Healthy lifestyle
A healthy lifestyle is one which helps to keep and improve people's health and well-being.Many governments and non-governmental organizations have made big efforts in healthy lifestyle and health promotion.
Mental Health
Mental health can be considered a very important factor of physical health for the effects it produces on bodily functions. This type of health concerns emotional and cognitive well-being or an absence of mental disorder.
Public health
Public health can be defined in a variety of ways. It can be presented as "the study of the physical, psychosocial and socio-cultural determinants of population health and actions to improve the health of the population.
Reproductive Health
For the UN, reproductive health is a right, like other human rights. This recent concept evokes the good transmission of the genetic heritage from one generation to the next.
Health
Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.
mardi 31 octobre 2017
Michelle Obama Addresses the Melania Trump Gift Meme
One of the most talked about moments on Inauguration Day was a seemingly awkward moment between Michelle Obama and Melania Trump. But, according to Obama, the moment was more about trying to hold back her emotions than anything else.
In case you forgot, on Inauguration Day, when the new first lady and president of the United States arrived at the White House, Trump greeted Obama and handed her a gift. The moment was captured by ABC News and showed Obama's puzzled face as she wondered where to put the gift. The internet was quick to say Obama's face was a reaction to the incoming Trump presidency. But at the American Institute of Architects conference on April 27, Obama revealed what her actual emotions were. The former first lady said she was beginning to realize these were her last moments in the White House - a not-so-easy moment, especially for her daughters, who grew up there.
"So that moment of transition, right before the doors opened and we welcomed in the new family, our kids were leaving out the back door in tears, saying goodbye to people," she said at the event. Obama said she didn't want to have tears in her eyes to avoid any backlash. "I didn't want to have tears in my eyes because people would swear I was crying because of the new president," she said, according to Today.
At the conference, Obama told the audience that Sasha and Malia's last night at the White House involved a slumber party with friends. "They had a sleepover, because of course on Inauguration Day, because my girls are so normal, they're like, 'Well, eight girls are gonna be sleeping here because it's our last time, and we want pizza and we want nuggets.' And it's like, really?"
This was Obama's first public speaking appearance since Inauguration Day, and we're glad to see her back in the spotlight.
Your Wednesday Addams Halloween Costume Now Has Its Own Lip Color
If your undead soul revives itself at the mere mention of Halloween, then Pretty Zombie Cosmetics is the creepy, kooky, and mysterious lipstick line of your dreams - or nightmares! With names like Witches Brew, Transylvania, and Wednesday (as in Addams!), these shades are chic and spooky.
Although the shade names may sound intimidating to those who prefer rainbows over broomsticks ("Purple Poison" doesn't exactly sound like something that's safe to rub on your mouth), these goth hues are surprisingly versatile. So many colors are represented, and they're not all dark. In fact, one of our favorites is a glimmering burgundy called "Dead Roses." Don't let the name deceive you - it's a look that's as alive as any bright peach or coral.
This vegan and cruelty-free cult brand has a strong Instagram following, which probably explains why some of its most popular shades sell out so quickly (pour one out for their unavailable Metallic Lip Paint line!).
While the selections are mostly mattes, there are a few metallic shades, like the spellbinding black "Binx." Pretty Zombie Cosmetics also sells Lip Shimmers, which can be applied over the liquid lipsticks to create a 3D highlight effect. Of course, since this is glitter we're talking about, there's no need to put it exclusively on your pout (especially if you're Bella Thorne). We'd love to test this shimmer out on our eyes, cheekbones, or stick it on to fake freckles.
Now, if you'll excuse us, we have to go plan our Halloween costumes based on these shade names. Right now, we're torn between using royal blue "Seat Witch" to transform ourselves into Ursula, or jumping on the gray lipstick bandwagon to become a literal "Tombstone." Read on for your own costume inspiration.
Rihanna's Gold Fenty Highlighter Is the Most Extra Product We've Ever Tried
On Sept. 7, Rihanna finally revealed her Fenty Beauty products to the world while wearing a yellow crop top and a ballgown-style skirt in NYC. She looked like a sexy-edgy Belle IRL. And to go with her sunny look, the singer topped her cheekbones and eyelids with a pigmented, glittery, gilded powder. That stop-and-stare makeup product is none other than the just-launched Fenty Killawatt Freestyle Highlighter in Trophy Wife. And it's going to be a new ticket item for the holiday season.
As you might have already read, Fenty Beauty was meant to work on diverse skin tones with 40 foundation shades and a universally flattering lip gloss. On the color side, there are plenty of shimmery, vibrant options, from the blendable creamy Match Stix to the multiuse powders. Trophy Wife falls in the latter category and is described on Sephora.com as a 3D hypermetallic gold. It's true yellow gold and flashy AF.
To see if it works on diverse complexions, we rounded up POPSUGAR editors to test it. See the results and reviews ahead!
15 '90s Toys You Can Buy For Your Kids (or Yourself) Today
There's nothing more fun than looking back with nostalgia at your childhood toys - and the '90s were especially full of amazing treasures. Just in time for holiday shopping (wink, wink), we've compiled a list of classic 1990s toys that are still available to purchase. Enjoy!
10 New Food Products to Make You Feel All the Fall-ish Things
Is it just me or did the second it turned Oct. 1, a Fall-ish crisp hung in the air? Along with the sweater weather, a handful of cozy food products have been released that we're particularly clinging onto, from comforting cookbooks to warming spirits. Ready to round them up for yourself?
After Years of Struggling, Here's How I Finally Learned to Do Push-Ups
Let me tell you about my relationship with push-ups - as in, it didn't really exist. After years and years (and years!) of working out, being able to do a set of perfect push-ups never seemed to happen for me. I can plank for a decent amount of time, can deadlift a respectable barbell weight, and have run my fair share of races, but push-ups? Nope. And as a fitness editor, this has always felt embarrassing. This month I decided to get serious to conquer the elusive push-up and invested in personal training.
My first session with Austin Lopez, BS, CSCS, and trainer at DIAKADI, was a lesson in honesty. For years, my typical workout routine consisted of stringing together studio classes. One day I was at SoulCycle, the next day I was popping into yoga, and later in the week I threw in a couple of HIIT classes. At what point, Austin asked me, was I doing focused push-up work (or even going to the same studio enough to track my progress there)? If you want to master push-ups, you need to be doing push-ups on a consistent basis - period. Even if you have a strong core, arms, and chest, your body hasn't been consistently tasked with using them together in this specific movement. So we dug in, and in the process I was taught a push-up modification that trumps all others: the negative push-up.
A negative push-up focuses solely on the downward (aka eccentric) movement of the push-up. An easy way to envision the exercise is to think of it like doing one-half of a full push-up; by putting all the load on the eccentric movement, "you focus on elongating the muscle," said Austin.
Negative Push-Up How-To
- Start in a plank position with your arms and legs straight, shoulders above the wrists, core engaged.
- Take a breath in, and as you exhale, slowly bend your elbows, lowering your entire body to the floor for a six- to eight-second count. This counts as one rep. Note: When lowering to the ground, do your best to not collapse, making sure your entire body touches the floor at the same time. If it's too hard to maintain the exercise for six to eight seconds, start with a four- to six-second count.
- Perform for a total of eight reps.
"Because of the eccentric loading, you do a lot of 'damage' to the muscle, which is good when it comes to strength," said Austin. "When the muscle rebuilds itself, it will have to increase the size of its fibers that were damaged, making them stronger and better at contracting." In layman's terms: first you're gonna feel sore, and then you're gonna get swole.
Doing negative push-ups has been a total revelation for me. The modification has forced me to keep more control of my body and has tasked my muscles to turn on and work. I've been more aware of my form while still staying in the same movement as the conventional exercise, and I'm excited to say that I'm doing more push-ups on my toes than ever before, thanks to the strength I've built by performing this move.
An important note from Austin, trainer extraordinaire, "The most important part of this is to make sure you don't lose form while going down [in negative push-ups]; otherwise, you might as well not do them." A couple of form cues to keep in mind: be aware of your hips, and do not allow them to drop. If they do, it means "the abs are not being turned on or are not strong enough." Also, stop shrugging your shoulders up to your ears! "Not only does this take away from the desired effect of a push-up - chest, shoulders, triceps work - it also sets your shoulders up for long-term damage. A great tip for taking the shrug out is to rotate your elbows so that the pit [inside bend] of the elbow faces forward, and engage your hands to really grip the ground.
If your form is still off, try to modify by doing an incline push-up over choosing a push-up on your knees. "These are a little better at increasing your strength in the actual push-up because you are stressing your body in the way that is desired long-term," he said. As you become stronger in the move, continue to lower the angle of your push-up until you're parallel with the ground.
A Guide For Detoxing After Halloween
Even the healthiest among us can't help but get into the Halloween fun, and while everything's good in moderation, sometimes a night of temptation means going overboard (no regrets!). Here are some ideas to detox when you're ready to get back on track.
