When I think about the middle school dances and bar and bat mitzvahs that I've been to, most of my memories are of running around drenched in sweat like an insane person on the dance floor. I was living like a prepubescent Richard Simmons, and working out really hard accidentally. Classical dance techniques are art forms that take years of training, but luckily, dancing like nobody's watching can be just as good of a workout and doesn't require a formal education or a dance floor, for that matter.
While these sort of cardio aerobic dance moves may not score you a date in middle school or attention at the clerb, they are just as effective, which is great if you hate the treadmill or cardio in general. There are tons of boutique fitness studios that offer cardio dance classes — like 305 Fitness, AKT In Motion, or even Zumba — but no matter how dimly-lit the studio is, you still might feel intimidated to let loose and twerk in front of strangers and mirrors. And that is totally understandable.
Thanks to the internet, there are tons of free dance workouts on YouTube that you can do in the comfort of your own home. Some are tutorials for specific music video choreography (Bieber's "Sorry," for example), but others are just made up on the spot by a choreographer, and they're all really fun. Swallow your pride, find a space to jump around in your house, and follow along to these dance cardio videos. A 5, 6, 7, 8...
Step by step choreography
If it takes you a while to learn moves, this video builds on one long routine (as opposed to throwing the whole thing at you) at a manageable pace. Plus, the instructor gives you tips to make it easier or harder as you go along.
Fast feet
Don't let the energy of this fast-paced routine freak you out; the dancers on the sides will show you how to modify the choreography. As long as you keep moving (you can lose the choreography and just bop) to the beat of Lizzo's "Phone," you can't lose.
Cool Zumba
Zumba is the OG of dance cardio workouts, and it's still really fun. There's nothing old school or lame about this full-length Zumba class.
Mix-and-match moves
Bookmark this page, because these basic dance moves can be re-purposed on the dance floor of the next wedding you attend. The instructor, Shaun T, used to be a back-up dancer for Mariah Carey, so you know he's legit.
Bollywood-inspired
Unlike the intricate, synchronized dance scenes in Bollywood movies, these steps are easy to pick up and follow along. There's a lot of squatting, so you've been warned.
Bieber back-up dancers
If you've never tried to do the Justin Bieber "Sorry" dance... I think you're lying. This choreography repeats itself over and over with the chorus and verse, so it's worth watching once so you know what you're in for.
Beginner hip-hop
This Meghan Trainor-themed Zumba and hip hop tutorial is easy to follow along with, and the choreography sticks to the rhythm pretty clearly — so even if you miss a step, you can pick it up easily.
Little Mix dance
There's lots of jumping and squatting mixed into this Little Mix dance routine. And hey, we all need an excuse to fist-pump to "Shout Out To My Ex" every now and then.
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If you're like us, your go-to sneakers have definitely seen better days. Between snow slush, #womensmarch wear and tear, and discoloration from the occasional coffee spill, it's safe to say our shoe collections need some attention. But switching things up from a roomy, lived-in pair to a fresh-out-of-the-box option can bring on some major annoyances (blisters, anyone?). Lucky for us, Keds' new arrivals are brimming with sneaker upgrades that not only boast comfort from the get-go, but also easy-on-the-wallet price tags (i.e. nothing over $65 — eff yeah!).
The aesthetic focus this go around includes whimsical pastels and sporty perforated details. Send your dirty kicks packing in favor of the suede two-tone lace-ups, dusty-pink flatforms, and powder-blue low-tops in the lookbook ahead. And, at these prices, you might want to consider grabbing a back-up pair for when these too become worn to death. Don't say we didn't warn you.
Baby-pink shoes = instant add-to-cart. Break these in with a breezy floral frock and your weekend look is made.
Want more on this? Join author Kelsey Miller along with Nicolette Mason and Gabifreshat SXSWthis weekend. This article was originally published on May 23, 2016.
Two years ago, I ran my first fatkini story on Refinery29. Inspired by icons like Gabifresh and Tess Holliday, I decided to try on a two-piece swimsuit and stand in front of a camera. We took the photos in a closed-door studio, with professional lighting and props, my makeup and hair styled into a glamorous armor. Still, I was terrified. Everyone at R29 was a little nervous. In 2014, showing a not-thin woman in a two-piece was still a risky move. More than that, it was risqué. Instagram and Facebook were removing photos of plus-size women in swimsuits, flagging them as indecent violations. When we published my story, the response reflected a similar distaste: Amid the cheers and high-fives were those who found the pictures abhorrent. Some even hurled abusive language, slurs, or threats; we deleted them and banned the users.
In the intervening years, so much has changed. Body positivity is no longer a niche concept. More and more brands pledge not to retouch models, Curvy Barbie has been born, and women like Gabifresh and Holliday have made the leap from internet fame to actual fame, complete with clothing lines and magazine covers. I'd even had the audacity to name my first book Big Girl. The world became a place where I could step outside the carefully controlled environment of a photo studio and wear a bikini on the beach — without a retinue of stylists and without Making A Statement. A body like mine in a swimsuit was, if not normalized, then normal-ish. It was allowed.
(Wasn't it?)
Lane Bryant Bikini Top With Built-In Bandeau Bra, $64.50, available at Lane Bryant; Lane Bryant Crochet Swim Brief, $54.50, available at Lane Bryant.Photographed by Chrissy Angliker.
Last month, I took a trip to Florida with my friend Chrissy, with only two goals in mind:
1. Relax.
2. Take some casual, unstyled photos of me in bikinis that would simultaneously prove how totally confident and secure I was and how far we'd come in the battle for inclusive body representation as a society.
Sure, goal number two wasn't super conducive to goal number one, but I'm even worse at relaxing than I am posing in swimwear. I handed my phone to my friend and jumped into the pool.
"Cute!" she cheered as I tried to swim photogenically, but not too photogenically.
"Can you see my stomach?"
"I mean, yeah?"
"Good! I just don't want too look like I'm hiding anything."
"Yeah, got it."
"That's really important. The point is just to be like, you know, swimming. Like myself."
"Right. So. Why don't you just swim?"
So, I swam like myself. I did somersaults like I usually do. Later, I lay on the beach like myself, or hung out by the pool like myself. I took pictures showing off my cute new swimsuits the way I would for any Instagrammable moment with a friend. I tried to be as much myself as possible — but it took effort. Each time, I had to shake a sudden stiffness from my shoulders, adjust the hand that instinctively moved to cover my middle, and lower the chin I was used to extending in order to prevent it from doubling. It turned out, just being myself on vacation was a lot harder than being primped and posed in a photo studio.
Still, the photos came out great, and back in New York, I gave myself kudos for looking through every single one of them without uttering a single "Blech." We really had come far, both me and the rest of the world. We weren't perfect, but we were trying, and that was worth celebrating. That's what this post would be, I decided: a celebration of being yourself, unretouched and somersaulting. Yes, we have further ground to cover — so much. But, god, just look at what we've done! Even five years ago, a woman of my size and shape in a bikini wouldn't have been a headline, because it would have been unheard of. Now, we've won the right to be mundane — to just go for a swim.
Robyn Lawley Ruched Multiwear Halter Bra, $89.99, available at Hey Gorgeous; Robyn Lawley Broken Wings Band Bikini Bottom, $59.99, available at Hey Gorgeous. Photographed by Chrissy Angliker.
Two weeks ago, I snapped out of it. On May 9, I published another story, this one about fitness. The content made no overt mention of things like size acceptance, quitting dieting, or even body positivity — not because I don't believe in them, but just because they weren't the focus of this particular piece. It was really a pretty straightforward story about cultivating a healthy relationship with exercise, period. The primary difference between my story and any other fitness feature was the pictures. Instead of a fitness model, it was me at the gym: me jogging, doing yoga, wearing a sleeveless tank or a sports bra with a little midriff showing. All utterly mundane. Yet, instantly, the comments came flooding in, and none of them were about what I said or did, but how I looked while doing it:
"Why is this obese woman writing an article advising others on fitness?"
