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.
dimanche 1 avril 2018
Severus Snape Is Kind of an Assh*le (Dodges Tomatoes)
Snape was . . . a huge assh*le. He was cunning, and brilliant, and dynamic, and he was a HUGE assh*le. I love him, yes. He is one of my favorite characters in the Harry Potter series. But I also have never quite understood the ease with which we all went from hating Snape to raising him up on a pedestal that he simply doesn't belong on. Here's the thing: no one belongs on one, Snape least of all.
Severus Snape teaches us the ultimate lesson: that just because we've done bad things, it's never too late to seek and find redemption and forgiveness. His unwavering love for Lily is a testament to the power of the sentiment, to the mountains it can move, and to the lasting effect it can have on one person, and on the world as a whole.
But Snape was also a bully. He was cruel to Harry. He spent most of his childhood and adolescence on a dark path that culminated in his initiation as a Death Eater. Part of why he lost Lily's friendship in the first place is because he sought the company of future Death Eaters at Hogwarts.
In the epic Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Prince's Tale chapter, so much about Snape's past is revealed, and not all of it is pretty. This conversation from Lily and Snape's days at Hogwarts showed their friendship unraveling.
". . . thought we were supposed to be friends?" Snape was saying, "Best friends?"
"We are, Sev, but I don't like some of the people you're hanging round with! I'm sorry, but I detest Avery and Mulciber! Mulciber! What do you see in him, Sev, he's creepy! D'you know what he tried to do to Mary MacDonald the other day?" Lily had reached a pillar and leaned against it, looking up into the thin, sallow face.
"That was nothing," said Snape. "It was a laugh, that's all -"
"It was Dark Magic, and if you think that's funny -"
Harry kept his distance this time . . . He watched as Lily joined the group and went to Snape's defense. Distantly he heard Snape shout at her in his humiliation and his fury, the unforgivable word: "Mudblood."
This moment still makes my stomach turn. Yes, Snape was hurt, and yes we all say and do things that we don't mean in that state. But his deep-seated disrespect for "lesser" people wasn't present only in his moments of frustration; it showed in the countless choices he made as he grew up, and in who he chose to cultivate relationships with - as in, future Death Eaters and Voldemort himself.
He took out his hatred for a grown man (who was long dead) on his son - an 11-year-old boy who was completely innocent. Neville Longbottom's boggart was Snape, for god's sake. He laughed in Hermione's face when she was cursed and openly belittled her intelligence for years. He constantly allied himself with the likes of Slytherin students like Malfoy whose sole purpose was to make others miserable. He sat idly by while Voldemort murdered Professor Burbage for the crime of teaching Muggle Studies. You can't tell me that we can blame all of this on the mere fact that he had it out for James Potter. Nor can you convince me that all of this was to maintain the guise that Snape was indeed still loyal to Voldemort. No, Snape wasn't a terrible person, but he certainly had darkness within him, and without someone like Lily Potter to keep it in check, that fire was fueled further. Snape's hatred of James and his friends coupled with his utterly unrequited love for Lily twisted him into something that, in many ways, was terrible. Even when he knew that Lily's entire family - a baby included - was targeted by Voldemort, he thought only of Lily, and in turn, only of himself:
"You disgust me," said Dumbledore, and Harry had never heard so much contempt in his voice. Snape seemed to shrink a little, "You do not care, then, about the deaths of her husband and child? They can die, as long as you have what you want?"
Snape said nothing, but merely looked up at Dumbledore.
"Hide them all, then," he croaked. "Keep her - them - safe. Please."
And so Dumbledore did keep Harry safe. And so Snape used his love for Lily as a reason for protecting Harry, and he put everything he had into doing just that. His devotion to this promise is incredibly admirable, and it is this service to her memory that often paints him as a martyr of sorts among fans. But this doesn't mean he was kind. It doesn't mean he did what he did happily, because Harry was, after all, James Potter's son. He begrudgingly, and yes, bravely, upheld his bargain to Dumbledore and to the woman he loved. More than anything, Snape was very brave.
"Karkaroff intends to flee if the Mark burns."
"Does he?" said Dumbledore softly, as Fleur Delacour and Roger Davies came giggling in from the grounds. "And are you tempted to join him?"
"No," said Snape, his black eyes on Fleur's and Roger's retreating figures. "I am not such a coward."
"No," agreed Dumbledore. "You are a braver man by far than Igor Karkaroff. You know, I sometimes think we Sort too soon . . . "
The idea that Hogwarts Sorts too soon is important, because I really believe that a lot of who Snape became is due to where he came from and who he fell in with in Slytherin. Maybe if he'd been in Gryffindor with Lily's goodness to guide him, everything would have been different. But he wasn't, and who he was is due in large part to this. Maybe he never really had the chance to foster the part of him that could love the way he loved Lily. Maybe, like Tom Riddle, Snape is yet another character who proves that had someone given them love they so desperately needed (and deserved), something else entirely would have come to pass.