- Drink more water: Make water consumption a priority the day after your Halloween festivities; not only will it help flush out all those indulgent decisions (that is, it'll help your hangover), but it'll give you more energy to tackle the day.
- Break the sugar addiction: Eating a lot of sugar will only make you crave it more, so your night of fun-sized celebration may be leading to mindless reaching for your candy stash the rest of the week. Ready for a challenge? If you're craving sweets, take celebrity trainer Jackie Warner's advice: take five days to wean yourself off sugar and refined carbs by eating lots of fresh fruits and veggies instead. If forgoing sugar altogether seems impossible (especially in light of leftover holiday treats), check out our tips for reducing your sugar cravings.
- Fight fatigue: Whether you hosted a Halloween party or spent an exhausting couple of hours corralling trick-or-treaters, the holiday can eat into your sleep time. To make sure you don't feel tired all day, fill your diet with these fatigue-fighting foods, and make a point to go to sleep early tonight - you may benefit from recovery sleep so you don't feel overly tired for the rest of the week.
- Eat nourishing foods: You've had enough of the processed stuff - now it's time to eat real food. Start with a nutrient-packed smoothie, go for a kale salad for lunch, and a spicy carrot detox ginger soup for dinner. Eating a produce-rich meal plan will help your body crave the good instead of all the bad.
- Move more: Get your metabolism going - and sweat out all the bad stuff - with an intense workout; if you can't bear the thought of exercise, go for a walk or do a few of these detoxifying yoga poses to get things moving.
WTF: A Woman Was Denied a Second Job Interview For Asking This Question
On Monday, March 13, Taylor Byrnes tweeted screenshots of the response she received from SkiptheDishes after asking about pay and benefits following her first interview at the food delivery service in Winnipeg, Canada. "Applied for a job at @SkipTheDishes. They cancelled my interview b/c I asked about wages/benefits," she wrote in a now-viral tweet.
Applied for a job at @SkipTheDishes. They cancelled my interview b/c I asked about wages/benefits @CBC @CBCNews @ctvwinnipeg #boycottSkip http://pic.twitter.com/CjBdnFvY1P
- . (@feministjourney) March 13, 2017
"Hi Victoria, I had another question that I wanted to ask you," Byrnes's initial email reads. "If I do end up filling this position, how much do you think I'll be getting paid an hour? Benefits will also be included, right? Sorry, I just thought I should ask now. Thanks for your time and have a lovely day," she concluded.
Screenshots show that Victoria responded, "Hello Taylor, your questions reveal that your priorities are not in sync with those of SkipTheDishes. At this time we will not be following through with our meeting this Thursday." In a follow-up email, Victoria called out qualities the company looks for in employees, including "hard work and perseverance in pursuit of company goals as opposed to focusing on compensation."
"For these reasons, questions about compensation and benefits at such an early stage is a concern related to organizational fit."
After the screenshots were posted and shared across social media, Byrnes received yet another response from the company, this time from its cofounder, who expressed disappointment with the way the situation was handled. The company also shared its screenshots on its Twitter page to rectify the backlash from people who were calling for a boycott of SkipTheDishes.
(1/2) The email to Taylor does not represent #SkipTheDishes team values. We have followed up to offer heartfelt apologies & a 2nd interview. http://pic.twitter.com/XKYWsHXj7P
- SkipTheDishes (@SkipTheDishes) March 14, 2017
(2/2) We do share compensation & it's OK to ask. We are coaching internally to ensure this doesn't happen again. @CBC @CBCNews @CTVWinnipeg
- SkipTheDishes (@SkipTheDishes) March 14, 2017
SkipTheDishes cofounder Joshua Simair addressed the controversy in an emailed statement to POPSUGAR, writing, "We are very disappointed in how it was handled. We do share a compensation package prior to hiring. As soon as we became aware of it on Monday, we reached out to Taylor to apologize for the email and reschedule her interview."
Simair also revealed that the company would be changing internal policies to make sure it doesn't happen again. "We've also addressed the email internally and will be providing additional training. We are very committed to our community, employees and continuing to grow and create employment opportunities in the Prairies."
Although Byrnes has received an outpouring of support for standing up for herself, there is still a dispute over whether or not her questions were appropriate to ask. Seeing as it's important for women to ask about pay upfront so that they get what they deserve, we'd say the answer is yes.
We've reached out to Byrnes for comment and will update this story if we hear back.
Stranger Things: The Other Places You've Seen Aunt Becky
Image Source: Netflix
Fans were in for a surprise in Stranger Things season two when Eleven leaves Hawkins about halfway through the season to find her mom, Terry. Of course, viewers know from season one that there's nothing but heartbreak for Eleven (real name: Jane). She arrives at her mother's house and meets her Aunt Becky, who tells her about Terry's condition.
Becky is played by Amy Seimetz, who may not be a very mainstream actor but is well-known on the indie circuit. She got her start directing and producing short and independent films, including associate producing Medicine for Melancholy, which was nominated for both Gotham and Independent Spirit Awards.
Her acting career really took off when she starred in three of Joe Swanberg's independent films: Alexander the Last, Silver Bullets, and Autoerotic. The 35-year-old also appeared in Lena Dunham's Tiny Furniture and Adam Wingard's critically acclaimed horror film A Horrible Way to Die, and her performance in Megan Griffiths's The Off Hours earned her a spot on The Hollywood Reporter's list of breakout stars of the 2011 Sundance Film Festival.
As far as more mainstream projects go, Seimetz played the mother of a missing girl on season three of AMC's The Killing and appears on five episodes of the first season of Starz's The Girlfriend Experience, which she also directs and executive produces.
Image Source: Everett Collection
In fact, Seimetz was chosen by executive producer Steven Soderbergh to helm The Girlfriend Experience because he was so impressed with her 2012 indie film, Sun Don't Shine, about a couple taking a tense, sometimes spooky road trip through Central Florida. It earned Seimetz numerous independent film award nominations, including two wins from the SXSW Film Festival and the IndieWire Critics Poll. Finally, Seimetz appeared in this year's sci-fi sequel Alien: Covenant.
On Stranger Things, Seimetz acts as sort of a guide to those who have been investigating Dr. Brenner and Project MKUltra, explaining to them what was done to her sister, Terry. Aunt Becky has believed that baby Jane died all those years ago, so she's pretty surprised to see a teenage Jane appear on her doorstep in season two.
We would expect that even though Jane is now Hopper's daughter, by virtue of an official birth certificate Dr. Owens manages to procure for the chief, the story of her parentage and Project MKUltra is far from over, so perhaps Terry and Becky will appear in season three.
Sofia Vergara Has an Airport Uniform - and You Will Too After Seeing These Photos
Sofia Vergara has always been very vocal about how much she loves to dress up for red carpets, but when it comes to putting together a look to get on a long plane ride, her style is the total opposite.
The Modern Family actress has developed a formula: she loves rocking a pair of dark leggings or jeans, a sweater (sometimes with a jacket on top), workout sneakers, and a statement bag, occasionally adding a scarf or a hat and always wearing a pair of sunglasses. She is so used to traveling that she knows the number one rule is to be comfortable but still look chic - she's not one to wear dresses and heels. Check out her very relatable travel style ahead.
This Horror-Inspired Lipstick Line Drops Just in Time For Your Halloween Movie Marathon
As self-proclaimed Halloween obsessives, you'd best believe that we're always on the lookout for product launches related to our favorite holiday. Whether it's Hocus Pocus bath bombs or skull makeup brush holders, we're constantly hunting for ways to infuse a bit of Halloween into our beauty routine - so when LA Splash Cosmetics posted spoilers for an upcoming lipstick line inspired by classic horror stories, we immediately marked our calendars.
So far, the cult beauty brand has revealed eight shades of matte liquid lipstick that are set to drop as part of the new Classic Horror line in October. Creature - inspired by Creature From the Black Lagoon - is a vivid violet. Drac, short for Dracula, is a deep burgundy, while Frankie (of Frankenstein fame) is a brick-red hue. Dr. Jeky, one half of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, is a muted, camel-toned brown lipstick perfect for everyday wear, which begs the question . . . will there be a crazy lipstick shade inspired by his alter ego, Hyde?
Ms. Invisible, inspired by The Invisible Man, isn't invisible at all - rather, it's a muted, grungy green. Phantom has a plum-purple tone, while Mummy is a soft greige - sort of like mummy bandages! Werewolf is precisely the blue-gray hue of a midnight sky during a full moon and might just be our overall favorite shade from the line.
So far, LA Splash hasn't released many additional details about the line, but we'll be waiting with bated breath for any news about the Classic Horror collection. Here's hoping that the October drop date is early in the month, so we can wear these scary-chic lipsticks while watching 13 Nights of Halloween! In the meantime, check out the horror-inspired product packaging and a few stunning swatches.