"This article makes me sad. Honestly, it's not about exercise. It's about what you put in your mouth!"
"I hope you die of a heart attack."
"We aren't being insensitive. We are being realistic. We want to help."
Sure, we've made progress. But only by inches. At this point, my appearance still outweighs my words or actions. That is the very definition of prejudice.
My image renders me, at best, an unhealthy idiot, or at worst, a dangerous threat to society, pushing my agenda (Which is what? Jogging? Wearing sports bras?) on a susceptible society. One Instagram commenter actually invoked the Illuminati when faced with my photo, saying I was part of a conspiracy to force citizens to "give up on themselves."
Looney Tunes like that, I can laugh at. The death wishes will get quickly deleted. It's the people who diagnose me via photo, who wring their hands over my upper arms, who "just want to help" me and everyone else who dares to act as if their body is acceptable for normal activities, like working out and swimming. Those concern trolls, those righteous people leaking their unconscious bias out into the zeitgeist like an odorless gas — they are the ones who make me want to cover up at the gym or the beach. Or maybe just stay home.
But they are also part of the reason I do the opposite. They remind me that, when I dare to read a novel on the beach with my navel exposed, it is an act of rebellion. It is mundane, and that very mundanity is what matters. When I present myself as unashamed, it stands in flat negation of their claims that I am damaged and should be hidden. "Why are you promoting this?!" they cry, to which I used to say: "I'm not promoting anything. I'm just being myself." But now, I am reminded that they are one and the same.
Robyn Lawley Burnout Black Spliced Bustier Bikini Top, $79.99, available at Hey Gorgeous; ModCloth Beachy as ABC Swimsuit Bottom, $30.99, available at ModCloth.Photographed by Chrissy Angliker.
In presenting myself as equal to a thin person, I promote the fact that I am. By dressing for myself — not my "body type" — I promote self-acceptance (which is the opposite of "giving up on yourself"). By jogging on a treadmill, I prove that I am able. If you can only see my body and not what it is doing, then I have proven something about you, too. As long as I exist in a world that sees me as an aberration, I will be a promotion of sorts.
I don't wear a bikini to say that everyone should. I do so to say that everyone can — regardless of size, shape, ethnicity, gender, age, or ability. None of those things bar you from wearing whatever swimsuit you damn well please. You don't need to do so with apology or props. I wear a bikini because #fatkini is still categorized as NSFW, but the "bikini bridge " meme is not. I wear a bikini to shake off that stiffness in my shoulders, because I know it isn't mine. It's that of the people upset by my body and galled by my refusal to assuage their discomfort, just get out of the pool, and go home.
I wear a bikini because I like the way I look in it and because other people don't.
Before we dive into the Schumer family tree, let’s get one thing clear: 99% of the time, public figures with the same last name aren’t related.
While both Old Hollywood actresses, Katharine Hepburn and Audrey Hepburn stem from two distinct gene pools. Kristen Stewart doesn’t get a culinary streak from Martha Stewart. Kerry Washington and Denzel Washington both rock, but not because they’re related. Former Superman Michael Keaton isn’t related to The Young Pope ’s badass nun, played by Diane Keaton.
But for every rule there is an exception. That exception is Amy and Chuck Schumer who are, in fact, related — even if they run in quite different circles.
Maybe you know Amy Schumer from her hilarious sketch-comedy show on Comedy Central called Inside Amy Schumer, or you were introduced to her work through the modern rom-comTrainwreck. Known for her raunchy humor and for performing stand-up with a bottle of wine in hand, Schumer is a welcome presence on the comedy scene.
Amy’s career of hilarity doesn’t bear much resemblance to Chuck Schumer, longtime Democratic New York senator. First elected to office in 1998, Schumer has devoted his political career to protecting the middle class and various issues specific to New Yorkers. In November of 2016, Schumer was elected Senate minority leader. He was the first New Yorker and first person of Jewish descent to hold that position.
This brings us to the unlikely truth. While the Schumers run in different spheres, their family trees converge big time. Chuck is the first cousin of Amy Schumer's father, rendering the comedian and politician first cousins, once removed. Long story short: They’re cousins.
Maybe an affinity for the spotlight runs in the family. Either way, Schumer has used her public status to stand up for her cousin Chuck, especially as he’s been coming under fire from the new administration.
After President Trump accused Senator Schumer of crying “fake tears,” Amy Schumer came to his rescue in an Instagram essay.
“Also I know chuck Schumer and HE CANNOT act trust me. He can barely smile on cue. He can't help but be transparent and genuine,” she wrote.
Their public partnership stretches back to 2015, when Amy turned to her political relative following the fatal shooting that occurred during a screening of her movie, Trainwreck.
In a joint press conference, the two Schumers unveiled Senator Schumer’s three-pronged plan to tackle gun violence. Amy vocally supported the measure alongside him.
In the case of the Schumers, the family that supports each other's causes publicly, stays together.
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Can we have your attention, please? At long last, Urban Decay just kicked off its aptly-named Friends & Fanatics 20% off sale event today — which means we just whipped out our credit cards faster than you can say Optical Illusion Complexion Primer. (And definitely faster than you can say Naked Skin Color Correcting Fluid. That one’s a real tongue-twister.)
Whether you’re a long-lasting, no-bullshit Vice Liquid Lipstick kind of person or won’t rest until you’ve tried every last one of the brand’s outstanding primer formulas (including the innovative spray versions), all of your Urban Decay favorites are subject to the considerable price cut, so you have full permission to go as hog-wild as you so choose. Our advice: Go ahead and stock up. Buying everything all at once is basically the makeup equivalent of going to Costco, right?
But, as always, here’s the thing about sales: They end, and in this case, it will end soon. So all you fanatics, be sure to head over to the brand's website right this second and use the discount code UDFF2017 to get in all your shopping by 11:59 EST tonight. We can’t guarantee that your picks will be available for that much longer, because — as every dedicated UD fan already knows — this is major. Check out a few of our faves, ahead…
Urban Decay Nocturnal Vice Lipstick in Lawbreaker, $17, available at Urban Decay.
Urban Decay Urban Defense Complexion Primer Broad Spectrum SPF 30, $34, available at Urban Decay.
Urban Decay Afterdark Palette, $49, available at Urban Decay.
Urban Decay Naked Skin Color Correcting Fluid in Pink, $28, available at Urban Decay.
Urban Decay Brow Box, $30, available at Urban Decay.
Urban Decay Vice Liquid Lipstick in Double Crossed, $18, available at Urban Decay.
Urban Decay Naked Flush in Nooner, $34, available at Urban Decay.
Urban Decay B6 Vitamin-Infused Complexion Prep Priming Spray, $31, available at Urban Decay.
Urban Decay Nocturnal Shadow Box, $29, available at Urban Decay.
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Long before Kanye West entered the picture, Jonathan Cheban was the man in Kim Kardashian's life. But in all of my years as a KUWTK viewer and Kardashian follower, I've often wondered: Who is this guy, really?
Chances are — even if you only have the most peripheral interest in America's most controversial family — you've wondered the same thing. The perfectly-coiffed Kardashian BFF seems to be ever-present on the edges of pap pics, and routinely shows up in random scenes of the show. After one afternoon when I fell into the rabbit hole of Cheban's social media accounts (photos of pricey diamond watches worth my student loan debt on Instagram, clips of glamorous jaunts to St. Tropez on Snapchat) I decided to find out what, exactly, Cheban does.
Is he an entrepreneur?! I wondered. Another Scott Disick-like born-rich kid just passing the time with this famous family? Google didn't offer much insight. According to his Wikipedia, Cheban got his start in PR; on Instagram, his bio simply reads "Foodgōd." As I dug further, it became clear that Cheban is also a proprietor of Gossip site The Dishh, as well as the rumored owner of a private school for rich kids. Suffice to say, he's a man who wears a lot of (expensive and fancy) hats.