Whatever his reasons for protecting Harry were, he didn't waver in his task once he agreed to it. Above everything, I think this is what I admire most about him. He did whatever it took to keep Lily's son alive. And in the end, I do believe he cared for Harry. Somewhere along the way, Snape was able to throw off the cloak of cold hatred he had wrapped himself in years before and objectively see that Harry wasn't so much like James after all, at least not in the ways he always expected to find, and therefore saw. The moment I realized that it wasn't only about Lily anymore was when he found out Dumbledore's devastating plan.
"I have spied for you and lied for you, put myself in mortal danger for you. Everything was supposed to be to keep Lily Potter's son safe. Now you tell me you have been raising him like a pig for slaughter -"
"But this is touching, Severus," said Dumbledore seriously. "Have you grown to care for the boy, after all?"
"For him?" shouted Snape. "Expecto Patronum!"
From the tip of his wand burst the silver doe. She landed on the office floor, bounded once across the office, and soared out of the window. Dumbledore watched her fly away, and as her silvery glow faded he turned back to Snape, and his eyes were full of tears.
"After all this time?"
"Always," said Snape.
Stubborn until the bitter end, Snape still couldn't bring himself to admit that what he did was for anyone but Lily. And maybe that's true. Maybe his motives were selfish, and maybe he's an overall sh*tty guy whose attempt at fulfilling a promise in honor of the memory of a woman he loved just happened to, by default, have wonderful results. I don't think so. But maybe it doesn't really matter why he did what he did.
No, I don't think Snape was a great person, but I certainly think Snape did great things. Snape is one of my favorite characters because he was so imperfect. His motives were never pure, he was majorly flawed, he was born and raised in darkness and could have clung to it - and in many ways did. But somewhere deep down he realized - I think in part because of his relationship with Dumbledore - what it truly meant to fight on the side of good. Despite everything he'd been through in his rather bleak life, he was capable of a love so deep, it literally changed the tide of a war. He played his part in saving Harry's life, and in turn, he played his part in saving the wizarding world from something far more terrible than the decades-old grudge of a sad and lonely man.
I think we romanticize Snape, we raise him up on that pedestal - one he can't ever live up to because the stains of his past will always be a part of him. But I love Snape, stains and all, because he epitomizes what these books stand for. The strength of bravery, the reality of failure and the hope of forgiveness, the importance of perseverance, the beauty of unwavering loyalty, the reassurance that light can and will drive out the darkness. And most of all, the monumental power of love. Always, love.
A Series of Unfortunate Events: We Can't Be the Only Ones Wondering How Old This Kid Is
The end of season one of A Series of Unfortunate Events introduced us to another set of orphans waiting at Prufrock Prepratory. Dylan Kingwell plays Duncan and Quigley in A Series of Unfortunate Events (er, played), but he has had several diverse roles throughout his young life.
Kingwell boasts an impressive resume; he has had TV roles on The Good Doctor, The Returned, and even on Supernatural! Not only has Kingwell had success in TV, he has had roles in numerous TV Movies. He has worked for Nickelodeon, Hallmark, and Lifetime bringing him to over ten roles across all genres of film. This is doubly impressive as Dylan Kingwell is only 13! (Malina Weissman, aka Violet, is 15, while Louis Hynes, aka Klaus, is 16.)
Kingwell was born in July of 2004, and he hails from Vancouver. According to his IMDb, he loves academics, reading, and has a curious mind for science - sounds like the perfect basis for his role on ASOUE. For someone so young in years, he is wholly dedicated to his craft. Kingwell's Instagram feed is full of stills and pictures from his spots on various shows. His Twitter feed is the same much the same proving he is professional, posed, and primed for huge success.
Dylan Kingwell is clearly a motivated actor who knows exactly where he wants his career to go. He already has made a splash in the entertainment community in his fourteen years of life, and we can't wait to see where his career takes him next!
A Series Of Unfortunate Events: Yep, That Quagmire Was on The Good Doctor
The Baudelaire children aren't the only orphans, or set of three siblings, in A Series of Unfortunate Events. There's also the Quagmire triplets: Duncan, Isadora, and Quigley. The two sets of orphans become friends at Prufrock Prepartory, bonding over spyglasses and hunting down the meaning of the mysterious VFD.