20 SFX Makeup Artists to Follow on Instagram If You Want to See Braaaaains
If you need a break from your Instagram's usual feed of pretty unicorn highlighters and neatly stylized avocado toast, then do we have a ghoulish treat for you. We found the 20 best special effects (SFX) and body-painting artists who will give your 'gram an R-rating.
Remember, what you're about to see is a barrage of blood and guts, so if you're easily disgusted, best to turn away now and stick to your avo toast.
Disney Fans Will Flip For This Makeup Artist's Incredible Transformations
You might think that face paint transformations are only for Halloween, but Instagram makeup guru Saraswati, aka QueenOfLuna, proves that intense makeovers are worthy of attempting any time of year. From Disney princesses to iconic comic book villains, the amateur artist's cosmetic undertakings and creative use of hijab seem to transform her into a living, breathing cartoon. Read on for some of her most incredible makeup masterpieces, then follow her on Instagram for even more beauty goodness!
Surprise! Tarte Just Dropped Its Gorgeous New Holiday Collection Early
Tarte pulled a bit of a sneak attack on us all when it debuted its holiday 2017 collection, Tarte Delight, early on Sept. 1. We already got an exclusive peek at the highly anticipated Blush Book Volume III among the launches, but with more than 20 new arrivals, there is so much more goodness where that came from. The news broke on Instagram, where it was also announced that there will be free shipping on all orders through Sept.5 at 3 a.m. ET. So in case you didn't have any plans for the long holiday weekend, you better add makeup shopping to your list.
The packaging on all the limited-edition pieces is stunning, with gold accents, vibrant Moroccan prints, festive glitter, and rhinestones. There is a slight mystical seafaring theme with product names like Mermaid Kisses, Buried Treasure, and Treasured Tools. One standout is a brand-new eye shadow palette ($36) that boasts a gorgeous collection of bronzes, browns, pearls, and a crimson shade, all perfect for Fall.
Read on for more of the holiday loot ahead.
This Is the Workout I Did For 1 Year That Finally Helped Me Lose My Belly Fat
Last July, I only signed up for a month of CrossFit so I could write a post about how stupid I thought it was. Coming from a running and yoga background, and never once setting foot in a gym, I thought those people doing countless burpees, flipping tires, and grunting while lifting weights were nuts. I'm the first to admit that I was absolutely wrong. After just one month, CrossFit jump-started the most life-changing physical and mostly mental transformation I have ever experienced (aside from becoming a mom).
I decided to commit to CrossFit for an entire year, going four to six times per week, to see what would happen. I just hit my one-year CrossFitversary (fist bump to me!) and feel compelled to share my experiences in the hopes that they might inspire someone else who is thinking about trying CrossFit to finally take the (box)jump!
Before: July 2016
My journey actually didn't really go as planned, so I wanted to map out each month so you can see that progress wasn't all uphill for me. There were a few times when I actually lost faith in CrossFit and wanted to throw in the kettlebell towel - sorry, these puns are just too easy! I think anyone on any sort of fitness or weight-loss journey will be able to relate to this.
Throughout the 12 months, I weighed myself regularly and took monthly photos, just because I'm a science nerd and wanted to have actual data to compare from month to month. The numbers actually kind of shocked me.
Month 1, July: Starting weight: 122 pounds. Feeling awesome, I just wanted to get into the groove of learning all the different exercises and the correct form. I gave up running for CrossFit - bye-bye hour-long runs and hello seven- to 12-minute WODs! Goal number one: do a pull-up.
Month 2, August: Weight: 118 pounds. Still on my CrossFit high, I was actually bummed that I had to miss about two weeks of classes because of traveling, but I tried to do workouts while on the road, like this 200-rep bodyweight workout.
Month 3, September: Weight: 121 pounds. I climbed a frickin' 15-foot rope! Enough said. I also hurt my back in the middle of the month, putting too much weight on the bar when doing front squats (I was trying to keep up with the 60-year-old woman next to me!). So I took a little break, worried that maybe people were right about CrossFit causing injuries. But after a few days, I felt fine. It was a good lesson in not allowing my ego to get the best of me and in paying more attention to my body and my ability level.
After: July 2017
Month 4, October: Weight: 122 pounds. The weather was starting to get chilly and the mornings a little darker, but I still stuck with getting up at 4:40 a.m. for those 5:45 workouts. I was really starting to get to know my CrossFit community, and every night these two women and I would text each other: "Class tomorrow?" It helped motivate me to go, even when I was insanely tired or sore.
Month 5, November: Weight: 123 pounds. After four months, my arms and back started getting thicker, my sports bras and jeans felt tighter, and I actually wanted to quit CrossFit and stopped going for few days. I was pissed that I was getting up so goddamn early every day, working my ass off, and eating clean . . . and still had my baby belly. My husband was actually the one who convinced me to stick with it, knowing how happy it made me, and how strong and confident I was feeling. Other women at my gym also made me feel better about my muscles bulking up a little, reminding me not to focus on how I looked, but on what I could accomplish. They also said that for them, nine months was when they started to lose weight, so I stuck with it.
Month 6, December: Weight: 124 pounds. For some reason, I thought the six-month mark would be monumental and I would finally have the slim and ripped body I was convinced CrossFit would offer me. So when I compared photos from Month 1 to Month 6, I was embarrassed that my body wasn't there yet. I had to remind myself that any progress was still progress, no matter how small, and it motivated me even more to push myself during those workouts and stick to eating healthy.
After: July 2017
Month 7, January: Weight: 126 pounds. Holidays + my birthday = tons of cookies, overeating, not exercising much, and feeling like crap. Oh well. I did finally get two strict pull-ups: goal crushed! I didn't think it'd take me seven months, but better late than never.
I also had conflicting emotions about adding weight to my bar because I was worried that lifting heavier would make me bulk up even more. So I started to back off on the weight. One day my coach, Kristi, joked a little and said, "Sugar, your bar is looking a little light." So I told her my concerns, and she admitted to having the same thoughts when she started CrossFit six years ago. She basically threw out her scale and slowly started to fall in love with feeling strong, and now she loves her big muscles. "I wish mine were bigger," she said. So that started to change my perspective about how I felt women were supposed to look and how I thought I wanted to look. I said, "F*ck it!" and started adding more weight and really challenging myself. It's an amazing feeling to press a heavy bar over your head!
Month 8, February: Weight: 123 pounds. After seven months of doing CrossFit, I felt like I was gaining muscle, but I still had a layer of fat that wouldn't budge. I knew it had everything to do with me eating too much! Aside from giving up sugar for the month of January, about halfway through the month I started doing intermittent fasting (IF) to see if it would help.
Month 9, March: Weight: 123 pounds. I did three ring pull-ups! I also completed one month of intermittent fasting and noticed my belly getting a little slimmer. Woot!
After: July 2017
Month 10, April: Weight: 123 pounds. This is the month I noticed my upper-body strength coming in handy during yoga. I could now hold handstands for over 20 seconds. And with two months of IF under my belt, I was starting to see some definition in my abs! Lifting heavier and pushing myself more during workouts coupled with getting a handle on my diet are what really started to make my body transform.
Month 11, May: Weight: 124 pounds. I pressed into a handstand, crushing a goal I've had ever since I started yoga in 1999. And after three months of continuing with IF, I was pretty psyched that my baby belly fat started to shrink more, even though the scale showed weight gain. I was also drinking more water (like a gallon a day), which helped with eating less and belly bloat.
Month 12, June: Weight: 122 pounds. The final month of my year-long CrossFit journey, I experimented a little more with my diet to try to solve some bloating issues, and I committed to a two-week fruit, veggie, and nut diet, which helped reveal my first glimpses of a real six-pack. I actually wore a bikini at a public pool for the first time ever, which for me was a HUGE deal. But even huger was the fact that from kettlebell swings to wall balls to overhead squats, I was lifting way more than I was when I started. I not only looked stronger; I WAS stronger!
Final Thoughts
I drank the CrossFit Kool-Aid and now I'm hooked. I am so grateful for the inner strength and confidence I feel every day, in the gym and in my life. The absolute greatest benefit is the freedom I feel from the constant negative thoughts I used to have about my body, of always trying to lose weight and get leaner and more toned. Of incessantly thinking about food: what I should eat, what I shouldn't eat, feeling bad when I ate too much, and worrying about when I was going to fit in my next workout. And what I was doing wasn't working at all, so it's an amazing feeling to put in the effort and actually see results. And I'm not done yet. I just signed up for a year-long membership so I can crush some more goals - muscle up; I'm coming for ya!