Ultimately, I decided to go straight to the source and debunk what he actually does on like, a daily basis, with his life. One breezy afternoon in August, I spent the day with the man himself, who brought me along on a day of pre-travel errands while also making sure I understood that he's far from a rich-kid mooching off of his famous friends. And despite his overuse of hyperbolic words and phrases (everything is "insane" and he literally "can't even") somehow after the dizzying day, I walked away from my encounter with Cheban believing him.
Take a walk through our slideshow of a day in Cheban's life and judge for yourself. Warning: It may be hard to... keep up. (Sorry, couldn't resist that one.)
When I walk into Cheban's two bedroom apartment in New York's Flatiron neighborhood, I halfway expect to hear a voiceover from the British guy from The Fabulous Life. Instead, I'm met with Cheban's affected accent, East Coast with a touch of new Hollywood.
"Let me shut off Wendy Williams," he says by way of greeting. "She's nuts, but I watch her almost every day because she's usually right." I'm relieved to quickly realize that during our day together, Cheban won't be filtering himself. As he gives me a tour of his NYC home base (surprisingly, he doesn't have a place in Los Angeles), I waste no time asking him, What the hell do you do?
Turns out that answer is just as manifold as the internet told me. In no particular order here is what the hell he does: He's an entrepreneur with "a bunch" of businesses, including a meal delivery service called Prepped. He owns, as previously mentioned, The Dishh. Then there's his endorsement deals, which include something called Fold Flats, which Cheban describes as "cool looking business cards attached to unbreakable pens."
But while he is definitely living the #glamlife now, it wasn't always that way. Cheban told me he's been working since age 16, including at a dry cleaners, as a Blimpie's delivery boy, and at the David LettermanShow back in the day. Eventually, he moved into the PR world. "I had zero money," he says. "Everything is all self-made — every single thing. When people say they assume I'm just a lazy rich kid, I think, I've probably worked harder than you'll ever work in your life."
Photographed by Eric Helgas.
Busting At The Seams
These days, Cheban spends a lot of time in meetings or making business-related appearances. Between hair appointments, shopping, and check-ups with various doctors (more on that later), he's also got an impressive primping repertoire: "Looking good is just part of this business," he says. "There's shopping, there's appointments, there's hair, there's tanning. It doesn't stop."
After making a loop around his master bath and bedroom (which is home to a $4,000, 14-karat gold bottle of oud cologne), he shows me a guest room and second bathroom — neither of which we can fully walk into because they're crammed with racks of clothing.
"Everything in here is literally brand new," he says of closets so full they barely close, and a bed covered in jackets and jeans. "It's like a machine of new clothes coming in every day. I'm keeping this crazy jacket somebody made of Kim and Kanye just because it's so fucking dope."
Photographed by Eric Helgas.
Rolling Up His Sleeves
Walking through the kitchen, Cheban confesses that in his six years of living in the apartment, he's never used it. "One time I had a deep dish pizza sent to me from a special place in Chicago," he says. "They don’t send it to anyone, but they sent it to me. And I literally brought it to a pizzeria called L&B in Brooklyn — a pizzeria that’s packed and has a million people.
"I asked the pizzeria owner if we could put someone else’s pizza in his oven. And he did it. He loved it! He's a legend and he let me put someone else's pizza in his oven. That’s how much the kitchen in my apartment doesn’t get used."
What does get used is the dining area, but not for food: It's where Cheban's assistant leaves the half-dozen or so boxes that arrive daily, packages full of free swag from companies hoping for a social media shoutout. "I come home to lemonades, pizza pillows, drones, a popsicle maker, a football helmet speaker. My mom comes over and is like what is going on here?! I feel like it's my birthday every day."
Photographed by Eric Helgas.
Interior Vision
"I had two decorators in my apartment and I fired them both," Cheban explains. "They started talking about like, mid-century and I was like: Bye. That is not me. I know what I like. I love dark and cozy and monochromatic. I decorated here six years ago and it was awesome then, but I hate it now. It needs to be completely redone. It does look insane at night time, because everything glows." We'll have to take his word for it.
On the fireplace mantle are a variety of design books and throwback framed pictures — including this shot with Khloé, Kelly Osbourne and another friend. I ask him who his favorite Kardashian of the moment is, aside from the obvious answer.
"I love Kourtney, we have a lot of fun together. Khloé's the most fun. But Kourtney: We laugh nonstop. And we travel a lot. But you know what? I also really like Chyna. People don't realize she's really funny, and she’s a big foodie like me, too. She’s always asking, like 'Jonathan where’s that place? And this place, and that place?!'"
Photographed by Eric Helgas.
Shoe Games
In Cheban's front hallway are rows and rows of perfectly lined, neutral-colored kicks. "I probably have like 30 something pairs of sneakers in the apartment. I’ve given away hundreds," he says. "I probably have 10 pairs of Yeezys."
As a Kanye stan — but also just a human curious about what it's like to be friends with 'Ye — at the mention of Yeezy, I wonder aloud: What is Kanye really like?
"Kanye is the best," Cheban gushes. "I’m obsessed with him to the nine. There’s nobody smarter, cooler. I sit for hours talking to him sometimes. There's nobody more amazing, brilliant, innovative. He talks to me and I leave him and I’m like How am I going to talk to regular people now? And he controls fashion! He made Adidas, an entire brand, relevant again. Even separate from the Yeezys, people are wearing Adidas again now."
Photographed by Eric Helgas.
Self Love
Cheban is fully aware that his life is a little unrelatable these days. "People would not believe my life," he says more than once during the day we spent together — and I confess that I'm having a tough time believing it myself.
"There is always something insane happening. There are always people following me. I'm always ducking in and out of back entrances, even in my own apartment building."
I consider this as my eyes graze over a custom self-portrait by Kfir Moyal that hangs on Cheban's wall. It seems to scream: I'M OBSESSED WITH MYSELF, SO WHAT? At first I roll my eyes, making note of the narcissism. But then I think: Is it really so wrong to be obsessed with yourself?
And wouldn't I want a fancy bedazzled portrait of myself if I were mega rich? Short answer: Yes, absolutely.
Photographed by Eric Helgas.
Breakfast,Foodgōd Style
And then we're off — me, Cheban, his publicist, and our photographer head to a favorite neighborhood breakfast spot, Blank Slate, for avocado and ricotta toast.
"I have a very sensitive palate, so I taste food more than other people do," he explains of his food obsession. "When I eat these strawberries, they tastes ten times better to me than it will to you. Sometimes food tastes so good that I fall off the chair, like in an amazing place like Rome, I'll have a ravioli and a shock goes through my system. It’s the real deal."
He immediately starts Snapchatting his plates as soon as they arrive. I ask: How does one end up appointing oneself a "Foodgōd"?
"I'm always posting about food and people, regular people, celebrities, they'd all say 'I love your stuff, oh my God I'm going to get fat just looking at your Instagram,'" he explains. "And then I was with some friends at Sugar Factory and they randomly brought me a burger with white chocolate sauce. My friend's girlfriend was like: You're like the food god! It stuck."
Cheban has learned a thing or two from the Kardashian empire, though: Everything is about staging. "I need the perfect picture or Snap — it has to be pretty. Sometimes I make the waiter come back and bring the dish with more enthusiasm."
When I ask how he stays so slim while constantly eating, he answers without missing a beat: "Because I'm the Foodgōd."
Photographed by Eric Helgas.
A Bite Out Of Life
The first stage of the Foodgōd empire is Prepped, Cheban's gourmet meal delivery service that is currently delivering in the tristate area and expanding nationwide soon. "It's all amazing, high-quality food with my flair and style," he says.
"Right now we're doing something that's like a Foodgōd special, with only meat from Pat La Frieda because it's the best meat in New York. We'll have delicious steaks, or fluffy Japanese pancakes, or chicken with waffles. It's all about the way the food tastes, the way it looks, the way it feels. Soon I want to have restaurants like Tao do amazing dumplings or dim sum.
"People in like, Ohio don't get to go to the amazing restaurants in New York or Miami or L.A." he adds. "They don't get this kind of food, so I want to bring it to them."
Photographed by Eric Helgas.