Though Dylan Kingwell and Avi Lake are not as well known as some of the other guest stars on the series like Nathan Fillion, Tony Hale, Sara Rue, and Lucy Punch, the two young actors already have several acting credits under their belts.
You aren't seeing double at the end of season one - Kingwell plays Duncan Quigley as well as Quigley Quagmire, but in season two due to an unfortunate fire at the Quagmire's mansion, he just has the role of Duncan. Kingwell, born in Vancouver, started acting with TV commercials. If you're a fan of made-for-TV Christmas movies (and who isn't), you recognize him from Wish Upon A Christmas on Lifetime and The Christmas Note on Hallmark. He played the young Sam Winchester in an episode of Supernatural season 11, starred in the U.S. version of The Returned (pictured above), and he had a multi-episode arc on ABC's The Good Doctor.
Texas-born actor Lake hit the big screen at age six as the little girl with the dog alongside Samuel L. Jackson and Luke Wilson in Meeting Evil. In the more family-friendly The One I Wrote For You (pictured above), she plays the daughter who helps jump start her father's singer, song-writer career. The Texas born actor also plays Imogene, the niece of Officer Kim Burgess, on the season 2 crossover of Chicago P.D. and Chicago Fire.
While the Quagmires literally fly away during season 2, if the Netflix series stays close to the plotline of the books, there's a possibility that we might get to see Lake and Kingwell as the Quagmires again. Until then and/or if not, you can keep up with the lives of the young actors on their active Instagram accounts: @Avi_Lake and @dylan.kingwell.
In a Truly Stunning Turn of Events, Leonardo DiCaprio Has Emerged With a New Model Girlfriend
Guess what: Leonardo DiCaprio is dating a model! The Oscar winner was photographed with 20-year-old Camila Morrone in LA on Wednesday. The couple, who have reportedly been dating since late last year, showed subtle PDA as they walked arm in arm while leaving breakfast together. It might actually be the first confirmed relationship for Leo since he split with Sports Illustrated stunner Nina Agdal in May 2017, though he was also linked to Lorena Rae and Juliette Perkins, both - you guessed it! - models.
Camila is a Miami-based model of Argentinian descent who also has Hollywood ties that likely brought her into Leo's world; her mother, Lucila Solá, has dated legendary actor Al Pacino - a longtime friend of Leo's. Camila - "Cami" to most - also runs in young model circles along with Kaia Gerber, Bella Hadid, Kendall Jenner, and Hailey Baldwin.
Sophia Bush Comes to Hilarie Burton's Defense Over "Exploitative" One Tree Hill Convention
Image Source: Getty / Lawrence Lucier
Sophia Bush and Hilarie Burton have been friends ever since they starred together on One Tree Hill, so you bet they have each other's backs. Earlier this week, Hilarie took to Twitter to explain why she isn't attending any of the EyeCon Convention reunions this year, saying she "personally feel[s] exploited by their 'girl power' angle" and that "they're using our sisterhood as a sales gimmick."
I'm sorry Mary. I will not be attending any Eyecon events. Ever. I personally feel exploited by their "girl power" angle, which exists at the expense of some of us who went through a difficult time on that show. They're using our sisterhood as a sales gimmick. No thanks.
- Hilarie Burton (@HilarieBurton) March 27, 2018
Of course, it didn't take very long for Hilarie to receive backlash for criticizing the convention's theme. Luckily, Sophia jumped to her friend's defense. "@HilarieBurton is my sister," Sophia wrote. "Don't f*ck with her. Period."
.@HilarieBurton is my sister. Don't fuck with her. Period.
Pt. 1 pic.twitter.com/eAf7usSJq4- Sophia Bush (@SophiaBush) March 29, 2018
.@HilarieBurton is my sister. Don't fuck with her. Period.
Pt. 2 pic.twitter.com/9fX8KAX5Dp- Sophia Bush (@SophiaBush) March 29, 2018
Back in November, 18 former cast and crew members from the beloved show came forward to accuse former showrunner Mark Schwahn of sexual harassment during the filming of the series, which aired from 2003 to 2012.
EyeCon has since released an apology.
- EyeCon (@EyeCon3000) March 29, 2018
Prince Philip Cancels His Annual Appearance With Queen Elizabeth II Due to Hip Problems
Every year we're used to seeing Prince Philip accompany Queen Elizabeth II to the Maundy church service, but this year, things were a little bit different. Even though the 96-year-old royal was listed in the Order of Service as a guest, Philip canceled his appearance last minute. "The Order of Service was printed some weeks ago when it was hoped the Duke would be able to take part," a palace spokesperson told People. "HRH has since decided not to attend."