I know what you're thinking - that CrossFit is cult-like or too extreme or "not your thing" - because I was there, too. I thought it was only for burly men or athletic women or 20-year-olds or people who are already crazy-fit. But anyone can benefit from CrossFit, no matter their ability level or age (there's a 72-year-old woman in my class who can deadlift as much as me!). Everyone has to start somewhere, and I'm so glad I took the plunge a year ago. CrossFit is hands down one of the best things that's ever happened to me, because it's helped me love myself in a way that I never thought possible, and that love spreads out into every aspect of my life. It could be the same for you, but you'll never know unless you try. So what are you waiting for?
3 Things You Need to Be Focusing on If You Want to Up Your Fitness Game
We've all been there: out of breath, over it, and ready to throw in our gym towels and never look back. Oftentimes this happens because we're not seeing progress with our workouts, at least not the kind we were expecting. What gives? To get to the bottom of what's stalling our progress, we turned to personal trainer Austin Lopez, CSCS.
More often than not, it's likely that the "overload principle" is being ignored, Austin told POPSUGAR. A basic tenet in training, the overload principle is easy to grasp and makes total sense. Put simply, we need to consistently be working harder to see change. "You have to push yourself more because the body is good at adapting to whatever you throw at it," Austin said. If you want to see changes, you need to change it up - and often. But you don't need to go into it blindly. In fact, there's a ton of evidence on exactly where you should devote your efforts.
1. Time and Frequency
You don't necessarily have to give up the classes you love or your sacred time on the treadmill; just do more of what you're already doing. This can happen in a lot of ways, said Austin. For starters, add an extra class or gym session onto your schedule. If that's not possible, try adding time to your existing workouts. Instead of a 45-minute TRX class, look for a 60-minute class; even challenging yourself to an extra 10 minutes on the treadmill can lead to results.
2. Speed
When it comes to cardio-based workouts like running, cycling, or time on the elliptical, challenge yourself to increase your overall pace. If you usually run an 11-minute mile, start to shave that down to a 10-minute mile by slowly increasing the speed of your runs. You can also work on speed by incorporating interval training into your cardio and strength workouts by alternating between a period of maxing out your efforts with a period of recovery. Think HIIT, Tabata, and tempo runs.
This type of increased intensity will also aid in weight loss, said Austin. "From an exercise perspective, interval training is the most effective way to get lean," he said. "The more intense the workout, the more the body has to recover, which translates into more calories over time." This is due to the afterburn effect (excess postexercise oxygen consumption, or EPOC), which helps to increase your metabolism, resulting in hundreds of extra calories to be burned throughout the day.
3. Load
The easiest way to think about load is to equate it with weight. Essentially you're "loading" the body up with more weight and challenging it to work harder. The next time you're in a strength-training class or at the gym, choose a heavier weight than you're used to. You may be surprised that you can actually manage more than you thought possible. If more weight seems daunting, start by doing shorter sets with less reps. "By going heavier, you'll be breaking down muscle at a higher rate, making it stronger than it was before," said Austin.
The Right Way to Incorporate Frequency, Speed, and Load
If you've hit a wall, there's no better time than now to start upping your intensity in one of these areas. While Austin's advice is to go "as intense as you can," he added that this is all relative to the individual. "The more intense you make any workout, the more unsafe it can become," he said. "Ease into it, and find out what's possible for you." While you are tasking yourself with going harder, you still want to make sure your form is on and you aren't feeling lightheaded or dizzy while working out. "Push it little by little," said Austin.
A good way to keep yourself safe is by focusing on only one of these areas at a time (frequency, speed, load). Besides preventing injury, "it's also a great way to measure your success rate because it controls one variable."
They're Here! 13 Editor-Approved Liquid Lipsticks You Need For Fall
The fastest way to transform your beauty look from Summer to Fall is by swiping on a liquid lipstick. Many formulas have excellent staying power and boldly pop on your pout. Whether you're looking for a warm nude or a vampy burgundy, we rounded up our favorite options for you to choose from. Not only will these lipsticks make a statement, but they will take your autumnal look to the next level. Stock up on a few right now!
Literally Everything You Could Ever Want to Know About Double Process Hair Dye
Save for one balayage two years ago, I am a hair-dye virgin. For the past few years, I've lusted after denim hair. I'm talking full on Britney & Justin 2001 VMAs hair that matches the denim-on-denim I'm prone to wearing. But there was one glaring issue that kept me from swan-diving into a vat of blue dye.
I'm a brunette, and to lighten my hair would mean that I'd have to undergo the dreaded "double process" and bleach my entire head. Quite a few times, I'd pick up my phone to book a dye job, only to back out when the salon's receptionist asked me what process I wanted. Single? Double? I only know how to answer that question in regard to ordering an espresso.
So that's how I ended up actually sitting down to Google "What Is Double Process?" Alone at my kitchen table, illuminated only by the light of my MacBook Air (and the Fenty Beauty highlighter I tried at work), I shame-searched my questions away. I read everything I could about the process - and I was still confused.
My main qualm was that, while there are plenty of informative pieces on hair-dye techniques, many of the stories only show the "after photos." I am the type of person who won't go to dinner without obsessively Yelping the restaurant. I need the down-and-dirty, no-holds-barred explanation of a process - not just cute, curated Instagram pictures of a blowout.
I'd pick up my phone to book a dye job, only to back out when the salon's receptionist asked me what process I wanted. Single? Double? I only know how to answer that question in regard to ordering an espresso.
So with POPSUGAR's blessing, I booked a photographer, and a session at Seagull Salon with Jeanise Aviles in hopes of basically writing the post that I wanted to read before undergoing the process myself. With her electric green hair (and matching eyebrows!), Jeanse is known and loved throughout New York due to her ability to turn her clients into living, breathing rays of rainbow-haired sunshine. Indeed, her vibrant Instagram feed is honestly better at cheering me up than a thousand cute dog pictures.
I came in to what was supposed to be a five-hour appointment with chestnut-brown hair and left eight hours later with '80s-acid wash coloring all over my head. Ahead, here's everything I learned about the process, because knowledge is power, y'all!
The Cutest Pictures of Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofía of Spain
It seems like just yesterday when King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain announced the birth of their first daughter, so it comes as a total shock that it was 12 years ago that Princess Leonor, the heir to the throne, was born in Madrid. From day one, the little royal graced us with the sweetest pictures (and the most adorable outfits) at family outings and official events.
Then, in 2007, the cuteness doubled with the birth of her sister, Infanta Sofía, and thus began a time of matching outfits, coordinating hairstyles, and mischievous sisterly smiles. Keep scrolling to see the best pictures of the two royals through the years.
1 Look at Queen Letizia's Gorgeous Collection of Ball Gowns, and You'll Be in Love
Even though modern royals prefer affordable dresses from brands like Zara and trendy pieces like comfy track pants, a queen isn't a queen without a serious collection of ball gowns.
In true frugal form, Queen Letizia, who often repeats outfits from head to toe without a care in the world, has worn the same party dresses to royal weddings, galas, dinners, and award ceremonies for the past 10+ years. In fact, since 2004, we've spotted Letizia in only 26 different gowns - hey, for the Queen of Spain, that's not that much! Scroll ahead to ooh and aah over all of them.
Spotted: Your Favorite '90s Star in Stranger Things Season 2
Image Source: Netflix
You may have noticed that a couple of stars from the '80s and '90s joined Stranger Things season two. First there's Sean Astin, of The Goonies and Rudy fame, as Bob the Brain. The second is Will's doctor at the Department of Energy. Dr. Owens is played by prolific comedian Paul Reiser.
This 60-year-old New Yorker got his big break in entertainment in the 1982 Barry Levinson film Diner, which costars Kevin Bacon, Tim Daly, Steve Guttenberg, Mickey Rourke, and Daniel Stern. (It's worth a watch if you ever get a chance.)
After appearing in the first two Beverly Hills Cop films, Reiser landed one of the starring roles on the NBC sitcom My Two Dads opposite Greg Evigan and Staci Keanan. If you're the right age (like I am), you were a huge fan of this show back in the day. But Reiser's real breakout came in 1992 when Mad About You debuted on NBC. It ran for seven seasons and earned him multiple Emmy and Golden Globe nominations as one half of a newly married couple opposite Helen Hunt. After it ended, Reiser concentrated more on writing and producing for about a decade; then, in 2011, he starred in and executive produced a short-lived, self-titled sitcom for NBC.
Image Source: Everett Collection
Since then, he scored a recurring role on Married and has done voice-over work for Comedy Central's TripTank. He also starred as Doug Getty, president of the country club, on Amazon original comedy Red Oaks, which is also worth a watch if you have a free weekend.
In addition to acting, Reiser has also written three humorous books about some staples of being an adult: Couplehood, which topped the New York Times bestseller list, about being in a committed relationship; Babyhood, about being a father for the first time; and Familyhood, about raising his children and keeping his family strong.