Bright Future
After his morning toasts — which, I will admit, were as delicious as he hyped them up to be — Cheban heads to Dover Street Market to check out some potential looks for his MTV Video Music Awards outfit, including this $475 neon orange shearling jacket.
"Looking good is a constant," he reiterates. "You have to go shopping for clothes and do hair and all that in between everything else like deals and appearances. I have to be prepped."
Could a fashion business be next?
"I stay in my lane. Food is my thing. My mom is really chic, but I don’t like shopping with women — nobody, not even Kim. I don’t like dressing rooms, or women’s stores. I hate clothes shopping. I barely like it for myself. To me it’s death to sit there while somebody’s trying stuff on. I start freaking out."
Photographed by Eric Helgas.
Diamonds Are Forever
Cheban's next stop is Leon, a family-owned jewelry business on 47th Street that he frequents often. He mentions that he brought fellow friend-of-Kardashians and his own former business partner, Simon Huck, here a couple weekends ago to find a diamond watch. On the wall are photos of past customers like Ice Cube, Swizz Beats, and Jim Jones, showing off their chains.
"I just want everything to look like pure ice," he tells the jeweler as he sifts through a tray of options to borrow for VMA night. He settles on two chains: $95,000 each. "I just want to live in these. They feel really right."
When I ask for a price range of how much the chains he's currently already wearing cost, he jokes. "I can't say. Family heirlooms."
Photographed by Eric Helgas.
Multitasking
After spending an afternoon shopping for diamonds, I have to ask Cheban about the school for wealthy kids he has talked about opening — a concept that received plenty of side-eye for its alleged curriculum, which centered on topics like private aviation and evaluating diamond quality.
"It was never my school. I was just helping consult," Cheban clarifies. "It was a tiny article in a tiny magazine and people just make up stuff. I don’t have time to start a school. I don’t understand where that came from. I said I’m helping them with their pop culture program. Who the hell has time to start a school? That was crazy." Consider the record set straight.
Photographed by Eric Helgas.
A Girl's Best Friend
Before Cheban leaves, the jewelers make sure to bring out their latest piece of jewelry: A $3.5 million pink diamond ring that just arrived that same day.
By the way they look expectantly at Cheban it's clear the salespeople are hoping he'll show it to someone in particular. Sure enough, Cheban gasps. "This will make Jennifer Lopez look poor — remember that pink diamond she had?" he asks. It's less than a minute before he whips out his phone to take a photo and sends it to Kim.
"I don’t really mind when people always bring up Kim because it’s part of my thing. I get it. People don’t really know what else to say when I meet them," Cheban says. "Yes, we are great friends. But I only see Kim once or twice a month, and a lot of that is spent filming. People think I'm just hanging out with her all day long; [but] I have my own thing going on. I feel like the 'Jonathan Cheban is Kim Kardashian's BFF' title is so dated. That was my thing years ago. But that’s not really what I’m known for anymore."
Photographed by Eric Helgas.
Keeping It Real
He's also frank and open about his other Kardashian associates — even Caitlyn. "I met her on Christmas Eve, and I almost fainted!" Cheban says.
"The last time I saw her she was Bruce, a year before that; then I saw Caitlyn, who is tall and gorgeous — she’s like Jessica Lange. But I did almost faint because it was weird. I was having lunch with Kim and Kanye and Simon when the Vanity Fair cover came out. Simon was like: The cover is here! I was like, 'What the fuck!' I thought it was a model, and there she was: Caitlyn!"
Photographed by Eric Helgas.
A Food Story
"I filmed here with Kim once," Cheban says of the Greek restaurant Nerai, where we're dining for lunch. "Now it's impossible to get a reservation."
As he lists his favorite menu items (chopped Greek salad, chips narai, tuna tartare, and short rib croquettes) our photographer snaps away. A woman at a nearby table whispers, looking concerned. Cheban waves and shoots her a grin. "It's all good, we're just having lunch! Everything's going to be fine!" The women turns back to her conversation, clearly annoyed.
Cheban moans with every bite: One thing that is undeniably authentic is his passion for food. "My mom cooked, but as a teenager I was always tired of it," he says. "I always asked if we could eat out. Then I went to college at Hofstra University and started eating like, Sbarro's pizza, and suddenly I was going home to visit her in New Jersey all the time like, 'Mom! Please cook!' She'd make us Russian food, borscht and beef stroganoff, potatoes with black caviar. And then we'd have bellinis in the morning on Saturday."
Photographed by Eric Helgas.
Business As Usual
"I wanna do a Foodgōd reality show, like Andrew Zimmern 's shows, but instead it will be like, the hot celebrity places all over the world. People want to know where celebrities sit, what they eat, when we film at restaurants like this one. People want to know what Kim did and said and ate — people love to see that stuff. I want something that will be kind of like my Snapchat, but a whole show."
I ask if he worries people might think calling himself a Foodgōd is a little egotistical. He immediately tenses up.
"I don’t answer to those people. I don’t give a fuck. I don’t care. I don’t even see them. In fact, you could call this story 'A day in the life of not seeing haters,' because haters mean nothing to me. I’m still going on a yacht while they’re at home hating me instead of going to work and doing something. I worked my butt off. People think I’m just a rich kid with money, but no. I work hard, and I can call myself whatever I want."
Later, I realize that what he said earlier reminded me of a certain other someone. "Kanye started calling me the Foodgōd when we went to Iceland," Cheban says. "That's when I was like: Okay, if Kanye does it without me asking him to, it must be alright. So that’s when I really took on the Foodgōd. Anything Kanye approves is hot."
Photographed by Eric Helgas.
Fanning Out
En route to the Upper East Side, Cheban gets stopped by a fan. "It’s sweet," he says afterward. "I like when people ask for pictures."
That said: Don't interrupt him when something major is happening. "The first time I ever said no was recently during a Conor McGregor fight. It was literally the last minute, and someone asked me for a photo. I was like: Are you sick?!"
(Sidenote: See that thing he's doing with his hand in the pic? Apparently that's his "new thing" — his fingers are repping the Foodgōd fork.)
I asked him if there were any celebrities he would have stanned for when he was about this girl's age. "Tom Cruise. Still. Mission Impossible Tom Cruise, God I love Tom Cruise. I saw him once and I acted like a psycho. I got so freaked out. I was so scared I didn’t get a picture with him!"
Photographed by Eric Helgas.
No Sweat
Cheban spends his afternoon visiting a circle of Upper East Side doctors, each who offers up a treatment to help him look his best. Our first stop is Dr. Marina Peredo, a dermatologist who uses a machine that works out abdominal muscles.
Cheban swears that while all he has to do is lay there, and afterward he feels like he's been doing crunches for hours.
"There's a network of top doctors that normal people don’t know about. They do special things like this. If people knew about this, they’d be here in a minute. That’s just the perks of being famous, because you get first access to special places like this."
Photographed by Eric Helgas.
Back At It
Movin' on up the East Side, we stop at a second appointment. Dr. Kerr uses an instrument to send vibrations down Cheban's back that will align his entire spine. "It's called Atlas bone adjustment," Cheban explains. "I walk pin straight for a week after this. No one in New York even knows about it."
As he lays down with his eyes closed, I ask Cheban what he does with his downtime. Turns out, it's a struggle for him to just chill. "I don’t know how to relax. I get so edgy and instantly I’m ready to go. I don’t like to waste any time. I try to use up every minute until I get tired, and then go home, rest for an hour, and then go. But I don’t ever actually relax."
It seems to me, though, that his form of relaxation is visiting this mini-squad of medical professionals. "I have dermatologists, Atlas bone adjusters, a doctor that does a polish technique to make your blood circulate," he says. "It heals everything. Then you have your fortune tellers and readers and healers. There's hair and eyebrows. It's a whole thing: running around New York City to get your body right."
Photographed by Eric Helgas.
On The Go
The one area Cheban stays pretty quiet about is his recent breakup from model Anat Popovsky.
" I am single now," the 42-year-old confirms. "But I will get married and have kids soon. In like a year." As if on cue, an adorable puppy walks by, prompting "awws" and kiss noises from Cheban.
