMinerals.
“The shade range is the real star of this foundation line,” says celebrity makeup artist Tasha Reiko Brown. The foundation also boasts some big benefits for oily skin types by providing medium coverage and mattifying without settling into lines or looking heavy. “The undertones are spot-on and you get a lot of pigment in a lovely texture. The coverage is buildable and sheers out easily when mixed with moisturizer,” she adds.
Black Up Mattifying Fluid Foundation, $41.50, available at Black Up.
This full-coverage foundation never looks cakey on the skin, thanks to a healthy boost of jojoba esters and sunflower-seed wax in its formula.
Marc Jacobs Re(marc)able Full Cover Foundation Concentrate, $55, available at Sephora.
Iman — yes, that iconic Iman — has made it part of her mission to bring a more complete range of colors to her namesake cosmetics line. We suggest this creamy powder foundation: It's lightweight and you can easily build the coverage as needed.
Iman Cream to Powder Foundation, $9.99, available at Target.
There are long-lasting foundations that slough off on your collar/scarf/significant other pretty much immediately. Then there's this 24-hour workhorse, which sticks around until you choose to wash it off. Also? Even though the formula is heavy-duty, the matte and oil-free finish is completely elegant.
Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra 24H Foundation, $47, available at Sephora.
MAC’s Studio Fix Fluid SPF 15 foundation is renowned for not only helping to control oil throughout the day, but also for delivering a matte finish in a whopping 35 shades.
MAC Studio Fix Fluid Foundation, $27, available at MAC.
This completely lightweight foundation finishes matte (like your dream skin) and is available in 18 different shades, that play to undertones as well. So, if you know you have dark golden undertones to your skin or you have a hint of a warm undertone in there, there is a shade for you.
Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Ultra Definition Liquid Makeup, $40, available at Sephora.
Becca is well-known for its shade varieties when it comes to foundation. And the Ultimate Coverage Complexion Crème is a full-coverage foundation that doesn’t feel like one — basically, what everyone is looking for. If your skin tone is between shades, choose a shade lighter because of the full-coverage pigments. Or, you can always mix and match.
Becca Cosmetics Ultimate Coverage Complexion Crème, $44, available at Becca Cosmetics.
— SPONSORED — Laura Mercier’s Candleglow Soft Luminous Foundation comes in a whopping 24 shades. The foundation itself is ultra-flattering with a formula that builds from sheer to medium, depending on your preference. It also contains pearly bits of mica to lend a lit-from-within (albeit not over-the-top sparkly) glow to your skin. (Pro tip: To give your foundation extra staying power, use a powder puff to press and roll a translucent loose setting powder over top, slowly working the powder into your skin.)
Laura Mercier Candleglow Soft Luminous Foundation, $48, available at Laura Mercier.
The one product Sir John swears up and down by is NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer. "No matter the complexion, it’s something I use on everyone, from Karlie Kloss to Naomi [Campbell]," he says. "It runs the gamut color-wise, and it doesn’t look like makeup on the skin. The consistency is medium-to-buildable, so you can even sheer it out with some moisturizer, and then build your coverage.”
NARS, $29.00, available at NordstromPhoto: Via NARS.
Sir John praises Yves Saint Laurent's Le Teint Touche Éclat for its color selection. "This is a great time to be not just a makeup artist, but a woman who happens to be multiethnic or multicultural," he says.
For those (like me) who are wondering how to find your perfect match, he shares this application trick: "If you put your foundation near your jawline and it matches your neck and your décolletage area, then you’re in a good place."
Photo: Via Yves Saint Laurent.
Fleming says that since those with darker skin tend to be on the oilier side, a lightweight foundation can be a good option. "Skin type is definitely a factor to consider when perfecting the pretty," she says. One of her faves: CoverGirl's Queen Collection All Day Flawless. "The color payoff is rich, giving great coverage with a lightweight feel. It is a one-stop shop, combining foundation, concealer, and powder in one easy step."
COVERGIRL, $11.29, available at COVERGIRLPhoto: Via CoverGirl.
If you're willing to splurge a bit more for the perfect coverage, Sir John says Tom Ford has amazing shades for women of color. "Both the stick and the liquid foundation called Traceless are genius," he raves. "He’s quite a modern man, and he uses multicultural and multiethnic women in his advertisements and shows. So, he took that global perspective...to start a cosmetics brand, which I can applaud.”
Tom Ford Beauty, $80.00, available at Tom FordPhoto: Via Tom Ford Beauty.
If you're looking for fuller coverage, opt for Make Up For Ever's Ultra HD foundation. "This product is great...you can be anywhere within a shade or two of this foundation's range, and it just blends in,” Sir John says. "It’s water-based, not oily, and won’t clog the pores or sit in the skin."