In Stranger Things season two, Reiser plays one of Will's doctors whose loyalties are up in the air for the first half of the season. Is he a good guy or just another government scientist experimenting on children? We don't expect to see Reiser in season three of the series, but you never know. Perhaps he comes popping up if someone has another run-in with a monster from the Upside Down.
50 Dreamy Rainbow Balayage Ideas to Inspire Your Next Dye Job
After salons introduced us to the balayage dye method, we never looked back. The technique - which consists of actually painting color onto hair - is the most low-maintenance way to achieve sun-kissed strands. Because the style doesn't result in harsh lines of demarcation (like classic highlights might), color fades evenly as your hair grows out.
That means that if you're looking to join Team Unicorn, balayage should definitely be in your rainbow hair arsenal. We've rounded up 50 of our favorite dye jobs that are the perfect marriage of balayage and rich, vibrant hues. Read on to see some inspirational and colorful coifs . . . arranged in ROYGBIV order, of course.
The Nightmarish String of Real-Life Murders That Inspired Wes Craven's Scream
Image Source: Everett Collection
Warning: the following story contains graphic details concerning a real-life murder case.
Scream is easily one of the best - if not the best - slasher movies of all time. Wes Craven's 1996 horror flick cuts the perfect balance between gory scares and black comedy, and the franchise solidified a young Neve Campbell's status as the reigning scream queen of the '90s. While the masked murderers who terrorize Campbell's Sidney are fictional, there's another, even more disturbing layer to the story that has roots in reality: Scream was inspired by a rash of real-life murders committed by a serial killer in Gainesville, FL.
Danny Rolling wasn't from the tight-knit Florida college town, but he left a lasting mark on the community that was felt long after he was imprisoned. He grew up in Shreveport, LA, where he had a rough upbringing that resulted in several physical clashes with his father, a police officer. He was arrested multiple times over the years for robberies in Georgia and spying on a cheerleader who was getting undressed. His troubled early life eventually culminated in an attempt to kill his father after an argument in May of 1990; his father survived the two gunshots to his head, but lost an eye and an ear.
In August of that same year, Rolling made his way to Gainesville just as the University of Florida was beginning its Fall semester. There, he began a spree of burglaries in low-cost apartment buildings off campus, which led to the savage, fatal stabbings of five students (one from Santa Fe College and the rest from the University of Florida). He began his spree in the very early morning hours of Aug. 24 by breaking into the apartment of 17-year-old freshmen Sonja Larson and Christina Powell, who were both asleep. He proceeded to tape each of their mouths shut before stabbing them to death (he also raped Powell and stabbed her repeatedly in the back), and then left their bodies in sexually provocative positions.
Danny Rolling wasn't from the tight-knit Florida college town, but he left a lasting mark on the community that was felt long after he was imprisoned.
On Aug. 25, Rolling pried open a sliding glass door of 18-year-old Christa Hoyt's apartment with a knife and screwdriver. She wasn't home during the break in, so he waited in her living room until she returned. He managed to surprise her from behind, subduing her with a choke hold and taping her mouth shut. Just like with Powell, he raped Hoyt and killed her by stabbing her several times in the back. Then he decapitated her body and left the head on a shelf in the living room to heighten the shock for whoever found her body. Hoyt, Powell, and Larson's murders attracted intense media coverage from all over the country and had students at the University of Florida "sleeping with steak knives" under their pillows, according to the Associated Press.
Image Source: Everett Collection
Although many students began taking precautions (and scores of them transferred schools), 23-year-old Tracy Paules and Manny Taboada were Rolling's next victims. The serial killer used the same method to pry open the sliding glass door in their apartment, killing Taboada first after a struggle. Paules heard the commotion down the hall and attempted to barricade her bedroom door, but Rolling was able to get inside. He taped her mouth and wrists before raping her, stabbing her in the back, and posing her body.
Excluding Taboada, who was a large man, all of the victims were slim, Caucasian brunettes with brown eyes. The town's law enforcement, desperate to find a suspect, initially named 18-year-old student Edward Lee Humphrey as their man. He'd recently been arrested for beating up his grandmother and had previously lived in Paules and Toboada's apartment complex. Although Humphrey didn't fit the crimes exactly, the murders came to a halt as soon as he was taken into custody. On top of the link to one of the suspects and his history of violence, the police were convinced they'd found the true killer.
At the same time, however, Rollings had been arrested on a burglary charge in the nearby town of Ocala. During that investigation, the police realized that the tools Rollings used to pull off the burglary left the exact same marks as the ones at the murder scenes in Gainesville. They also discovered that he'd been staying at a campsite in a wooded area close to the apartment complexes where the victims lived. By November 1991, he'd been charged with the murders, and in 1994, before his trial could even begin, Rolling shocked everyone by pleading guilty to all charges. Rolling was executed by lethal injection in October 2006 at Florida State Prison.
The screenplay for Scream was later dreamed up by Kevin Williamson, a North Carolina transplant living in LA and trying to make it big as an actor. With his acting career in a standstill, Williamson took a job housesitting for someone in the upscale neighborhood of Westwood for a few days. It was there, all alone in a huge house, that he watched a newscast about a string of killings that rocked Gainesville to its core. Immediately, he started imagining what would happen if a killer wielded the same knife that Rolling used to gut his victims "like a fish," as Ghostface would say.
"I was watching this Barbara Walters special on the Gainesville [Florida] murders, and I was getting so spooked. I was being scared out of my mind. During the commercial break, I heard a noise. And I had to go search the house . . . and I called a buddy of mine," Williamson recalled during a 1998 interview. "I went to bed that night so spooked I was having nightmares and I woke up at like three or four in the morning, and I started writing the opening scene to Scream."
We'll never be able to look at Drew Barrymore's gruesomely iconic exit the same way again.
24 Bobs That Will Convince You It's Finally Time to Make the Chop
We're big fans of the transformative powers of a short hairstyle, and if you still haven't been convinced to chop your hair short (or maybe just invest in a bob wig), let these Instagram looks be your inspiration.
Whether you like the sharp lines of an asymmetric bob with bangs, or the more mussed-up look of a layered, shoulder-skimming style, there are looks to bookmark for your next salon appointment.
10 Elf on the Shelf Parodies That Are Even Better Than the Real Thing
If it feels like the holiday season seems to start earlier every year, here's more proof: it's September and people are already talking about Elf on the Shelf - but not in a way you'd ever imagine. Instead, people are creating the most bizarre and hilarious parodies about Elf on the Shelf and bringing the holiday cheer four months early.
If you love (or hate) Elf on the Shelf, it's easy to create your own parody like the rest of the internet. Just come up with two random objects that rhyme and you're set to go. We're not sure these parodies embody the Elf on the Shelf spirit of encouraging good behavior in kids, but hey, it might work. Check out some of our favorite parodies ahead.
25 Awesome Costco Shopping Secrets That Go Way Beyond Free Samples
If you're a savvy shopper, you probably have a Costco membership. The warehouse store offers massive discounts on bulk foods, household goods, and even gasoline - but the savings don't stop there! Prepare to save more money than ever before by getting educated about the inner workings of Costco's price schemes, in-store deals, and policies . . . it might just change your life.
Stranger Things: If You Don't Recognize Bob, You Should Be Ashamed
Image Source: Netflix
Perhaps the most winsome new character on Stranger Things season two is Bob Newby, aka Bob the Brain. He's Joyce's so-earnest-it-hurts new boyfriend, and he's chock-full of the greatest dad jokes ("I hope . . . it doesn't . . . suuuuck").
If you were racking your brain to try to figure out where you recognize Bob from, look no further - we've got all the info about this actor, who has appeared in some of the most iconic films of the past 30 years.
Actor Sean Astin made his film debut in 1985 in The Goonies as Mikey Walsh, leader of the ragtag group of kids who have a madcap adventure searching for pirate treasure, which is why it's so perfect that he's now appearing on a TV show that features so many Goonies parallels.
Image Source: Everett Collection
After a couple of solid but smaller movies - White Water Summer with Kevin Bacon, Memphis Belle with Matthew Modine (also now on Stranger Things), and Encino Man with Brendan Fraser - Astin had a breakout role in the heartwarming football movie Rudy as the titular Notre Dame walk-on football player.
Image Source: Everett Collection
After about a decade of trying his hand at directing (earning an Oscar nomination for one live-action short film, Kangaroo Court) and appearing in a few movies, Astin was once again front and center when he was cast as Samwise Gamgee in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Image Source: Everett Collection
Since then, Astin has appeared in films and on TV sporadically, but he has expanded his repertoire to include voice-over work for film, TV, and video games. He has also gotten very involved in fighting for causes like equal rights, AIDS awareness and education, and mental-illness advocacy.
You'll have to find out by watching season two if Astin will reprise his role for Stranger Things season three!