I ask if a dog is in his future until kids come along. "No dog! I don’t clean up shit. I play with everyone’s dogs, but I cannot imagine picking up poop."
What does that mean for his future kids? "Maybe I’ll change diapers? Actually, I don’t know."
Photographed by Eric Helgas.
Closing It Down
And before I've even had a chance to come up for air, my whirlwind day with Cheban is over. It's only been a day, but I feel like we've been walking and talking and eating and shopping for a week straight — and I'm ready to go take a nap.
Cheban, on the other hand, is heading back home to pick up his suitcase before flying to Miami for 48 hours. He'll be back just in time for the VMAs, of course.
"You're tired already?!" he admonishes me. "This is nothing. Every day in my life is even crazier than this. I'm constantly going somewhere every week. I was just in Monaco, in Spain, on a yacht in Ibiza...then filming with the Kardashians on the West Coast in between. It's non-stop!"
I ask him who he'll be attending the VMAs with. "Oh you know, just some friends," he says, looking down at his iPhone with a smile.
Two days later, I see him him on my TV screen, arriving on the red carpet with Kim and Kanye, diamonds sparkling under the light of camera flashes. Just another day in the life of Jonathan Cheban. And you know what? I ain't mad at it.
Photographed by Eric Helgas.
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Monday night's Bachelor special, The Women Tell All, was not the two-hour cat fight I expected to be tuning into. Yes, they milked the rest of the ratings draw from the Corinne and Taylor feud, one that, unsurprisingly, was not settled by their onstage squabbling. (We may never know if Corinne called Taylor a swamp monster bitch or not.) But The Bachelor also broke character last night with its positive messaging and serious subject matter. And viewers sat up and took notice.
First, The Women Tell All managed to veer away from the easy route of slut-shaming Liz. Honestly, I never liked her and found her timing with appearing on the show untrustworthy — but hearing her side of the story did give me a bit more respect for her, and I commend the producers for giving her that opportunity instead of letting people pile on her. The reunion also avoided the pitfall of demonizing Corinne (who wisely used her time in the hot seat to win everyone over.)
The most mature — or, dare I say, emotionally intelligent — aspect of the reunion, though, came during Kristina's teary segment. She opened up about immigrating from Russia, where she lived in an orphanage, at age 16 — choosing a "life in color" in America over a black-and-white future in Russia that, she noted, could've involved turning to prostitution to survive. She talked about how grateful she was to live in the U.S., where she has made something of herself. "We live in a place where we have a voice, we have an opportunity, and in other places like Russia, you don’t get that," she said, evoking tears and praise from the women.
“People here don’t understand how we are born into such privilege," Liz volunteered. "You know, the fact we’re up here arguing? As women we should be building each other up, especially in these times, not tearing each other down."
Whoa! Did The Bachelor women just bring up how privileged they are... and call themselves out on how inane their self-involved bickering can seem in comparison to, you know, real problems? Are they really talking about the importance of female unity and empowerment in the current political atmosphere? And recognizing how fortunate they are to live in America, where, unlike in Russia and many other countries in the world, you can pretty much say what you like without persecution? Is this actually a topic being broached by a reality dating show as ridiculous and ridiculed as The Bachelor? Yes.
And Twitter was pleased.
"#TheBachelor#WomenTellAll just got so real. #privilege Empower women. This is so out of character I don't know what to think," wrote one viewer. "One can see how different (& oppressive) Russia is from the US by just watching Kristina on a guilty pleasure show like #TheBachelor," noted someone else. "Ok real talk #TheBachelor , that exchange about privilege was profound," tweeted another fan, while a fellow viewer stated, "friggen Liz just nailed that, women should support one and other, not bringing each other down." And my favorite: "Oh, snap, #TheBachelor laying the smackdown on Russia in The Women Tell All."
All of this is to say that last night, The Bachelor proved it can be a more socially conscious, intelligent, and nuanced show when it wants to be. Here's hoping that the episode was indicative of how the franchise will handle the prescient topics of race and interracial dating on Rachel Lindsay's upcoming season of The Bachelorette.
Last week, a pair of Harry Potter stars showed up to support their old pal Emma Watson at the L.A. premiere of her latest flick, Disney's Beauty and the Beast. Sweet, right? You'd think that Matthew Lewis, who played Neville Longbottom; and Tom Felton, who portrayed Draco Malfoy, may have been invited to the premiere on their own, but that's not the case. In fact, Watson invited them via group chat. That's right. Watson revealed to Entertainment Tonight that the cast of Harry Potter stays in touch via everyone's favorite global chat service.
The tidbit came out during an interview when a reporter asked Watson whether or not she keeps in touch with Daniel Radcliffe and Co. Through a glazy-eyed exhale, because you know she never gets asked this question, ever, Watson explained that the cast has a group chat. "We actually have a group WhatsApp," she said, "which I invited everyone, really, from the main cast from Harry Potter to come to screenings."
But as she spoke of her fellow Hogwarts alums, Watson got noticeably excited. She explains that the group chat is how Matthew Lewis and Tom Felton attended the Los Angeles premiere of B&TB.
"It's kind of like Pokémon, I'm trying to catch them all right now," she says of the other Harry Potter stars. "We're all spread all over the globe, so it's like, you know, a case of trying to, like, get people into the right places. I feel very supported by my old co-stars."
That's sweet and all, especially that Pokémon comparison, but the truth is, we want into this group chat. Obviously it's full of feminist book recs from Watson, fitness tips from Lewis, and plenty of stuff we can't even begin to imagine. And it looks like we're not the only ones. Potterheads want to find the chat, too. Hey Emma, can we get an invite?
Hillary Clinton proved during the election that she knows the potential of a good pantsuit. At various times during her campaign, she's chosen various colors to convey messages of empowerment and unity. And today, at the Girls, Inc. luncheon in New York, the former Democratic nominee wore a red pantsuit to add support to another important initiative: A Day Without A Woman.
Clinton spoke to the New York sector of Girls, Inc. as she honored Lisa Blau, Annie and Maggie Ford Danielson, Shaun Robinson, and Barry Sternlicht who were all dressed in red, too — the official color of A Day Without A Woman. “Sometimes the road to progress can feel like it’s two steps forward and one step back, particularly when it comes to advancing the rights and opportunities, and full participation of women and girls," Clinton said in her speech. "It can seem discouraging whether you’ve been on that road for a long time, or you’re just starting out, but think how different the world would be today if the people who came before us had not just gotten discouraged, but because of that, had given up.”
Throughout her campaign, Clinton used fashion as symbolism, to send a message to anyone paying attention. To wit: When she accepted her Democratic nomination at the DNC, she wore white, which the fashion community took to be another ode to the suffragette movement. During the Presidential Debates, she wore red and blue to the first two rounds, and then finished with a white pantsuit, ending with the powerful color as a nod to where it all began.
When Clinton lost the election, she wore purple, a color of unity that represented the coming together of red and blue. And when she attended President Donald Trump’s inauguration in Washington, D.C., she wore yet another white pantsuit, which we interpreted to be a shoutout to her longstanding supporters everywhere that, despite the cards she’d been dealt, she was still with us. All of these moments inspired the popular Facebook group Pantsuit Nation, which sees its nearly 4 million members sharing Hillary Clinton-inspired stories of activism daily.
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There are plenty of instances where the word "shot" can be blood-curdling. When you're at the doctor's office, for example, and he or she is ready to stick you with a flu-fighting syringe. Or at 1:30 a.m., at your local bar, when you see out the corner of your eye that the bartender is pouring you a Fireball night cap.
But when the shot is filled with a dose of hyaluronic acid, antioxidants, or hydrolyzed collagen, and is meant to take your skin from Hunger Games -level stressed to a visage worthy of that Capitol glow? Well, in that case, we'll gladly welcome the booster. Which is where the brand-new Tonymoly Megatox Ampoule Sheet Masks come in.