While Philip did initially intend on going, a royal source revealed that he ultimately chose not to because he's been experiencing some "trouble with his hip." It's also possible that his hip trouble is what caused him to skip out on Prince Andrew's appointment as the new Colonel of the Grenadier Guards last week.
In August 2017, Philip stepped down from his royal duties and officially retired from his public engagements. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle also reportedly expedited their wedding to May to ensure that Philip can attend. We hope Philip feels better soon!
The Way They Were: A Day-by-Day Look Back of Selena and The Weeknd's Whirlwind Romance
Selena Gomez and The Weeknd called it quits after almost a year of dating back in October 2017, but the R&B singer's latest EP, My Dear Melancholy, has sparked renewed interest in their relationship. Even though the two may not even be friends anymore (they stopped following each other on Instagram), we thought we'd take a nostalgic look back at the way they used to be. From trips around the world to PDA-filled red carpets, here's a day-by-day timeline of Selena and The Weeknd's romance.
Whoa - Santa Clarita Diet Slipped a GIANT Season 2 Spoiler Into the Start of Season 1
Warning: Major (depending on how important sitcom plotlines are to you) season two Santa Clarita Diet spoilers ahead.
Season two of Netflix's Santa Clarita Diet picks up right where season one leaves off, but this time, the gory comedy doesn't pull any punches. Not only is it full of even more hilarious jokes - including an extended bit with Nathan Fillion's severed head - but it also clues us into the reason Sheila (Drew Barrymore) became an undead, human-eating machine in the first place. Can The Walking Dead get on Santa Clarita Diet's level, or what?
Season two kicks off with Sheila, her husband, Joel (Timothy Olyphant), and teenage daughter Abby (Liv Hewson) focusing on two main goals: keeping her from going full-on feral and also finding out what in the hell caused her to become a zombie in season one. As for the latter, it turns out we've known since episode two of the first season - Netflix completely spoiled the whole reveal, but no one could have known at the time.
At the end of season one's second episode, "We Can't Kill People!," Sheila has discovered that she prefers the taste of fresh human flesh, which is quite the predicament for her and her Yelp aficionado husband, Joel. Lying in bed, reflecting on the first 24 hours of her undead life, Sheila starts to really wonder: "Why is this happening to me?" The rest of their conversation continues:
"I don't know," Joel, ever-insightful, responds.
"Do you think it could be those clams I had at Japopo's?"
"I don't know," Joel mumbles again. "Shouldn't go back there anyway, the food's never been great."
And there you have it, folks: one of season two's biggest reveals - that Ruby's devil-red clams from Serbia that were served at Japopo's started this whole undead mess - is casually glossed over during an early pillow-talking sesh in the series. Can you imagine all the twists and turns the writers are going to go on in season three?!
"The Pants Are Happening All Over Again": Amber Tamblyn on the Sisterhood's Next Generation
The sisterhood lasts forever, and not even a decade can change that! In a recent interview with Us Weekly, Amber Tamblyn sweetly spoke about how close the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants costars still are. They even keep in touch over group text!
Amber, Blake Lively, America Ferrera, and Alexis Bledel have seen enormous success in their careers since 2005, but that's not all they have in common anymore: they're now all moms (or soon-to-be)! With Blake's two daughters James and Ines, Alexis's son, Amber's daughter Marlow, and America's baby on the way, there's bound to be a lot more sisterhood baby bonding in the future . . . and maybe a pair of shareable jeans?
Amber realized the friends will have to get the tiniest pants for their kiddos to share. "The pants are happening all over again, another generation," she said.
While the members of the younger generation try the pants on for size, will the original crew ever reunite for another film? Well, once upon a time, Alexis Bledel said they were "working on it." We certainly hope there's another movie in the works, and while we haven't heard much since then, we'll never forget what's really important: the pants, the sisterhood, and now, the next generation.
Kim Kardashian and Millie Bobby Brown Finally Met and Blessed Us With These FIRE Selfies
Kim Kardashian and Millie Bobby Brown worlds finally collided and it's everything we imagined it would be. In November, the Stranger Things star revealed her over-the-top Kardashian obsession during an appearance on The Tonight Show and Kim immediately returned the compliment. "OMG @milliebbrown we love you bible!!!!" the reality star tweeted at the time. "BEST DAY EVER! Life complete ❤️" Millie wrote back. As fate would have it, Millie got to meet Kim on Friday and take some selfies with the selfie guru. Read on to see more photos of their adorable encounter. They're basically BFFs now, right?
Ryan Reynolds Says He "Could Use a Little Me Time" After False Report About His Marriage
Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively have been going strong ever since tying the knot back in 2012. The couple has welcomed two children together, daughters James and Ines, born December 2014 and September 2016, respectively, while managing to juggle successful acting careers.