8 Costumes That Aren't Complete Without a Platinum Wig
Halloween is the perfect time to pull out the beauty bits that are a little too outlandish to wear the rest of the year. If you've got a platinum hairpiece hiding in the back of your beauty drawer, take some inspiration from the following costumes, and get wiggy with it!
Amanda's Secret to Losing Over 100 Pounds Wasn't a Diet
Our next Before & After story comes from Amanda Fraijo-Tobin, who blogs about life after losing 130 pounds on her blog Friday Love Song, which is part of our POPSUGAR Select Fitness network. Below, she shares how she lost the weight and how she keeps it off.
Amanda: Before
Growing up, I wasn't severely overweight - sure, I had a pudgy stage, but a lot of people did! My weight wasn't something I thought much about being a kid (as it shouldn't be). My parents had good intentions, like most, but we certainly did not grow up eating very healthy. Snacks, soda, meals prepared without nutritional aspects considered. Soda became a very bad habit for me, especially as I got into my teens and didn't have anyone stopping me from drinking so many.
Fast-forward to high school - like most high school girls, I thought I was fat. Even though, in retrospect, I clearly wasn't. I didn't let it consume my life, though I was a little on the chubby side (so I thought) and I was OK with that. Looking back, I think senior year is when the trouble began for me. Stress, changes in my life, poor eating, and not exercising (hello, gym-class-not-required-after-ninth-grade!) led me to pack on some weight. Again, I already felt like a "fat girl," so I kept going with the mind-set of "This is me - this is who I am." I was married young, had my first child at 20, and of course, packed on more weight. Divorced, remarried, and two more babies later - more weight.
My weight wasn't something I paid attention to. I never weighed myself. The only time anyone took my weight was maybe once or twice a year when I had a doctor's visit - and even then, I didn't think much about it. This is me - this is who I am . . .
Amanda: Before
My husband is a type 2 diabetic. He had already been on tons of medications for several years to control his blood sugar and other problems associated with the disease. He got to the point of having to add insulin injections to his enormous list of meds. His doctor kept urging him to consider weight-loss surgery, telling him that, if he lost some weight, there was a possibility he may be able to stop taking some of his medications. This seemed like a great solution to my husband - I, on the other hand, disagreed. I told him repeatedly, this wasn't the solution. If you don't break bad habits that got you to a certain point, you could not possibly make a real change.
Insert light bulb moment. Pot calling kettle black. Even though it wasn't something I monitored, I was surely at the heaviest point of my life. I was waking up to get my son to school and collapsing on the couch for a nap once he was off. I was having random pains in my foot. I felt gross. I knew I needed to start making changes. I needed to make changes for myself, but also for my husband, for my kids. I needed to be a better example. This wasn't about vanity. This was about life, making a better life for myself and my family.
I knew this wasn't going to be easy. I had packed on the weight over the course of 10 years. I knew it was going to take some time to take it back off. I knew there would be times I would feel like quitting. But from the start, I adopted a "Today I will do what I can" kind of attitude. This went for exercise as well as eating habits. I knew all my bad eating habits were not going to disappear overnight. Slowly but surely, I made mental lists of things I was doing that were awful for my body and thought of ways to change them. Drink more water, read labels of items I was eating, etc. I had been having such severe pains in my heel that some days I could not even walk on it. Some days, I may not get through an entire workout like I wanted to - that's OK. Today I will do what I can.
Amanda: After
I chose not to be vocal about my weight-loss journey from the start. I didn't mention it to friends. My husband and my father were about the only people who knew what I was trying to accomplish. There were many days of whining on my part to my husband about aches and pains from making my body do things it wasn't used to doing. I admit I have no idea for sure what my starting weight was. I have a general idea based on the last time I had been weighed at the doctors - but my journey began about six months, and what I'm guessing, may even be more pounds later. I did not start out with a goal weight in mind. I didn't want one. I wanted to be healthier. Period. Healthy is not pounds on a scale. This is not a short fix; this is a change I will continue to make for the rest of my life.
How Did I Do It?
This is common sense, things we have heard a million times again and again. Change the way you eat. Exercise. Repeat. It's amazing to me when people want to know my "secret." I have no secret. And I find it even funnier when people feel let down by my answer. There is no magic pill. I have not dieted. I have not counted calories. I knew from the start that was not the way I wanted to live my life. This is a lifestyle change. Know that it's going to be challenging, but have faith that you can make the changes you want to.
Amanda: After
About two years later now and around 125 to 135 pounds down, here I am. Still chugging along. Still making it part of my life to make better decisions for my own as well as my family's health. Honestly, I still feel a little silly writing this. I have had people tell me that they think I am an inspiration, which blows my mind. But I am here to tell you: if I can do this, you can do this. All it takes is a true commitment. Am I a superfit person? No, of course not. But every day, I strive to be a little better. I am a real person who did this. I am a mom to three children with a full-time job, a husband, two dogs, and a million other things going on. It takes work. It takes time. But you can do this. Start today, one small change at a time. This is me - this is who I am. Today I will do what I can. Will you?
Do you have an inspiring Before & After story to share? Message us on Facebook, and give us a few details about your journey. We might even profile you on the site, like Amanda!
Dive Under the Sea With These 18 Ursula Makeup Ideas
Don't be a poor unfortunate soul this Halloween! Instead, channel Disney's most infamous underwater villain - Ursula. From the purple face to the white hair to the blue eye shadow, this is one costume that everyone will instantly recognize the second you walk into the party. Opt for a look that's pretty and glam, or go for the traditionally evil and grotesque. There's an entire Ursula spectrum represented in this roundup!
23 Game of Thrones Braid Tutorials So Good, They'd Make the Khaleesi Jealous
It seems like practically everyone on Game of Thrones has good hair - hell, even Jon Snow and Jaime Lannister have enviable locks. Out of the countless gorgeous hairstyles that make an appearance on the dramatic fantasy show, the most impressive are the braids. So many braids. You don't need a King's Landing handmaiden to achieve the plaited looks from GOT, either; thanks to the many braid aficionados on YouTube, it's easy to learn how to steal Sansa Stark and Daenerys Targaryen's signature looks.
We've rounded up all the best Game of Thrones braid tutorials out there, so you can start looking like the khaleesi you are inside. Which one will you try first?
Check out more GOT braids here!
25 Holiday-Scented Beauty Products That Will Make You Hungry Just Reading This
It's the moment all basic ladies have been waiting for: the moment we put away the tropical scents and dive head first into Fall (also known as the gateway to all things holiday). No amount of pumpkin spice proves too much as we attempt to turn our own houses into apple- and plum-scented enchanted forests.
We're getting intoxicated just writing about it, which is why we're excited to present to you a comprehensive gallery of all the holiday-scented hair, skin, and body products we could get our hands on.
From cider-drunk hand soaps to creamy, vanilla-drenched body lotions (and plenty of pine- and spruce-trimmed candles in between), read on for 25 products that will support your festive spirit from Fall harvest to New Year's, and sneak peek more holiday 2017 beauty offerings here.
The Ultimate Fall Dinner Party Menu
If you're hosting a dinner party this Fall, consider the menu done. Fitting for an elegant, rustic affair, this menu is filled with seasonal flavors guaranteed to impress. Start with a gingersnap cocktail, and end with an epic dessert of apple crisp baked apples. In between those crowd-pleasers, expect to find a little bit of everything, including hoisin braised short ribs. You can do no wrong with this menu. Click through and consider your "hostess with the mostess" status complete.
The Opioid Epidemic's Biggest Culprit Isn't Heroin Anymore - It's Something Deadlier
Part of a series of images Jessica* created with photographer John Trew to portray the emotions associated with addiction. Photo courtesy of John Trew.
Andrew*, an HVAC engineer, looks better than your average 37-year-old, college-educated man from Canton, OH. Clean-shaven, wearing a fitted maroon polo shirt and black dress pants. Athletic. Energetic. Flirtatious.
He sits on the patio of a local restaurant, sipping his cocktail, skimming the menu at the kind of place you take your kids to after soccer practice.
"Yesterday I had one glass of wine, today I had two. Tomorrow, I don't know," Andrew says, both hands cupped around a sweaty vodka-soda with lime. "But it's not heroin."
But it wasn't heroin two weeks earlier, either, when the husband and father of three woke up on the floor of his sober-living house to six men shaking him. They told him it took two doses of Narcan, an opioid blocker, to revive him after he overdosed on carfentanil for the sixth time this year.
It wasn't heroin, because if you ask drug users, people in recovery, medical personnel, and law enforcement, they'll tell you that drug has all but dried up in the state of Ohio, a state leading the country in fatal opioid overdoses, according to the Centers For Disease Control.
If it were heroin, it would've been made from morphine, which is derived from naturally occurring opium.
Andrew, 37, looks out from the patio at a restaurant in Canton, OH, on Aug. 18. Photo courtesy Stephanie Haney.