The geniuses behind the K-beauty brand (who, mind you, also dreamt up that Pokémon skin collection we've all been dying to catch) found a way to make masking fun again. Each of the three Megatox sheet masks — available in brightening, firming, and hydrating formulations — are housed in colorful, coolest-ever needle shapes that make it feel like you're in the derm's chair, as opposed to on the couch at your apartment. They're also soaked with high concentrations of skin-care ingredients: Bright Shot is packed with glutathione, a free radical-fighting antioxidant that combats hyper-pigmentation; Moist Shot contains moisture-trapping hyaluronic acid; and Lift Shot is loaded with hydrolyzed collagen, teeny amino acids that help plump up skin. Just peel back the packaging, unroll the paper, and slap on the mask for 15 to 20 minutes.
It's loads of fun to use, but what's better is that one sheet will only set you back $6.50. Our only complaint? Getting the sheet mask out of its syringe-like container was tricky — the plastic was really sealed on there — that it required scissors (and patience). But, considering that the waiting time at a dermatologist's or aesthetician's office is far more taxing, we'll happily take it.
Tonymoly Megatox Ampoule Sheet Masks, $6.50 each, available at Tonymoly US.
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Tom Hiddleston doesn't want to talk about Taylor Swift anymore, okay? The 36-year-old and the musician notoriously dated back in the summer of 2016 — and even more famously, broke up by the fall. Question after question followed. Was it real? Was it fun? And what was with that tank top? Well stop, because Tom Hiddleston has had enough.
In an interview with The Telegraph, Hiddleston set some boundaries after the reporter asked if he regretted the publicity surrounding the relationship. "What should I regret, in your mind?" he replied. "I would rather not talk about this if that's alright."
You can't really blame him. I'm sure we'd react the same if every time we talked to someone they brought up our most recent failed relationship.
"I have to be so psychologically strong about not letting other people’s interpretations about my life affect my life," he said last month in an interview with GQ. "A relationship exists between two people. We will always know what it was. The narratives that are out there altogether have been extrapolated from pictures that were taken without consent or permission, with no context."
Now, however, he seems to have figured out how to find that balance, and it means no more Taylor Swift talk.
"I'm just thinking about this. Everyone is entitled to a private life," he told The Telegraph. "I love what I do and I dedicate myself with absolute commitment to making great art and great entertainment, and in my mind I don't conflict the two. My work is in the public sphere and I have a private life. And those two things are separate."
He bears no ill will towards Swift, who he described as "generous and kind and lovely." That's probably what makes this so difficult — a happy relationship ended, and now it's being dragged through the dirt. He's ready to move on.
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I know that we're really supposed to care about Archie's (K.J. Apa) blossoming music career, but while I'm all about this redhead following in Ed Sheeran's footsteps, it's Valerie (Hayley Law) who's already a low-key rockstar. The underappreciated member of Josie and the Pussycats (well, okay, compared to Josie... I'm pretty sure poor Melanie hasn't actually spoken yet) knows how to write a fantastic track, even if Josie (Ashleigh Murray) refuses to let her actually sing lead on her own songs. While Val certainly deserves her own time in the sun, the actress who plays her is already making amazing music.
Val is hands-down one of my favorite characters on Riverdale — she's cool, confident, and for sure the most "together" of the entire gang — so naturally I had to semi-stalk the woman who portrays her. My ears are very happy I did. Hayley Law has a SoundCloud page and it's the perfect bonus for fans who couldn't get enough of her too-short duet with Archie. So far the actress — who performs under the name Hayleau — has six tracks available for listening, and they're wildly different from the songs that her character performs on Riverdale. Law's songs are synthy, danceable tracks — no acoustic guitars or earnest John Mayer lyrics here. Law's music is as cool and original as the actress is — and, according to her Twitter, more is coming.
Law also shared a sneak peek at her new song and video "AfroDITE" on her official website. The '70s vibes are strong:
Now that we know Law can seriously sing, I'm itching to see an episode of Riverdale in which Josie finally lets Law take the lead. (And none of this "co-lead" bullshit. Come on now, Josie.) If Josie won't budge, I'll settle for one of Hayleau's songs playing in the background of a Bughead sleuthing mission.
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If a picture says a thousand words, what are these Instagram photos saying?
Brooklyn Beckham and Chloë Grace Moretz broke up last fall. But each of them have shared new Instagram posts that have fans wondering if they might be giving their romance a second shot.
Beckham shared a photo yesterday that features the back of a blonde head. (No word yet on whether the mystery subject is actually Moretz or not.) He captioned the photo "Can't wait till may," adding a book emoji.
That might seem like a lot to go off of. But Elle points out that Moretz liked the photo — and she commented a half-moon emoji, too.
The emoji becomes even more significant when considered along with Moretz's Instagram post from Sunday. Her photo features hands touching — and she captioned it with a half-moon emoji.
And while the photos don't necessarily mean they're back together, plenty of fans expressed joy at the possibility in the stars' Instagram comments. They commented with plenty of heart emoji, leaving messages like "I ship u with bb @brooklynbeckham" on Moretz's post. Her photo earned more than 229,000 Instagram likes, and Beckham's has more than 259,000, so there's definitely a devoted fandom of 'shippers out there.
Of course, there's also the possibility that the couple isn't getting back together at all. The Cut also notes that Beckham will graduate high school in May. So the mysterious black-and-white photo could just symbolize his desire to relax after the school year's over. Until either of them comments publicly on the rumors, we'll keep analyzing the photos for more clues.
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Other than the rosary or the votive candle, holy water is probably the most recognizable Christian object — probably because, well, it looks like regular old water. But don't let its appearance fool you. Holy water is actually one of the oldest and most spiritually significant items you can find in a church.
There are actually several different types of holy water in Roman Catholicism — some, for instance, contain only consecrated salt, while others contain anointing oil, wine, and even ashes. Each blend, so to speak, has a slightly different use. Water with salt is used in regular blessings, water with oil is used in baptisms, and water with ashes and wine is used to consecrate churches.
All of these applications reflect what holy water really represents: purification. Ceremonial cleansing in Christianity dates back to the days of Moses, and though the exact ceremonies have changed since then, the role holy water plays in worship has stayed the same. Priests sprinkle it over their congregations before beginning mass and hand out small bottles of it for them to take home, all in the hopes that the faithful remain spiritually pure.
By that same token, holy water is also used to ward off evil. Popular culture has long portrayed holy water as a weapon against vampires and the Devil — and those depictions, though obviously heightened, aren't too far off from their real-world equivalents. The Rite of Exorcism, essentially a Catholic banishing ritual, usually calls for the priest to use holy water. Depending on the demon, that's just the thing that drives it away.
So, with all that in mind, unfortunately not just anyone can make holy water. A lay person can certainly follow the steps it takes to make holy water, but it's agreed that water is only truly "holy" when it's been blessed by an ordained member of the Church. But, as we said before, it's quite common to take a container of holy water home from services with you, should you wish to keep a bottle handy for your own purposes.
International Women's Day is a kickass celebration where we remember what women all over the world have done in pursuit of equal rights, and honor those who have broken the glass ceiling. It's a day full of events for and by women, which makes it extra special, whether you're celebrating in the U.S. or abroad.
It's also a reminder that, while we have made incredible progress, we've still got a long way to go on issues like the gender pay gap, access to reproductive healthcare, and mandatory family paid leave.
But have you ever wondered how this day was born and what it really means?
Well, you're in luck. Ahead, we've rounded up everything you need to know about the IWD. Share the information with your friends and family, and on March 8, get ready to celebrate the women in your life.
According to UN Women, International Women’s Day originated in the dawn of the 20th century thanks to diverse labor movements across North America and Europe.
The origins of this day were inherently political: The organizers were members of the Socialist Party of America, and the concerns driving their protests were mainly women’s rights and suffrage.
A second International Conference of Working Women was held in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1910. During the meeting, a woman named Clara Zetkin, who led the Women's Office for the Social Democratic Party in Germany, proposed that countries celebrate an International Woman's Day. The idea was that every year, in every nation, a woman's day should be celebrated as a way to apply political pressure for expanded women's rights. The conference, which hosted more than 100 women hailing from 17 different countries, approved the suggestion unanimously.