One would assume the picture-perfect duo manages to make time for each other in their busy schedules, but according to a recent report from International Business Times India, Ryan and Blake are "struggling to spend 'quality time'" with one another. Fortunately, the outlet tagged the Deadpool star in a tweet along with the article, which he graciously responded to, with humor, of course.
I wish. I could use a little "me time". https://t.co/S6kXFsWaMe
- Ryan Reynolds (@VancityReynolds) March 31, 2018
Ryan's hilarious reply not only effectively debunked the silly rumor, it was also another addition to his other funny tweets we've come to love him for. For now, it appears his marriage to Blake is still intact. They were last spotted looking cozy together at the New York City premiere of Final Portrait on March 22. We can't wait to see Blake's response to Ryan's joke about wanting more "me time." If it's anything like her birthday wish to him last year, it's sure to be epic.
A Full Music Video For the "I Want Your Cray Cray" Song From Jessica Jones Exists, FYI
Try as I might, I couldn't get through the second season of Jessica Jones without incurring a deep, personal shame for my love of "I Want Your Cray Cray." Yes - the earworm that previgilante Trish sings in her Patsy days is ridiculous and has some of the worst lyrics of all time, but is it catchy? Did I find myself humming it over and over again while also thinking about the nightmarish IGH group and Jessica's emotional struggle with her mother? Did I maybe check iTunes to see if it was available for download? I'm not at liberty to say.
What I will say is a big thank you to Netflix, who graciously released the full-length music video for the track, which features Patsy (aka Trish aka actress Rachael Taylor) in all her "Oops!... I Did It Again"-era glory. There are also a few pop-up-video-style blurbs included, just in case you want to know even more about "I Want Your Cray Cray."
Prince William and Kate Middleton's Third Child Has a Royal Title, but There's a Catch
Prince William and Kate Middleton's third child is expected to arrive in mid-April, and there is already talk about what his or her title will be. Prince George and Princess Charlotte's younger sibling will undoubtedly steal the spotlight as the newest member of the British royal family, and now we know exactly how to address the tiny tot when he or she arrives.
According to royal historian Marlene Koenig, the third baby's official title will be His Royal Highness Prince [name] of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, or Her Royal Highness Princess [name] of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
But not so fast. Since Prince William and Kate Middleton are technically the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, the newcomer will be addressed as His/Her Royal Highness Prince/Princess [name] of Cambridge. "Royal children are 'styled' differently if they are the children of a royal duke," Marlene explained of the subtle title differences to Town & Country.
The new royal baby will be the fifth in line to the throne behind big sister Princess Charlotte, as previously reported, due to a new succession law put in place in March 2015 that bases succession on birth order and not sex. Now that we have that settled, find out what Meghan Markle's title will be once she ties the knot with Prince Harry in May.
An Extremely Grim New Trailer For The Handmaid's Tale Season 2 Is Here
We've already seen all the haunting pictures, but now we have a ton of official (and officially grim) footage from season two of Hulu's award-winning series The Handmaid's Tale. It's an extremely harrowing look into what Offred (Elisabeth Moss) will go through in the new episodes now that she's carrying Nick's child, and will no doubt answer the question that we were all wondering at the end of season one: who took her? On top of that, season two will feature what life is like for women exiled to the colonies, scenes that will involve new cast members Marisa Tomei and Cherry Jones. Sound like something out of your nightmares? We thought so. Watch the trailer and new teaser, then check out everything we know about the second season of the dystopian drama, which premieres April 25.
Official Trailer:
Teaser:
16 Things We Know About The Handmaid's Tale Season 2
We're officially in some new fresh hell in 2018, and when it comes to The Handmaid's Tale, we're already looking ahead. If you read the book, you'll know that the first season finale ends in the same frustrating way the book ends: June is taken into a mysterious van and carted off to a mysterious future somewhere else. In this case, though, we don't have to wonder endlessly. How much can we uncover about the show's next chapter? Well, blessed be the fruit - we've got a lot to go over. Let's see what we could uncover (under his eye).
1. It's Going to Be Longer
While the first season was 10 episodes, the second has been extended to 13.
2. Alexis Bledel Will Reprise Her Role
Thought you'd seen the last of Ofglen/Emily? Not so fast. Bledel has been confirmed as part of season two's cast! We'll get a glimpse of Ofglen in the Colonies, the toxic wasteland where women who commit crimes are sent as punishment. "We get to see the colonies. It's a terrible place where they send Unwomen to work them to death," executive producer Bruce Miller said during a pre-Emmy panel in August. Bledel also commented on her character's new situation, saying, "I'm very interested to see what that looks like because it's a completely different world we haven't seen on the show yet - and I'm scared."