He adds that today's options aren't the foundations of our moms and grandmothers. "Even if you’re super oily or dry, the products nowadays are skin-care based and have a philosophy of skin at the core."
Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Invisible Cover Foundation, $43, available at Sephora.
If you're going to go with a drugstore brand, Sir John recommends Black Opal (although he says Iman's line is great as well) to get the best payoff for your dollar.
At the end of the day, it's not just about finding the right foundation — you have to know what to do with it. Sir John suggests creating dimension in the face. "When you put on foundation, it sort of wipes the face clean," he says. "And, your goal as a makeup artist is to bring it back. You’re going to be playing chemist, highlighting and low-lighting — you’re going to lend your artistry to a slight contouring effect." This means focusing on the darker areas: the hollows of the cheeks, around the hairline, and near the eyeball sockets.
Black Opal, $9.50, available at Black OpalPhoto: Via Black Opal.
For another drugstore pick, we look to Carola Gonzalez, makeup artist to Kerry Washington and Uzo Aduba. "I love this foundation because it adds radiance and makes skin look healthy," Gonzalez says. "It has great coverage and feels light on the skin. The two shades I suggest for darker skin tones are Cocoa and Chestnut." (Fun fact: Washington's shade is Cocoa.)
Neutrogena Healthy Skin Liquid Makeup Broad Spectrum SPF 20, $14.09, available at Neutrogena.
If you still can't find the exact right shade of foundation (or your skin tone fluctuates slightly by season), these drops are a godsend. Use them to alter the tone of another foundation that isn’t quite right. “You can [also] customize your level of coverage by mixing a few drops into your serum or moisturizer,” makeup artist Tasha Reiko Brown says. “And because you can mix it into a water, oil or silicone-based product, it's wearable for any skin type.”
Cover FX Custom Color Drops, $44, available at Sephora
Reiko Brown’s top choice for a light-coverage foundation that delivers a glowing finish? This hydrating formula, which is perfectly suited for dry or mature skin. She also loves the comprehensive spectrum of shades — including half shades — which help ensure a perfect match. “This is the most complete color range on the market,” she says. “The color range is from light caramel to the deepest mahogany, and the undertones shift appropriately throughout the range.”
Bobbi Brown Moisture Rich Foundation SPF 15, $50, available at Nordstrom.
Like this post? There's more. Get tons of beauty tips, tutorials, and news on the Refinery29 Beauty Facebook page. Like us on Facebook — we'll see you there!
Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
Oh, Target. How do we love thee? Let us count the ways. Amazing designer collaborations, affordable and adorable home buys, deals and steals on great makeup. But one of the retailer's best kept secrets is its amazing grocery section.
Seriously, if you're skipping that department on your way to the shampoo aisle, you're missing out. There are snacks that you'll always want to keep stocked at your desk, a surprising range of inexpensive organic options, and even exclusive Ben and Jerry's flavors! Ahead, find the food buys we were shocked, but ecstatic to see we could get at Target.
Whip up a quick butter masala dish with this delectable jarred sauce.
Available in stores.
Hold the PHONE! Girl Scouts' Thin Mints cereal exists AND Target is selling it.
We didn't realize Target had its own exclusive line of Ben and Jerry's flavors, but you can't get Peanut Butter World, Brewed To Matter, Blondie Ambition, and A Swirled Of Difference anywhere else.
Available in stores.
Justin's individually packaged nut butters are great for stashing in your desk.
Once again, we've decided that "organic" outweighs the heavily "for kids only" packaging and makes this okay for us to eat for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
Fancy ginger beer is a great mixer — top it off with some whiskey and you're practically a mixologist.
Available in stores.
Bai's fruit-infused water gets a boost of caffeine from coffeefruit, a part of the coffee plant that would otherwise be discarded during the harvesting process. Environmental and tasty — we'll take it.
Don't sacrifice flavor when opting for dairy-free morning coffee.
Available in stores.
You don't have to choose between "easy" and "all-natural" when baking.
If your state allows beer sales in grocery stores, be sure to look at Target's craft beer selection, too.
Available in stores.
Imported olive oils are often mixed with other neutral oils, like hazelnut, to boost profits. California Olive Ranch's oil, on the other hand, is the real deal.
New Yorkers may have the reputation of wearing all black, all the time (though everyone we know is a master print-mixer). But even those who think gray is too loud know there's a time and place for a dose of color — and that's always, and on nails and toes.