That's why the event spread from the U.S. to the rest of the world. On March 19, 1911, an International Woman’s Day was held in Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland. More than a million people took part in the rallies and protests on that day.
In 1913, it was decided that the official day for IWD should be March 8, and so it has been ever since. Eventually, the event extended to become virtually global, and at some point in the mid-1940s, the terminology was changed from "woman's" to "women's."
IWD is currently celebrated in over 100 countries throughout the world. And right now, it's an official holiday in more than two dozen nations including Afghanistan, Cuba, Georgia, Laos, Russia, Uganda, and Vietnam. (In places like China, Madagascar, and Nepal, it is also a holiday, but only for women.)
We're also expecting to see women participating tomorrow in the "Day Without A Woman" strike, which is being organized by the group who brought us the Women's March on Washington.
Whether by participating in any of these events, or finding your own way of commemorating this day, find some way to be a part of it. After all, International Women's Day is for amazing women like you.
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In the off chance that you hadn't already noticed, I'm going to reiterate that we do quite a bit of our shopping at Trader Joe's. Every month, every week, sometimes even daily, we live off its bounty — basking in all the affordable, unique, grocery shopping glory (hey, we even subsisted off the frozen section for two weeks). TJ's makes the idea of consuming quality food at home less of a feat and more of a "hacking the system" situation — it always feels like a serious steal. And what happens to be one of the freshest finds? The pre-packaged salad section.
Tucked snuggly away with the other pre-made foods like burritos and sushi lies a plethora of eclectically-dressed greens. This selection is compact but entirely wide-spanning in the flavor department (from Asian to Italian, Southwestern, and even Greek). Best of all, these containers all clock in under the $5 money marker. The only downside? With so many options to choose from, it can be hard to commit — heaven forbid you invest in that Pacific Chicken Salad only to find yourself unimpressed with the lettuce to toppings ratio!
So in order to save you from TJ's pre-made buyer's remorse, we decided to scoop up ten popular flavors for a taste-testing, ranking, extravaganza. Click on to see just how they stack up from worst to best, and let us know your personal favorites in the comments below.
10. Classic Greek Salad, $3.99 (Least Fave)
With feta cheese, pitted Kalamata olives, and red wine vinaigrette.
Consensus: This salad was small in size with toppings (and a dressing) that all proved to be on the watery side. Aside from the creamy feta, it lacked overall flavor and could have used an addition of grilled chicken. This was not an option we would necessarily purchase again.
9. Thai Style Citrus Chicken Salad, $4.49
With Napa cabbage, white meat chicken, daikon radish and green papaya with a tangy citrus dressing.
Consensus: Another small, lackluster-looking option that could easily be recreated at home. However, this time chicken was involved and the dressing packed more of a flavor punch than the Greek. But the protein and seasoning additions weren't enough to save this salad from being removed from our grocery list. It ended up feeling like an unfinished thought in need of more veggie variety (i.e. it was not a meal).
8. Southwest Salad, $3.99
With black beans, corn, cotija cheese, and a tangy ranch dressing.
Consensus: This salad looked the most promising upon opening; large, colorful, packed with a variety of ingredients, and a creamy dressing to boot. But overall the flavor was a bit bland. There was no hint of spice that one might expect from a "Southwest" flavor profile, and the cotija cheese was lost in the mix completely. Overall, although it was filling it fell flat in the flavor department.
7. Mexicali Inspired Salad, $4.49
With chili seasoned chicken, mixed greens, corn, peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, pumpkin seeds, and parmesan cheese with a jalapeño caesar dressing.
Consensus: This option did not look as fresh or as full as the previous — but it did have a LOT going on in the toppings department. Aside from the mild confusion over the sun-dried tomatoes, shaved parmesan additions, and the "Mexicali-inspired" theme, the flavors all came together nicely. The dressing was creamy, the chicken was properly seasoned, and it wasn't a salad we'd necessarily want to take the time to arrange at home.
With baby arugula, cranberries, toasted almonds, goat cheese and a honey sesame vinaigrette.
Consensus: I have been an avid fan of this salad in the past (purchasing it for many an office lunch), so went in with a top ranker's confidence. However, the dressing, although delicious, was far sweeter than I remembered (a bit heavy-handed on the cinnamon notes). That being said, the chewiness of the wheat berries, the creamy goat cheese, and other ingredients made for a nice textured mix and overall creative flavor profile. While this may not be an ideal lunch salad, it could be a great side to serve up for two with a steak dinner.
5. Mozzarella & Tomato Salad, $3.99
With balsamic vinaigrette.
Consensus: I went into this one with my guard up — it looked like a boringly simple house salad that one might receive (not by request) after ordering a pizza. Therefore I was having some trouble imagining it as a suitable lunch. However, the rest of the Team Food was majorly into the large chunks of mozz and flavorful vinaigrette. As one member gushed, "this is a GOOD vinaigrette." Might not be the most ideal lunch salad (would need a protein addition), but would make a great side dish to a dinner for two.
4. Chinese Imperial Salad, $4.49
Grilled white chicken, green cabbage, snow peas and crispy noodles with a sesame soy dressing.
Consensus: This salad provided a hefty serving of romaine, grilled chicken, and crispy noodle topping. The texture was fresh and crunchy, and the dressing was an ideal combo of savory-sweet. All in all, we agreed that it was solid lunch salad — but we maybe could have whipped it together at home fairly easily.
3. Broccoli Slaw & Kale Salad, $4.49
With white chicken meat, sunflower seeds, cranberries, and a sweet and spicy dressing.
Consensus: A nice hefty kale salad serving with a light and creamy dressing that layered nicely with all the various toppings. The selling point of this salad was the fact that we wouldn't necessarily spend time shredding all the ingredients at home — so avoiding that work was majorly worth the purchase!
2. Pacific Salad, $4.49
With romaine and iceberg lettuce, grilled white chicken meat, crispy rice noodles, roasted almonds, and sesame seeds with a dressing "that's divine!".
Consensus: The first thing we noticed about this salad? It was absolutely PACKED with lettuce. So much so that it was near impossible to shake the dressing through for a thorough coating. But the crispy rice noodles, sesame seeds, and nuts were a delightfully crunchy addition on top of the fresh iceberg. It was by far the best Asian salad option that we'd sampled and felt like a meal we'd look forward to packing for lunch.
1. Kale & Edamame Salad, $3.99 (Winner)
With sweetened dried cranberries, grape tomatoes, almonds, scallions, and a lemon herb dressing.
Consensus: This option was hefty, which was much appreciated for a full on veggie variety (no meat here). The kale was soft but stood up well to heavier creamy dressing, and the toppings all came together with a nice tang (we loved the edamame addition). There were far too many ingredients for us to recreate this at home with any ease — so for the $3.99 price tag, it was an absolute steal!
Overall Takeaway: Trader Joe's pre-packaged salads are all around cheap, easy, and consistently pretty damn tasty. But they're also at their best when all the various ingredients come together in a harmonious way — a way that would take a little too much time and effort to recreate ourselves (at least more than we're willing to commit). Our tip to you? Pick a salad that has a myriad of creative ingredients along with a flavor profile that suits your taste — and stay away from the simpler ones that you'd feel comfortable making in bulk at home.
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March 17 is right around the corner, and it feels like we've been anticipating the new Beauty and the Beast film for years — especially in the beauty world. After all, the classic movie has flooded the industry with launch after launch of BATB paraphernalia.
First, Disney collaborated with Skin Inc. to launch a limited-edition version of the Get Glowin’ Serum Kit. Even drugstore brand L’Oréal introduced the U.K. to a set of lipstick and nail polish duos inspired by popular BATB characters. (Mrs. Potts was included, obviously.) Last but not least, HSN created a collection of whimsical beauty products based off the film, including makeup brushes in a vintage storybook case — because that’s the way modern-day Belle would have it.