3. The Colonies Are Even Bleaker and Darker Than They Sound
A new feature by Marie Claire describes the Colonies in all their grim glory. As a refresher, the Colonies are where deviants (known as Unwomen) get sent for misbehaving. The new story describes the Colonies as "a dark and grime-filled wasteland." Costume designer Ane Crabtree offered a bit more insight. "The Unwomen are kind of the new Handmaids in season two. They're turning over soil, trying to move radiation, so they get filthy," she revealed. "They have probably six months - at best two years - to live. We're trying to show that humanity in their costumes. I made beautiful sheer pieces to be worn under their outfits since they strip down, as their clothing is full of radiation." Yikes.
4. The Trailer Is DARK
Here, we get a glimpse of all the mayhem that lies ahead. Offred is covered in blood and lighting things on fire! The Colonies are here, and they look f*cking awful! Tension is surely bubbling over, and we can't imagine what else this next bank of episodes might hold.
5. Surprise, Surprise: The President Has Inspired Parts of the Season
While season one of the show was planned before the 2016 election, the same is not true for season two. When it comes to some of Trump's "draconian policies," as Marie Claire phrases it, creator Bruce Miller can't help but incorporate today's reality into the fabric of the show. "Oh, I think we can't help but let it influence us," he said. "We have let it influence us. And there are a lot of issues we brought up last year that we want to address this year in ways we never had time to."
6. Things Are Only Going to Get Worse All Around
Earlier this month, The Pool interviewed Elisabeth Moss and grilled her on what's to come. "Wait till you see what's coming! It's going to get worse, girl. Season two is going to be bad too, really dark." Here we were, thinking June might have been rescued from the Waterfords. Maybe it's not that simple.
7. June Is Covered in Blood in a First Photo
You might remember how ruthlessly June is whisked away at the end of season one. We have no idea who takes her or where she even ends up. But if the first pictures of the season are any indication, she is certainly not safe. We're rooting for you, June!
8. June's Romance With Nick May Intensify
Elle ran a profile of Moss in early June, and she dropped a small tidbit about her Gilead lover, Nick. "It's part of the reason that I'm really excited about a season two, she's in this position where she might be in love with two people," Moss said, "Honestly, I think she does love Nick - if I can speak for her - but I don't know if she knows that she does yet. But she has a husband who she also loves, who's the father of Hannah, who she also now knows is alive."
9. Pay Attention to the Marthas
Showrunner Bruce Miller noted, "The Marthas in general in Gilead are kind of invisible . . . it's been great for us that it's been such a slow and careful building of a relationship between Rita and Offred. That slow and careful build-up in season one leads to a payoff so that we can use her more in season two."
10. We Might See Aunt Lydia's Backstory
Meanwhile, Miller also spoke to The New York Times about season two. Aunt Lydia could still play a key role in the show's next chapter. "Aunt Lydia is one of my most fascinating characters," Miller said. "We would like to explore her back story, and what the lives of the aunts are like."
11. The Mayday Resistance Is Another Key Component, but Let's Not Get Too Excited
It's easy to assume Mayday means salvation for the Handmaids, but not so fast. "The Mayday resistance is going to be a big part of Season two," Miller admitted. "The part that I've been thinking about is that Mayday is not the handmaid rescue organization - it's the anti-Gilead organization. And the anti-Gilead organization is not necessarily a friend to June or a friend to Handmaids. If I was going to try to hurt Gilead, the first thing I might do is kill all the handmaids. You're trying to weaken the state."
12. The Waterfords Aren't Necessarily Going Away
After the finale, Miller talked about what's to come. In regards to the Waterfords, he said, "They're still a part of our plans for season two but in interesting ways."
13. We Will Meet June's Mother
Miller also explained how June's parentage could factor into the story. Miller spoke about June's mother: "We've been thinking about her a lot. June's mother is a big character in the book and representative of an interesting kind of feminism that was seemingly more of that time."
14. The Theme
"At the end of season one, we find out June was pregnant. The theme of season two is motherhood and what it means to be a mother," Miller explained at The Handmaid's Tale panel in August. "It's the way we mother our good friends and the people in our lives."
15. Luke and Moira Might Attempt a Daring Rescue
During the panel in August, Samira Wiley discussed the new possibilities season two holds since it's going beyond the story of the book. "The [first] season ends exactly where the book ends, and to be able to go in season two not knowing what's going to happen and to be in this completely new country with Luke who's the only family I have, it's exciting to see what's going to happen," she said.
16. The Premiere Date Has Been Set
The second season is going to drop on April 25. Are you ready for it?