The city also happens to be, oh, 10 steps ahead of the trends, so who better to ask which manicure shades will be blowing up in 2017 than the women who run the most in-demand salons? We checked in with Eleanor Langston, former beauty editor turned founder of Paintbox, which is known for its modern gel designs that change seasonally; Nadine Abramcyk, co-founder of non-toxic haven Tenoverten; and Jin Soon Choi, founder of Jin Soon, the ultimate go-to for deeply indulgent manis and pedis. Ahead, they predict the color trends that you'll soon be seeing on well-groomed hands everywhere.
Unexpected Pastels Pastels are far from a spring cliché, according to Langston. She says her clients at Paintbox are all about pastels and gravitate toward them no matter the month. The hottest right now? Light sage, millennial pink, and pale blue.
This baby blue shade is striking in its softness, making it a standout color this season. Wear it alone, or copy Langston, who likes to add in a siren-red accent. “Pairing the feminine tones with a bolder tone (like cherry red, cobalt, camel, or emerald) is a super-sophisticated way to give your mani some edge,” she says.
Essie in Udon Know Me, $8.99, available at Target.
You can't talk about pastel without talking about pink. But this isn't your grandma's French-manicure pink: It's dusty, faded, and made for nice-but-not- too -nice girls.
Nails Inc. Gel Effect Nail Polish in Mayfair Lane, $15, available at Sephora.
Green is a hard color—too bright and you're in St. Patty's Day territory; too dark and you're going to feel like a Christmas tree. This soft, creamy sage, on the other hand, is the easiest choice in the world. It flatters all skin tones, but especially olive.
Tenoverten in Liberty, $18, available at Tenoverten.
We saw deep mauves all over Instagram last year — and we love the sultry trend. But this lilac and slate hybrid is a muted version of the latter that works year-round and is super chic.
Floss Gloss in Palazzo Pleasures, $8, available at Floss Gloss.
Dusty Neutrals “We are seeing a return to neutrals for the brisk weather that's been hitting NYC lately. Oddly enough, people lean toward using whites or very neutral beige over the cold months of January and February. It's almost a bit of a backlash against the colorful nails a lot of people don during the holiday party heavy season in December as well,” said Abramcyk.
The ones we keep coming across all feel slightly tweaked, however. They've got brick, rust, and purplish-gray undertones, so they don't match skin tone perfectly.
Context in Take It Off, $15, available at Context Skin.
This unique shade feels as though slate and violet had a baby, but it still falls under the earth tone family. “We predict people will stick with earthy neutrals that have heavy saturation as transition to brighter summer hues,” says Abramcyk.
RGB Cosmetics Nail Color in Haze, $9, available at RGB Cosmetics.
With peach and brown undertones, this deep rose hue is mature and sophisticated.
China Glaze The Hunger Games Collection in Dress Me Up, $6, available at Walmart.
Tonal Browns Want something moody and goth-adjacent that isn't stark black? Go for a rich, dimensional chocolate. “I think we’ll see strong, saturated colors that are impactful,” says Langston. “I think those shades are surprisingly flattering on all skin tones and go with any outfit,” says Langston. “But they give your fingertips a little bit more interest than a basic nude.”
OPI in Berlin There Done That, $10, available at Macy’s.
Brown looks best with a high-shine top coat — or opt for a shimmery, metallic, smoky quartz finish.
Sally Hansen Color Therapy in Haute Stone, $6.99, available at Target.
Full-Bodied Wines “This shade is a fall/winter staple and is always popular this time of year at the spa. It’s flattering on everyone, so there is no guesswork when it comes to choosing this deep burgundy red,” says Choi.
This deep wine in particular is a client favorite at her salons.
JIN Soon Nail Lacquer in Audacity, $18, available at JIN Soon.
Make this sophisticated hue more playful by adding in a whole lot of silvery flecks.
Deborah Lippmann Nail Polish in Good Girl Gone Bad, $18, available at Net-A-Porter.
There's horror movie blood (you don't want that) then there's Snow White prick-of-the-needle blood. This is that — and it's gorgeous.
Smith & Cult in Lovers Creep, $18, available at Smith & Cult.
Color Wheel Brights For those on the East Coast who dream of heading West, vibrant, happy shades are in season year-round. The coolest ones are primary or secondary shade from the color wheel with the highlight toggle turned way up — classic, but sunnier.
NARS Nail Polish in Paradiso, $20, available at Sephora.
Trust us: This purple looks its best when peeking out from a gray cashmere sleeve.
Marc Jacobs Enamored Hi-Shine Nail Polish, $18, available at Sephora.
A saturated yellow that matches a stick of butter won't wash out any skin tones — and won't require those around you to wear sunnies.
Ciaté London Geology Paint Pot in Loop The Loop, $17, available at Ciaté London.