Carfentanil - a synthetic form of fentanyl - is generally used to sedate very large animals, like elephants, and it's 10,000 times stronger than morphine. It's the new drug of choice for those manufacturing and selling illicit drugs in the Buckeye State, which was home to a record-setting 4,149 accidental deaths due to fatal overdoses in 2016.
Fentanyl itself is another popular option. The drug is "50 to 100 times more potent" than morphine, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Oftentimes, drug users don't realize they aren't getting quite what they bargained for until it's too late.
Andrew noticed the switch about six months ago, when he started "falling out" - or losing consciousness - after doses he had previously considered normal.
"I was shooting up all day, every day," he said, as he stretched out his arms to show dark bruises where his veins had collapsed under his skin. And then finally, one day, he overdosed.
The casual observer probably would never know that Andrew was battling opioid addiction at this very moment, but the crisis that's hit America hard doesn't discriminate.
Drug overdose deaths have now become the leading cause of accidental deaths in the US with 52,404 fatalities in 2015, according to the American Society of Addiction Medicine; 33,091 of those deaths, which equates to more than six out of 10, involved an opioid.
And it's getting worse. While official numbers aren't in yet, a New York Times preliminary report has the total number of drug overdose deaths for 2016 at more than 59,000, which it described as "the largest annual jump ever recorded in the United States."
Addiction started for Andrew in 2009, when he started taking his mother's oxycodone, which she had been prescribed after a medical procedure - he says because he "didn't want her taking all of that." He also had a longstanding Adderall prescription added to the mix.
His opioid and Adderall abuse went undetected by his wife until the Summer of 2016, when she noticed he was running out of the ADHD drug before the end of the month. After she made a call to his doctor, his prescription was revoked, and Andrew turned to cocaine. The way he tells it, his wife got fed up, took their kids, and left him, and one week later, he was shooting up heroin.
What Can We Do to Stop the Epidemic?
It's not that uncommon of a story, and it can happen to anybody. President Donald Trump addressed that issue in his press briefing from New Jersey on Aug. 8.
"Nobody is safe from this epidemic that threatens young and old, rich and poor, urban and rural communities," he said. "Everybody is threatened."
But what's debatable is Trump's view that amping up incarceration is the answer to the problem. In the same briefing, he pledged to increase federal drug prosecutions and implied he'd fight to lengthen sentences for convicted federal drug offenders. This is in stark contrast to the Obama administration's approach to dealing with drug users.
Two days later, Trump told reporters in New Jersey, "The opioid crisis is an emergency, and I'm saying officially, right now, it is an emergency. We're going to draw it up and we're going to make it a national emergency. It is a serious problem, the likes of which we have never had."
What methods the Trump administration will ultimately employ to combat the epidemic aren't exactly certain at this time.
What we do know is that his comments about "upping federal prosecutions" were made despite a preliminary report issued on July 31 by his Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis. The report almost exclusively recommended addressing shortcomings in access to treatment for addicts, along with prescription drug reform and stopping the influx of synthetic opioids (like fentanyl and carfentanil) from other countries, like China.
That approach is more in line with what people who are living in the throes of the epidemic think would be helpful.
Incarceration Doesn't Work For Everyone
One of those people is Tugg Massa, 42, from Akron, OH. He's a recovering addict and founder of Akron Say No to Dope, a nonprofit organization that serves Summit County, where as many as 250 people died last year from drug overdoses. Those deaths were largely attributed to the introduction of carfentanil in the area in June and July of 2016, according to Ohio.com.
Both fentanyl and carfentanil are a whole lot cheaper on the street than morphine and heroin, he explained, which is why they're being cut with anything and everything people use to get high - usually unbeknownst to the drug user.
"It's not like it was when I was growing up," Tugg said. "Not to glorify drug use of any kind, but it's a lot more dangerous now. It's not heroin. Heroin won't even get the people out there using drugs high anymore because this fentanyl and carfentanil are so strong."
He knows what he's talking about, as someone who used drugs for 27 years. Tugg's been sober since Oct. 10, 2012, the day he was arrested for illegal manufacturing of methamphetamines.
Tugg Massa, 42, checks the call log for Akron Say No to Dope's 24/7 helpline from his organization's thrift store and boutique in Akron, OH, on Aug. 14. Photo courtesy Stephanie Haney.
When Tugg got caught, he was making meth to support his own opioid habit. He spent two years in prison for that charge, where, despite his surroundings, he got clean and earned his GED.
"It was difficult," he said of his time there. "There's a lot of drugs in prison. I had a drug dealer on one side of my cell and a drug dealer in the other cell next to me."
Although he successfully overcame his addiction while incarcerated, he feels strongly that being locked up is not for everyone. Instead, Tugg is a major advocate for drug court, where people get the option of undergoing treatment in lieu of conviction. That means if they make it through a 12-month program, their convictions are dropped.
Treatment Is Crucial - When the Timing Is Right
Sheriff Steve Leahy of Clermont County, OH, generally agrees with Tugg about the need for more access to treatment, but also says it needs to be worked hand in hand with the judicial system.
"You can't throw everybody's ass in jail," he said. "But what you also can't do is hug your way out of it."
Sheriff Leahy speaks from experience as both a member of law enforcement and someone who has witnessed firsthand a loved one's battle against opioid addiction. His ex-wife's struggles gave him valuable insight into what might work in his community.
He points out that some people simply aren't responsive to treatment, possibly because they're not ready for it at that point in their addiction.
"I think there are just some people who do need to be in jail or incarcerated. Maybe because they're selling as a pusher or they are committing crimes and burglaries and other felonies," he said. "You have to protect the community at large. Also, with the same breath, sometimes the only way to protect an individual from themselves is by having them locked up until you can get them to a point of treatment."
Part of a series of images Jessica* created with photographer John Trew to portray the emotions associated with addiction. Photo courtesy of John Trew.
Whatever they're doing in Clermont County seems to be working. The death toll skyrocketed to 94 in 2015, placing Clermont at the top of the state for accidental overdose deaths, according to Leeann Watson, associate director of Clermont County's Mental Health Recovery Board. That figure was up from 68 in 2014 and 56 in 2013, said Watson, who is also cochair of the opiate task force. But in 2016, the number dropped slightly to 82 deaths.
One tool that Leahy believes in is his county's community alternative sentencing program, which people can choose to participate in while they are incarcerated.
The program is administered in a wing of the county jail dedicated exclusively to those who have volunteered for treatment. It's an opportunity for convicted drug offenders who are ready to tackle sobriety to make the best use of their time.
"You have to have the buy-in of the court system, which includes the probation department and other mental health and addiction specialists," Leahy said. "It's kind of a multipronged attack."
Court Programs Can't Help When Drugs Don't Show Up on Tests
Andrew, who was placed on probation in January after officers found a needle in his car when he got pulled over for speeding, hasn't had to face a choice like those convicted in Sheriff Leahy's jurisdiction yet.
Not after trying out replacement drug therapy with Suboxone and methadone; not after attending treatment facilities in both Mexico and Florida; not after witnessing two people die from opioid overdoses in his own home on two separate occasions. And not even after his own latest overdose.
When his sober-living housemates revived him just two weeks ago, the police were called and he was taken to the hospital.
If he had tested positive for drugs at the hospital, he would've been kicked out of the sober-living house and sent to jail for violating probation.
The crazy thing is, his drug test came back negative.
"I've been given a lot of grace," he says.
"Grace" for Andrew, this time, came in the form of a standard urine test that didn't detect the particular concoction of street opioids that shut down his system.
Yes, you read that right. The standard drug tests administered at many hospitals that treat overdose victims don't pick up carfentanil and the street versions of fentanyl that are killing people in record numbers.
Even after six near-death experiences and witnessing two fatal overdoses in his own home from opioid use in the past year, Andrew says he still can't promise he won't ever use opioids again. Photo courtesy Stephanie Haney.
"You have to know what you're looking for," said Dr. Barry Sample, senior director of Science and Technology at Quest Diagnostics.
Dr. Allison Chambliss, assistant professor of Clinical Pathology at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, elaborated, "Fentanyl and carfentanil are structurally distinct from the other major opioids, and so do not get detected up by the routine urine opioid drug screens out there that are designed to pick up morphine, codeine, and heroin."
Even if you might have an idea what you're looking for, oftentimes the proper tests simply aren't run - either because they're too expensive or the facility where the victim is being treated doesn't have the proper equipment.
Usually it's only large reference and specialty toxicology labs that have the tools required to carry out these kinds of tests, even though they could be run on urine or blood samples, just like more general opioid tests, Chambliss said.
In Andrew's case, the standard test was apparently run, and it came back negative for opioids. He was released from the hospital and was able to go back to the sober-living facility with no probation violation recorded.
Even after that close of a call, where he narrowly escaped losing his liberty - and his life - he admits, "I still can't promise I'll never use opioids again. It's too good."