Meghan Markle's Father Will Receive a Special Royal Honor Ahead of His Daughter's Wedding
Meghan Markle will officially become a royal when she marries Prince Harry in May, but it's her father, Thomas Markle, who's getting a special gift ahead of his daughter's big day. According to People, the former lighting director is set to receive a family coat of arms. The crest is traditionally given to the father of the bride before a royal wedding and features a design that is unique to the individual or family.
"Every Coat of Arms has been designed to identify a person, school or organization, and is to last forever," Thomas Woodcock, Garter King of Arms at the College of Arms, explained to People back in 2011. "Heraldry is Europe's oldest, most visual and strictly regulated form of identity and it surrounds us in Britain, giving clues to our history and surroundings." While Kensington Palace and the College of Arms (creators of the coats of arms) have yet to publicly announce anything, it's likely that the tradition will be followed.
For Kate Middleton and Prince William's wedding back in 2011, Kate's father, Michael Middleton, was honored with his coat of arms just days before her wedding. The crest featured three acorns, which represented the family's kids - Kate, Pippa, and James - and a gold stripe that was a tribute to Kate's mother, Carole, whose maiden name is Goldsmith.
Once Harry and Meghan are husband and wife, the couple will get their own "conjugal coat of arms." William and Kate's was unveiled two years after their wedding in September 2013, so it's likely that Harry and Meghan's will also make its debut a few years after theirs.
4 Philosophy Professors Weigh In on Why The Good Place Is So Forking Funny - and Important
There's a scene in the second season of The Good Place where, in order to illustrate the classic moral dilemma known as The Trolley Problem, the characters are forced to live it. The famous thought experiment, which asks different variations of whether you would steer an unstoppable trolley into one person to avoid killing five, has long been a go-to for ethics scholars - but watching the show's hilariously gory take on it brought the lesson to life in a way Agnes Callard, an associate professor of philosophy at the University of Chicago, hadn't considered before. "There's something very violent about the thought experiment itself, like, we're asking them to imagine murdering people," Callard told POPSUGAR. "And the show just takes that really seriously, like, 'OK, let's really imagine it.'"
All four professors said they don't really see it as being about heaven or hell. Instead it's about the kinds of questions philosophy aims to answer: What makes someone good or bad? What matters? How should we treat other people?
It's just one of the ways tuning into the NBC sitcom has been a fun first for philosophy and ethics professors like Callard, who aren't used to seeing their area of expertise at the center of a hit network comedy. Callard and the three other philosophy professors/The Good Place fans we talked to said that while pop culture has always reflected on philosophical themes, they don't remember a show or movie ever examining specific theories and works this explicitly. The little Easter eggs creator Michael Schur has included in the series so far go beyond sneaky references to the Parks and Rec universe. There are plenty of nods to the world of academic philosophy, too. Season one introduced the show's philosophical foundation by way of actual mini lectures on how to be a good person from ethics professor Chidi (William Jackson Harper). But after the just-finished season two's even deeper dive into questions of what it means to be good, the real-life philosophers said they can't wait for season three.
Back in the fall of 2015, UCLA ethics professor Pamela Hieronymi says she got an email from Schur asking if she would be willing to discuss some ideas he had for a new project. "He wanted to pick my brain about ethics," Hieronymi told POPSUGAR. "And I think that's because he saw a paper on my website that sounded like the issues he was interested in about the motives for becoming a better person and whether it's possible to become a better person." The two spent about three hours chatting over coffee, Hieronymi said. About a year later, she spotted a billboard for The Good Place. After reaching back out to Schur to congratulate him, Hieronymi has occasionally served as a philosophical sounding board for the show's writers, even visiting the studio at one point to teach them about The Trolley Problem and other lessons.
"The philosophy is working at two levels," Hieronymi said of the show, which she's watched from the beginning. "So, there's the obvious level where Chidi is giving little lessons and namedropping both classic philosophers like Plato and Aristotle and Kierkegaard and contemporary philosophers, which is really kind of wild . . . but then there's the actual more serious exploration of those issues that are taking place in the story line and with the characters." Though the show is set in the afterlife - a topic that's been examined by philosophers for centuries - all four professors said they don't really see it as being about heaven or hell. Instead it's about the kinds of questions philosophy aims to answer: What makes someone good or bad? What matters? How should we treat other people?
That last question comes up a lot, specifically in references to philosopher T.M. Scanlon's book What We Owe to Each Other" (it's even part of the clue to help Eleanor and Chidi reconnect after the season one twist). The idea that the show uses modern-day philosophers like Scanlon, a professor emeritus at Harvard, has been especially exciting for fans in the academic community. Jason Bridges, an associate professor at the University of Chicago who specializes in the philosophy of action and the philosophy of the mind, studied under Scanlon, and said that specificity has been one of the highlights of watching the show. "Certainly I've never seen a show where books that are on my shelf, and not just classic works, recent works of philosophical ethics, keep popping up as props," Bridges said to POPSUGAR.