Rocking orange is no easy task, but worth the challenge.
Jin Soon Nail Polish in Enflamée, $18, available at Jin Soon.
It might not be cheap, it's so so damn pretty.
Tom Ford Nail Polish in Indian Pink, $35, available at Net-A-Porter.
Like this post? There's more. Get tons of beauty tips, tutorials, and news on the Refinery29 Beauty Facebook page. Like us on Facebook — we'll see you there!
Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
There’s no slick way to tell a man on a first date that you need to be home by 9:30pm to inject fertility drugs into your belly, because you’re getting ready to freeze your eggs. So instead, as Jake and I shared a kiss on a foggy San Francisco corner after sharing Korean BBQ, I told him that I had a 5:00am conference call with someone in Australia.
As my Lyft dropped me off, I raced upstairs to my small studio apartment. Back home, I took a deep breath and entered my bedroom, which was also my living room, office, meditation space, and, now, my “fertility preservation laboratory.”
A slew of medications were spread across my mirrored coffee table. I started my nightly ritual of lighting candles and putting on some reiki zen music. I lay down on my couch and lifted up my blouse. I grasped the first syringe like a pencil, pinched some skin next to my belly button, and without pause, inserted the needle with a dart-like motion. The ease of the needle piercing through my skin gave me a sense of power. I pushed down the plunger, slowly feeling the fertility drugs ooze into my body, like little bubbles of stinging hope.
I swapped the syringe for my iPhone and snuggled into the couch as I read a text from Jake: “Wish our date didn’t have to end so soon. Go out with me again next Friday night?”
My throat and chest tightened in anxiety. What could I say? “ It depends on the timing of my egg extraction… How about I sext you from the fertility clinic next week?” I burrowed my face into the couch cushion and cried silently, so my neighbors couldn’t hear me.
At 33, I had decided to freeze my eggs because I wanted to feel more control in my life, but lying next to a red plastic container full of used needles — and holding a phone full of messages from men I probably wouldn’t end up in a relationship with — I felt more lonely and out of control than ever. How did I get here?
Here’s what I thought would happen when I moved to San Francisco at age 31: I’d be a successful entrepreneur attending an invite-only event, and another founder, with at least a few rounds of funding for his startup, would come up to me and say, “You’re a powerhouse, and I like your work ethic. Boss-lady, would you go coffee tasting with me?” And then our courtship would start with bike rides and urban hikes around the city. On weekends, we’d escape to romantic Airbnbs, or stay in town and buy goodies at the farmer's market for a rooftop picnic. Then, after our companies got acquired, we would get married and launch our next startup, a family.
That’s not what happened. Instead, I had a dating app showdown, convincing myself that every new match was a new possibility. But the truth was, the only serious relationship I was in was with my phone.
Shortly after moving to San Francisco, I sat at breakfast with Christine, a 38-year-old single friend and mentor. “Alex, don’t let yourself settle for a relationship or lifestyle that is just good enough. Invest in peace of mind, and freeze your eggs. The younger the better.” I nodded in agreement, and then anxiously devoured an entire avocado.
Lying next to a red plastic container full of used needles — and holding a phone full of messages from men I probably wouldn’t end up in a relationship with — I felt more lonely and out of control than ever.
I was torn: On one hand, I was flattered to hear that a woman I looked up to thought I was worthy of taking a step to prevent myself from settling. I could release the pressure of the clock, and if I wanted to, tap into my frozen eggs at a more perfect time in my life with the right partner. But the idea of going through with the egg-freezing process as a healthy 31-year-old felt desperate, and prematurely overdramatic, like I was destined to be single for another three years. I wasn’t going to let that happen. I had plenty of time. I decided to think about it.
Two and a half years and thousands of dating-app swipes later, I found myself working on my laptop at 9:30 on a Friday night in a downtown cafe, when voices and laughter outside the window caught my attention. My throat tightened and eyes swelled with tears as I watched couples stroll by hand-in-hand, then saw my own reflection staring back — alone.
Their happiness pained me. I was envious. I felt bad for myself. I wanted all of that; I just didn’t want to feel like I was forcing it. I moved to a different seat, away from the window — I didn’t want my internal struggle on broadcast. I quickly forced myself to snap out of it as I started daydreaming about what I could achieve on my own.
All of a sudden, the thought of freezing my eggs before I turned 34 in a few months — on New Year’s Eve — gave me sudden hope. I made an appointment the following week for blood tests and a consultation with a doctor at San Francisco’s top fertility clinic.