"Ready" and "Rock Bottom" Look Different For Everyone
Tugg pointed out that in his ministry of recovering addicts, "They have to come to me. I can't go chasing people down."
He shared Sheriff Leahy's sentiment that drug users have to be ready on their own, which many addicts describe as their "rock bottom" moment. For him, it was a letter from his daughter while he was in prison, asking him, "Who do you think you are?"
Part of a series of images Jessica* created with photographer John Trew to portray the emotions associated with addiction. Photo courtesy of John Trew.
Rock bottom for Jessica*, 26, from Los Angeles looked very different.
Having used drugs since the age of 13, Jessica became addicted to opioids at 16 after trading away cocaine for "tar" and not realizing that it was, in fact, heroin.
At one of her worst moments, she was homeless, on the street, doing whatever was necessary to score drugs. At another, an obsessed partner held her against her will for half a year.
Jessica says her captor forbid her from speaking to anyone else, eating, showering, or even using the bathroom outside of his presence. She finally convinced this man that her going to treatment would be better for their relationship, which is how she escaped that situation.
"When I got to treatment, I had to learn how to form sentences again. I couldn't speak. I didn't know how to raise my head and look somebody in the eye," she said. "Even just eating was a big thing. I didn't know how to do that anymore. I had to learn how to stop asking permission for things, which was really hard. That's something that I still struggle with today."
But even being held against her will wasn't what brought her to the realization that she needed to get clean.
Her epiphany came in 2012 at the age of 21, when she had "everything" in every materialistic sense of the word. She was living with a wealthy man - who supported her $400-a-day heroin habit - in a beautiful home in Southern California. She said it was hitting an emotional bottom that finally did her drug use in over a period of four months when she was trying to overdose every single day.
"It was a feeling of desperation that was something I hadn't felt before," she said. "That true desperation of, 'I have everything in the world, but I am nothing,' that's what was different this time than all the other times. I finally realized that I as a person had no self-worth."
"I would be looking in the mirror at myself, because I was an IV user, and I would shoot in my neck, so I would have to be in front of a mirror. I'd be standing in front of a mirror, looking myself in the eyes as I'm injecting my neck with heroin trying to die," she said. "Praying that you don't wake up this time, that is the scariest feeling in the whole world," she said.
Today, she's five years sober and has been working for the last two and half years at a sober treatment facility in Texas, which she credits with helping to maintain her sobriety.
The Street View of How to Fight the Opioid Crisis
Signs advertise free Narcan class outside New Beginnings, the thrift store and boutique Tugg runs in Akron, OH, in support of Akron Say No to Dope. Photo courtesy Stephanie Haney.
It's unclear exactly what will happen to the wide-scale handling of this epidemic nationwide, if and when the opioid crisis is officially declared a national emergency, but Jessica and the other people we interviewed for this story have a wish list.
Sheriff Leahy, Jessica, and Tugg all agree that more in-house treatment facilities are crucial in this fight.
"When someone is ready to get off of drugs, we need to address that right then," Tugg said. "We need more beds. No wait time."
Jessica noted that in addition to more beds, facilities need more time.
"Long-term treatment is what's working. The 30-day treatment centers are not long enough. You can't work through all the trauma that you've caused to yourself as an addict. Your first week, you're detoxing. Your second, third week, you might be going to groups and start having emotions again, and your fourth and fifth week, you're planning your discharge already. So you've really only gotten a week of actual treatment," she said.
"Starting to form new habits takes a long time. You can't learn that in 30 days, which is why I stayed in treatment for a year and a half," Jessica said. "A lot of treatment centers are only 30 days, which is why they're always full because people, they'll go in, 30 days, get out, relapse, and go back in. The long-term places are getting people and holding them and really turning them back out to be productive members of society."
From a law enforcement perspective, Leahy would also like to see funds available for "one or two more" directed patrol officers, meaning members of law enforcement who are assigned a specific task for a particular purpose. In his community, that purpose would be to have more of a presence to help stop the flow of drugs across jurisdictional lines.
"And maybe a reinstitution of D.A.R.E. or something similar to that," Leahy said. "We can do whatever we're doing now, but we've got to get to the young people."
At the federal level, Trump alluded during his press briefing to the fact that he's talking with China about "certain forms of man-made drugs that come in."
That prospect got Tugg excited.
"We need to put sanctions on China. If they're not going to regulate what they're sending over here, then there should be sanctions against them," he said. "The fentanyl and carfentanil that's going around, they can get it right through the mail from China and get it dropped off right at their house."
Andrew says he got his last batch of opioids from his housemate, who is connected with one of the major drug cartels in Mexico. He won't say how it arrived in Ohio.
We asked what advice he would give - after everything he's experienced - to someone who was considering trying opioids for the first time today.
"I would say, 'Pull out your phone and look up epitaph, because you're gonna want to know what that word means,'" he says. "And then tell everyone you love that you love them. And then flip a quarter. Because there's a 50/50 chance you're gonna die."
*Names have been changed to protect the identities of these sources.
If you or someone you know is in need of drug-related treatment or counseling, you can reach the Substance and Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) on its Treatment Referral Routing Service helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
SAMHSA's National Helpline is a free, confidential, 24/7, 365-day-a-year treatment referral and information service (in English and Spanish) for individuals and families facing mental and/or substance use disorders.
If you're in the Summit County, OH, area, you can call Akron Say No to Dope's 24/7 hotline at 855-246-LIVE (5483).
I Tried a Natural Underam Detox, and It Made Me a New Woman
I sweat so much, sometimes I think that my armpits heard Beyoncé sing, "A little sweat never hurt nobody," and replied, "Challenge accepted." It's been a lifelong struggle. In middle school, I used to line the insides of my sleeves with Always Infinities in hopes of stopping stains (FYI: all it stopped was boys talking to me).
I eventually matured into using men's deodorant, which cured my perspiration - at a cost. Such strong, chemical deodorants contain aluminum, which has been linked to causing Alzheimer's and breast cancer. It felt extremely irresponsible to risk my future health in favor of smelling good. Sure, I would have loved to be one of those graceful hippie women whose sweat smells like fresh patchouli, sunshine, and good vibes. But alas, I am a musky woman.
So when POPSUGAR Senior Beauty Editor Lauren Levinson suggested that I try transitioning to the new Lavanila Vanilla + Water Element Deodorant ($14, out Oct. 15), I almost hid under my desk. This antiperspirant is made of essential oil, not aluminum, and I was sure it would leave me a stinky mess.
Plus, the transition period between throwing out your traditional deodorant and picking up a natural one is notoriously rough. According to Lavanila's site, going natural means that your pits "start to breathe," open up, and release toxins that don't smell great.
If you can get over the first five days of using this mask, your whole body feels fresh, and you will no longer be afraid of stinking up tight spaces and crowded elevators
Luckily, Lavanila also just released its Underarm Detox Mask ($26), which is made of active charcoal, malic acid, and silica. According to a release, this formula draws out impurities from the skin to "detoxify, beautify, and transform the underarm." I decided to use it in tandem with trying natural deodorant for the first time, in hopes of making the change as seamless (and stench-free) as possible.
The mask consists of sticky black goo, which you apply to your pits via an attached brush. I put it on five minutes before taking a shower, and then rinse it off. Unlike the Boscia Luminizing Black Mask ($34), which it sort of looks like, this Lavanila offering doesn't harden or tighten up as you keep it on. It doesn't feel like anything, really, so even the most ticklish among us can use it without uncomfortable side effects.
In the picture below (you're welcome, internet), you can see how I applied the mask in one smooth layer. A little of this goes a long way, so don't feel like you have to slather it on.
Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Alaina Demopoulos
The first week I used a natural deodorant was what can only be described as "the worst of times." I had a wedding to go to, where I wore a strapless dress and danced all night. I could literally feel the toxins seeping out of my pits, but I wasn't not going to raise the roof when "Shout" played. But I'm a stubborn Taurus, so I didn't give up on my detox. I went home that night and put on the mask.
For the next few days, I felt squeaky clean. There was no odor or excessive sweating, and I even felt comfortable enough wearing a tight, black turtleneck, which would have betrayed any pit stains.
If you can get over the first five days of using this mask, your whole body feels fresh, and you will no longer be afraid of stinking up tight spaces and crowded elevators. I also noticed that this formula softened my armpit hair, which has been ravaged by more than a decade of continual shaving. The skin has become less stubbly, and I feel so comfortable in tank tops that I might just have to go book a vacation so I can flaunt my arms.
After years of doing everything I could to mask my perspiration, undergoing the sweat and tears it took to transition to natural deo actually stops it. My Always Infinities-touting middle school self would be so jealous. Plus, during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, what better way to say f*ck you to cancer than by eliminating a huge cause of it from your lifestyle? Now, that's just one fewer thing for me to sweat about.
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