It seems like a lot, right? But there's more. Now, nail wrap brand Jamberry is pairing up with the House of Mouse to introduce six new decals adorned with Beauty and the Beast designs. Good news for manicure novices, because instead of struggling to free-hand a rose design on your finger nail, you can slap on a Jamberry wrap in a fraction of the time. We're calling it the easiest way for Disney fans to get their beauty fix. Each one even comes in smaller sizes for children, and all six sheets are durable enough to outlast a solid two to three manicures.
Click ahead to check out of Jamberry's offerings. (As if you needed one more excuse to add more Disney products to your ever-growing collection...)
Jamberry Unexpected Romance, $18, available at Jamberry.
Jamberry Dare To Dream, $18, available at Jamberry.
Jamberry Enchanted Life, $18, available at Jamberry.
Jamberry Bonjour Belle, $18, available at Jamberry.
Jamberry Curious Beauty, $18, available at Jamberry.
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In the midst of premiering one of the most talked-about movie premieres of the year, Emma Watson is facing major backlash following her Vanity Fair profile. As part of the photoshoot for her story, the actress posed in a series of artistic and monochromatic pictures.
In one, Watson stands in a large elaborate frame, transforming herself into a piece of art. In another, she stands like a statue. And in a third, she stands facing the camera head-on while wearing a chunky, white knit top that shows a fair amount of cleavage and under-boob. Her arms are crossed and her mouth is slightly agape. Many people on the internet are criticizing the skin-baring photo. Others, namely super fans of Beyoncé and members of The Beyhive, are deeming her a total hypocrite.
Within hours of the VF story going live on the magazine's site late last week, The Beyhive got in formation to quickly rip apart the Harry Potter actress after finding a 2014 interview with Watson were she makes various comments about Beyoncé's take on feminism. The quotes from the three years old interview were pulled from a story that originally appeared in Wonderland magazine, where Watson was interviewed by the writer, actress, and prominent youth figure, Tavi Gevinson. During their conversation, the topic of Bey came up (she had just released Beyoncé earlier that year). Watson said she felt that Beyoncé's music videos were being seen through a male voyeuristic lens, even though the singer's lyrics and mission fully represent modern feminist ideals. This was polarizing to Watson, who said she felt "conflicted" on whether Bey upheld the feminist ideas she spoke about in tracks like "***Flawless." Noting the apparent hypocrisy, Twitter sarcastically used Watson's own words against her.
this is a nice Emma Watson picture... but the camera, it feels very male. such a male voyeuristic experience of her pic.twitter.com/MM8samo31b
Beyoncé fans were not wrong to mock the 26-year-old though. Celebrities should be held accountable for what they say publicly — but they didn't have the whole story. And Watson, after seeing the criticism, decided to fix that. She responded to the hive by providing context to her quote that had resurfaced.
This is the part of my 2014 interview with Tavi where we talked about Beyoncé. My words are in bold. pic.twitter.com/Y8vumOeyDT
After reading the full interview, many were able to find a middle-ground, noting that Watson has both matured since she made that criticism, and also eventually did say she felt the entire album and music videos were "so inclusive and puts feminism and femininity and female empowerment on such a broad spectrum." Basically, Watson did not diss Beyoncé. She shared a critique, then circled back around to the point, concluding that Bey's music and image was indeed a strong, powerful, and essential voice for all feminists.
@EmmaWatson I'm so glad you shared this. The cut-and-paste version being spread was frustrating. Keep spreading the feminist movement ❤
This whole scenario just exemplifies the difficulties in defining feminism — it's always messy because there are many misconceptions about what it means to simply want women to be given the same opportunities, chances, and respect as their male counterparts. This, I think, is the type of feminism Watson identifies with most — workplace feminism. But in terms of approaching the crossover between empowerment and sex appeal? It gets more complicated. And it gets extremely personal. There's no right or wrong way to "be a feminist" whether you're a male or female.
So, is this feminist feud settled? Yes — Watson explained her take on feminism in a new interview toReuters, and clarified her quotes with that lengthy tweet. And as for Beyoncé? Well, she was actually busy attending the premiere of Beauty & the Beast with her family. Settled, indeed.
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If you've ever had to deal with a child screaming on a plane, or a kid crying in a movie theater, you've likely had the thought, if you can't control your kid, don't take them out in public. Parenting blogger Clint Edwards used to feel the same way when he was a young waiter who was just trying to do his job. But now that he's a parent, he's learned the hard way that this isn't always a fair assessment.
Edwards, who writes for No Idea What I'm Doing: A Daddy Blog, took to the blog's Facebook page on Saturday to share his experience trying to take his kids to a restaurant. When he and his wife took their 3 children to dinner, his toddler began acting up, and since Edwards was the only one finished with his food, he got the task of removing said toddler from the restaurant.
"We went out to dinner as a family, and she had a meltdown because mom wouldn't let her throw chicken strips," he wrote. "So she screamed, and screamed, and kicked and kicked, and since I was the only one finished with my meal, I had the pleasure of dragging her out of Red Robin."
On the way out, he wrote, he could see the judgment on strangers' faces.
"I carried her past the bar and everyone stared at me, most of them childless, I assumed" he continued. "No one with children would give me that straight faced, lip twisted look that seems to say, 'if you can't control your kid, then don't go out.'"
But as any parent knows, you can't always control your kid.
"She's two and it's going to take years to teach her how to act appropriately in public, and the only way I am ever going to teach that is to take her out and show her what's right and wrong," he wrote. "These lessons take patience, hard work, and real world experiences, and I’m sorry to those at the bar who got irritated by my child's fit, but you are part of this practice. Your parents did the same with you, and that’s how you now know how to recognize when a child does something irritating in a restaurant."
Though no one actually said anything, Edwards told Scary Mommy that they didn't have to — he could already feel their judgment and shaming.
"I used to be a server, and I used to complain with a lot of other servers about people’s kids," he said. "Now I’m on the other end of that equation and I want to have a conversation with my former self about the realities of parenting."
"I get it," he wrote in his Facebook post. "Kids are irritating when they are loud in a restaurant. I know. I’m living it. But before you get angry and judgmental, realize that what you are witnessing is not bad parenting, but rather, parents working hard to fix the situation."
Most of us can probably relate to feeling annoyed when the toddler in the restaurant won't stop their blood-curdling screams while their parent seems incapable of getting a handle on the situation. But it's important to remember that it isn't the parent's fault. They're just doing their best, and a screaming kid won't always yield.
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HBO knows they have to tide ardent Game of Thrones fans over somehow, considering how they royally screwed us all with a delayed production schedule for season 7. Indeed, the idea of waiting until this summer for the saga to continue is actually a little bit painful for some of us. And in the doldrums of winter, July seems like it's forever away. That's why the surprise release of two new teasers (that appeared to have been leaked early) is so damn exciting.
The two tweets contain a pair of tantalizing "in production" teasers for viewers to salivate over while we pine for the premiere. (Kind fans have dutifully recorded both clips and shared them on Twitter.) One features actress Lena Headey getting her makeup done in preparation to kick ass from her Iron Throne as Cersei Lannister. The other is a long, slow close-up of Brienne of Tarth's beloved sword, Oathkeeper — forged from Valyrian steel. (The sword is notable because it is one of two that Tywin Lannister forged from Ned Stark’s own Valyrian steel sword, Ice. Tywin initially gifted it to Jaime, who later gave it to Brienne on her mission to find and save Sansa Stark at the behest of her mother Jane.)
So yeah, it's those two shots. Less than 40 seconds collectively. That's really all there is. They're called teasers for a reason, people. Are the clips related? Totally random? Significant? Junk production shots? Massive clues that give away literally everything? Encrypted spoilers? Red herrings? What happens if you play them backwards? Mirrored, in slow motion, side-by-side, at the same time? WHAT DOES IT MEAN?! REDDIT HELP!!!
The great news is we all have three-plus months to tear our hair out over these utterly inconclusive tidbits. Thank you HBO. But also may we have some more, please.
Theories? Comments? Reactions? Have at it in the comments below.