About a month later, I was sitting alone again, in the clinic waiting room, but this time it felt empowering. My egg-freezing journey started without a hitch, and despite fainting the first time I gave myself a hormone shot — because I forgot to breathe — the harvesting proved fruitful, and felt more rewarding than my love life.
It was easy to joke with the doctors about what I’d name my 40+ growing eggs, if they were all viable. On the other hand, it was not something I dared to mention as I curled up next to Jake on our third date, an evening picnic in a picturesque San Francisco park. “ Why you wearing your skirt so high?” Jake flirtatiously asked me as he tugged at the fabric at my waist. I coyly covered my bloated belly as I moved his hand away, looked into his hungry eyes, and imagined saying, “Oh Jake, I so badly want to roll around with you in this public park, but I don’t want to endanger the eggs that I’m harvesting to freeze next week.” So instead, I quickly leaned in with a distracting kiss and whispered, “To keep you in suspense, my dear.”
A few days later, on extraction day, my mom sat quietly next to me in the clinic waiting room. Though I was nervous, I felt proud that I was close to freezing a large number of my prized eggs. But as they called my name, and I walked past anxious couples sitting in suspended silence, I was reminded that freezing my eggs was a temporary fix. There still weren’t any guarantees.
By freezing my eggs, I hoped the rest of my life would begin to thaw out, and I’d gain more time to find love. But the holidays rolled in, and as quickly as Jake came into my life, he ghosted right out of it. I reached out with a few flirty texts to reignite the flame, but he never responded. I was disappointed and confused, but I wasn’t surprised. Like so many other promising new relationships I’d started, I’d spent all that time nurturing a possibility, and again I felt like I was exactly where I had started.
On New Year’s Eve, I found myself on a rooftop in SF with friends as the countdown started. At midnight, as the fireworks danced in the foggy sky, I stopped to admire the outlines of couples kissing on rooftops nearby. I lit my sparkler, and with the light flashing before me, I felt a deep sense of love and affirmation all around me, and in that moment, even inside my body.
The truth was, that no matter how much I tried to control what was happening in my life, the same uncertainties still remained. Freezing my eggs was an investment in a future I hoped would arrive someday, but it was up to me to create the love I craved in my life right now — and, like little flashes of light, freezing in time, I was already doing it.
Welcome to Mothership: Parenting stories you actually want to read, whether you're thinking about or passing on kids, from egg-freezing to taking home baby and beyond. Because motherhood is a big if — not when — and it's time we talked about it that way.
Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
Downton Abbey. Dairy Milk. One Direction. The Kates, Middleton and Moss. These are just a select few of the British things that Americans can’t get enough of — because as far as we’re concerned, the grass is always greener on the other side of the Atlantic. When it comes to beauty, however, the U.K. doesn’t get quite the same play as overseas powerhouses like Paris, Japan, and South Korea, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t tons of hidden gems that the U.S. just isn’t privy to yet.
Take Models Own, an expansive color cosmetics brand that stocks 650 (!) different products, for example. The brand's mantra is “bold, brave, British,” and its eye, face, and lip offerings certainly don’t disappoint. Highly pigmented liquid lipsticks that last all day, a massive array of eyeshadow palettes, brow kits, foundations, primers, and highlighters galore — you can get it all for less than $20. But until recently, the full collection was only shoppable at U.K. retailers. Leave it to Ulta to bring the cult-favorite line to the states.
That’s right: You no longer have to hop the pond just to get your hands on all things cheap and cheerful that Models Own has in store. Head over to the superstore's website to shop a selection of the goods, or make your way to a brick-and-mortar location for even more variety. Ahead, nine exceptional products you won't want to miss.
Blemish-fighting tea tree oil meets full-coverage concealer for a truly multitasking treatment you won’t know how you ever lived without.
Models Own Tea Tree Healer Concealer, $8.99, available at Ulta.
The low-key highlighter enthusiast will love this soft, finely-milled formula — it’s so subtle, you can even swirl it all over your face as a finishing powder for a natural-looking glow.
Models Own Sculpt & Glow Highlighter Powder, $11.99, available at Ulta.
In six rich, pigmented shades, this liquid lipstick has a non-drying finish and a pleasant minty scent that puts it up there with the best of ‘em.
Models Own Lix Matte Liquid Lipstick, $7.99, available at Ulta.
Sculpting wax, powder, highlighter, and two precision brushes — everything you need to keep your brows in tip-top shape is right here in a handy palette.
Models Own Now Brow! Kit, $14.99, available at Ulta.
What could be more perfect for on-the-go — or any time at all — than an eyeliner that’s liquid on one end and pencil on the other?
Models Own I-Definer Eyeliner Duo, $9.99, available at Ulta.
Color-correcting has never been easier — or more affordable.
Models Own Flawless Correcting Concealer Palette, $11.99, available at Ulta.
This palette is packed with 10 eyeshadow essentials in both shimmery and matte finishes for creating an endless variety of looks, from neutral to night-out.
Models Own Vintage Rose Eyeshadow Palette, $17.99, available at Ulta.
The name may be unappealing, but this opaque lip color lasts forever, and comes complete with a brush and a mixing tray to create custom colors.
Models Own Metallic Lip Gunk Kit, $12.99, available at Ulta.
This lightweight liquid goes on smooth and blends like a dream. Dab it on cheekbones for a true highlight, or mix a few drops into your regular foundation for allover radiance.
Models Own Sculpt & Glow Liquid Highlighter, $11.99, available at Ulta.
Like this post? There's more. Get tons of beauty tips, tutorials, and news on the Refinery29 Beauty Facebook page. Like us on Facebook — we'll see you there!
Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
The latest JetBlue sale seems specifically designed to get us down to Florida for a beach vacation, and we love that. After all, while many of us fantasize about getting away to the South of France, a jet away to Florida is just a tad more realistic when it comes to your wallet — and we have plenty of great beaches stateside.
To help us make our sea-and-sand dreams come true, the airline is offering yet another fantastic two-day sale. But hurry, it won't last long: The appropriately named In A Sunshine State of Mind flash sale ends March 30 (tomorrow!) by the earlier of 11:59 p.m. Eastern or your local time.
If you're long overdue to visit your grandparents, have been planning a Walt Disney World trip forever(we feel you), or maybe jetting down for some wedding festivities, this is your chance to do so cheaply.
Here are just a few select discounted flights: Albany, NY, to Fort Lauderdale for $59 (we KNOW); Newark, NJ, to Tampa for $79; New York City (JFK) to Orlando for $89; and Boston to West Palm Beach for $99. Check out JetBlue's website for more routes.
A bit of fine print: These prices are only valid for travel between April 24 and June 17, 2017. Blackout dates are between May 25 and 29. Other restrictions, travel windows, and blackout dates may apply and vary by route.
For more information on the flash sale, visit the JetBlue website.
Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
Love it or hate it, the plank is pretty much a fitness staple. From yoga to CrossFit and everything in between, it’s a part of almost every type of fitness program. If you’ve ever done a plank, however, you know that this usually doesn’t mean that they’re any easier. But if it makes you feel better, they’re not easy for Gigi Hadid, either.
In a new video from Reebok, she gamely attempts to hold a plank through an interview with her trainer. We’re not saying we look anything like Hadid while struggling to hold a plank, but this might be peak relatable content.
As part of Reebok’s #PerfectNever campaign, Hadid was interviewed by her boxing instructor, Rob Piela — while doing the plank — and shared her workout routine and what keeps her empowered. Hadid also had some good tips for staying positive: “Call your mom, eat some good food, and go on a walk.”
She struggles and gets corrected by her trainer, but to be fair, a minute is a very long time in plank-time. We’re with you, Gigi — planks may be the foundation of a strong core and a strong body, but man are they grueling.
Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
Harlots arrives today on Hulu to bring all the varied shades of female sexuality to television. The British drama follows an 18th century mother named Margaret Wells (Samantha Morton), who also happens to be a brothel owner. In “Episode 1,” Margaret makes the difficult decision to auction off her youngest daughter Lucy’s virginity to the highest bidder.
Margaret’s choice for Lucy (Eloise Smyth) is dark and disturbing, but in the matriarch’s mind it’s the only way to advance her family’s financial and social standing. As Margaret and Lucy deal with that moral quandary, the oldest Wells sister Charlotte (Jessica Brown Findlay) considers signing what’s essentially an ownership contract from her wealthy and whiny benefactor, Sir George (Hugh Skinner).
Although the Harlots pilot has all the depth and lush beauty of premium Emmy bait like Outlander or The Tudors, it also has something they’re missing. The Hulu newbie hides a crackling wit underneath its serious surface. When they’re not dealing with the real-life dangers of sex work, the characters of Harlots say some truly absurd and unexpected things in “Episode 1.” Take a look at the slideshow to see what we mean.
“You are the pineapple of Great Britain,” — Sir George to Charlotte.
Never use this on Tinder.
Photo: Liam Daniel/Hulu.
“How can I relinquish my freedom to a man who thinks I’m a pineapple?” — Charlotte.
I ask myself the same thing every day.
Photo: Liam Daniel/Hulu.
“I’m the Duchess of Quim,” — Emily (Holli Dempsey).
“Quim,” for those unfamiliar with 18th century slang, means vagina.
Photo: Liam Daniel/Hulu.
“I am sunk in lust and lechery. What is the cost of my soul?” — man to Betsey Fletcher (Alexa Davies).
“Five shillings.”
Souls have a very specific and shrewd price.
Photo: Liam Daniel/Hulu.
“I want your forgiveness.” — man to Betsey Fletcher after leaving her to die.
“Eight shillings.”
The price of souls only goes up when you’re a coward.
Photo: Liam Daniel/Hulu.
“I won’t harm you, look!” — Charles (Douggie McMeekin) to Emily, while pulling out an old-timey condom.
Harlots deserves your viewership if only for its use of old-timey condoms.
Photo: Liam Daniel/Hulu.
“The lieutenant would cherish a voyage on your peaks,” — Margaret Wells to Fanny Lambert (Bronwyn James).
There’s nothing the women of Harlots enjoy more than good innuendo.
Photo: Liam Daniel/Hulu.
“Sweet Emily, why don’t you just cluck off?” — Kitty Carter (Lottie Tolhurst) to Emily.
The only thing these ladies prefer is a fun pun.
Photo: Liam Daniel/Hulu.
“Nothing comes for free, sir.” — Daniel Marney (Rory Fleck Byrne) to Charlotte.
“You would, I guarantee it.”
See what I mean?
Photo: Liam Daniel/Hulu.
Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
Those who suffer from eczema know how debilitating the skin disease (known as atopic dermatitis) can be: Skin can become so itchy that you want to rip it from your body. Flare-ups can also result in oozing and cracked skin that’s so painful, it’s hard to go to sleep. And those are just two of the condition’s symptoms. Even more frustrating? The disease’s most popular treatments — bleach baths (yes, that's a real remedy), compresses, and topical steroid creams — can be just as tough to manage. But now, there’s new hope for the 31.6 million Americans living with eczema: The FDA has just approved the first biologic to help treat these symptoms for adults with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis and for whom topical treatments have been proven a bust.
Called Dupixent, the self-administered injection is comprised of an antibody designed to slow the overactive communication of two proteins (IL-4 and IL-13) in the body which are thought to drive inflammation in patients with atopic dermatitis. By blocking these proteins from binding to cell receptors, Dupixent calms a hyperactive immune system and lowers inflammation. And so far, the results are promising.
In clinical trials, more than half of patients who used 300 mg of Dupixent every two weeks with no other forms of treatment saw a 75% or greater reduction in the severity of their symptoms (or what’s called their Eczema Area and Severity Index score, an instrument used by investigators to measure the severity of clinical signs in atopic dermatitis.)
But perhaps even more impressive than the trial’s results is the fact that an entirely new category of treatment is now available for this hard-to-manage disease. The biologic is being heralded as a major breakthrough for atopic dermatitis because it’s the first to treat the underlying causes of the disease in the body, rather than treating the effects of the disease on the skin.
“For those with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis, topical treatments aren’t always effective to control the disease,” notes Julie Block, President & Chief Executive Officer of the National Eczema Association. “Until now, there has not been an approved FDA treatment option for this population. This new biologic targets certain functioning of the immune system to keep it from over-reacting.”
Even better? Eczema sufferers won’t have to wait much longer to try this new type of treatment. Dupixent is expected to become available to U.S. healthcare providers and patients later this week.
Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
The term "telethon," at least for me, brings to mind well-regarded comedians in suits barking orders through rotary phones. The charity events, pioneered by figures like Jerry Lewis, feel more than a little antediluvian. But according to Zosia Mamet, that's exactly why her husband Evan Jonigkeit decided to organize one to benefit the ACLU.
"I think they wanted to harken back to the days of yore with the concept of a telethon," Mamet told Refinery29 in an email. The event is called Stand For Rights: A Benefit For The ACLU, a buzzy Facebook Live event that will occur March 31. The fact that it takes place on Facebook may seem puzzling, but given the role the platform plays in out current political climate, it makes sense.
Mamet thinks the Facebook element brings the telethon into the present. "Being that that is a rather antiquated way of raising money for charity [Jonigkeit and his partner Eric Gurian] put a modern twist on it by putting it up on Facebook live," she said. To boot, Facebook Live entertains a younger audience, and perhaps a more diverse one. She added, "Social media platforms are certainly the new frontier and I think where younger generations go to consume their content."
Facebook Live is a nebulous platform. Content like Chewbacca Mom, an honest-to-goodness dispatch from an average Facebook user, performs just as well, if not better, than highly produced talk shows from publications like The New York Times — or R29. Stand For Rights won't be the first telethon to take to Facebook — a similar event called Love-a-thon aired on inauguration day this January, earning participation from celebrities like Jane Fonda, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Judd Apatow. As of now, the Facebook video for Love-a-thon has over a million views, which is a feat for the platform.
Like Love-a-thon, Stand For Rights will include more than a few of Hollywood's finest. According to the Facebook page, the telethon will include Tina Fey, Tom Hanks, Alec Baldwin, Ellie Kemper, Amy Poehler, and Tracy Morgan. The cover photo teases that Fred Armisen, Cecily Strong, and Steve Buscemi, among others will also be there.
Of course, celebrity-fueled charity events are nothing new. What makes these Facebook Live events different is that they're inherently political. Love-a-thon occurred during President Donald Trump's inauguration. And, make no mistake: The ACLU does not favor the current administration.
"It is...the collective will and tireless actions of 'we the people' that serve as a bulwark against unconstitutional and wrong-headed policies and executive orders," ACLU executive Antony Romero said in a statement regarding Stand For Rights. "By supporting our work through this telethon, we can fight even harder to defend the rights guaranteed by our Constitution." The message is coded, but clear: This telethon is more than just a few fun phone calls for charity. This is about standing up for the rights threatened by the Trump administration.
The political side of these Facebook telethons make the situation a bit hairier. In 2017, it's not uncommon to encounter the sentiment "celebrities should keep their noses out of politics." Actors should act, and comedians should comedy — no politics allowed. (This is a sentiment widely expressed in the comments on this very site.) For Mamet, though, celebrity begets politics.
"My husband and I are both big believers in using whatever 'celebrity' we have to speak out on issues we care about," she explained. What's that Spider-Man quote? With great power comes great responsibility. While Stand For Rights is largely Jonigkeit's project, Mamet masterminded her own charity efforts in January when Trump first signed the executive order putting the immigrant ban into motion. She collaborated with the yoga studio y7 to sell T-shirts featured a cross-legged Lady Liberty. The proceeds of the T-shirt sales also went to the American Civil Liberties Union.
"I found it sickly ironic that all of these horrors were taking place in a city [New York City] literally [compromised] entirely of immigrants," Mamet said.
"It is our job to create beauty and light in a time of true darkness," the Girls actress continued. "And we as artists also have a way to say things, and say them loudly and powerfully outside of the realm of politics." She's hopeful for the future, too. As harrowing as these past few months have been, the art that comes from this period is probably going to be mind-blowing.
"I would ask all artists, big and small, famous or unknown, to keep making their art, to keep expressing and speaking out in whatever way they can and maybe together we can grow a rose bush on top of this graveyard," Mamet implores.
Let’s get real about online dating for a second. As hard as it is to craft the perfect profile, thinking of a clever opening message is even more difficult. A simple “hey” isn’t going to cut it. You need something witty, that proves you read this person’s profile or at least have something interesting to say.
It’s a lot of pressure, and some of us just can’t handle it. Take, for example, this guy, who choked when a Tinder match asked him to impress her in just three messages.
A Reddit user who goes by Zanester98 posted a screenshot of his conversation with a Tinder match to the platform yesterday. The girl, Caren, started off their conversation with a simple “hey there.”
But soon after Zanester98 replied with his own “hey,” she changed the game. “So tell me about yourself,” she wrote. “You have three messages to seriously catch my interest. :)”
Once the challenge was thrown down, she explained her request. “(this is how I weed out all the boring melons on tinder lol)”
Strike #3: “OH MAN I REALLY GOTTA MAKE THIS ONE COUNT THEN”
If, like us, this sounds like a planned out response then you might be right. There’s no proof, but it seems to us that Zanester98 was trying to be clever here by refusing to play her game and pretending to mess it up (really, who makes the same mistake three times?)
But if it was a strategy, it didn’t work. Zanester98 couldn’t meet her standards, and she unmatched him immediately.
Some commenters on his Reddit post about the interaction say it’s unfair. “That was pretty damn funny,” one person wrote. “She cannot possibly be worth her bullshit.”
“‘Impress me,’” wrote another. “Bitch, this isn’t a job interview.”
Yet, others are on Caren’s side.
“Most of these girls get matched by every single guy they swipe right on,” another commenter wrote. “My GF who i already knew but reconnected with through tinder reinstalled it a few days ago after we were discussing it. And she just rapidly scrolled down through dozens of "hey"s from back when she used it. I don't blame this girl in the OP when tinder is absolutely built for her to behave this way.”
And, to be honest, we’re here for Caren, too. If a potential match can’t come up with something interesting to say (or 3 interesting things), are they really worth the time and effort?
According to this girl, the answer is “no.”
Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