Seeing the life of an ethics professor on the small screen is another treat, according to the professors, but they had mixed feelings on whether they identified with the neurotic Chidi. Bridges said he likes the character but doesn't see a big connection between Chidi's neuroses and his interest in philosophy (though he did admit "moral philosophers may be more prone to stomachaches than the average person."). Callard, too, said the portrayal of Chidi as being nerdy and boring doesn't represent the philosophers she knows. ("I much more identify with Eleanor," Callard said.) But fellow University of Chicago professor Candace Vogler said the idea of a philosopher "actually taking ordinary choices fairly seriously" is familiar. And Hieronymi said she has seen other philosophy professors post joking warnings on Facebook for colleagues to strive not to be like Chidi. "The indecisiveness is a real phenomena," Hieronymi said. No one took offense at the show's running joke that everyone hates moral philosophy professors. Chidi's portrayal also just gives average viewers a playful peek into the world of a philosophy academic, Hieronymi said. "This show is more of what [The] Big Bang [Theory] was for science graduate students."
For viewers who've never taken a philosophy class, the professors agreed that the show is giving the field some potentially valuable exposure, even if Eleanor does complain about her ethics lessons being boring. Vogler said she's recommended The Good Place to introductory-level students. Hieronymi's heard about other professors using the show itself as a teaching tool. Though Callard, Hieronymi, Bridges, and Vogler recognize that Chidi's teachings are extreme simplifications of the complicated, nuanced theories they teach, and some of them had picked up on small issues (Vogler wasn't a fan of Chidi's reading of Kant, for example), the bigger-picture questions the characters address show that philosophical thinking can be practical - and compelling - for everyone. "Philosophy seems like a rarified thing to study," Bridges said. "It seems like perhaps an impractical thing to major in, but what it does, if you study it, is cultivate ways of thinking and writing and communicating that are of general value and of use to a whole range of careers and human endeavors, and so this show helps illustrate that."
Bridges says he thinks the topic of free will would be a no-brainer for season three, which we can maybe expect in the Fall. Hieronymi would be interested in seeing the show dig deeper into the timely issue of people getting defensive and having trouble taking constructive criticism about their actions. Whatever direction the show's writers take, the professors said they've loved seeing the creative team take the public's growing interest in self-reflection and run with it in such imaginative, accessible ways.
"Just the fact that the central problem for the characters is to try to figure out how to be better people and the thought that selfishness and narcissism are huge obstacles that people have to overcome in order to become better people," Vogler said. "That's profound."
The Surprising Nicknames the British Royal Family Call Each Other Behind Palace Doors
Yes, members of the British royal family may hold several fancy titles and only use their first names, but they are also just like us and have nicknames. In fact, some of them even have multiple monikers like Queen Elizabeth II, Kate Middleton, Prince William, and Prince Harry - and they're pretty hilarious, too! Remember when Kate revealed that George calls her majesty "Gan-Gan"? Well, that's just the tip of the iceberg. From "Squeak" to "Cabbage" to "Spike Wells," keep reading to find out what nicknames the British royal family have given each other. And who knows, maybe Meghan Markle will get one when she marries Harry in May.
Are Justin Theroux and Aubrey Plaza Dating? Not So Fast
It's been a month since Justin Theroux and Jennifer Aniston announced their separation after two years of marriage, but is the actor already jumping back in the dating pool? Since splitting from Jennifer, the 46-year-old has been "doing his thing" in NYC, and over the weekend, he was photographed on a stroll with 33-year-old Parks and Recreation actress Aubrey Plaza.
Given that Justin and Aubrey didn't show any sort of PDA and have known each other for quite a few years now (Justin guest-starred on a few seasons of Parks and Recreation in 2010), it's safe to assume they are just friends. According to the Daily Mail, "They went for a walk around after meeting and discussing a potential work project."
Aubrey has also been dating screenwriter Jeff Baena since 2011, though they haven't made a public appearance since June 2017.
12 Quotes from Selena That Will Make You Fall in Love With Her Even More
Selena is everyone's icon on so many levels! The late singer was talented, of course, but also always one to give advice to fans, talking about her journey, but never forgetting her roots and staying true to herself. My favorite thing about Selena was how she never let anything stop her - she knew she had a dream and she was going to make that happen, no matter what.
It's only fitting that through the years, Selena blessed us with inspirational words we hold close to our hearts. Everyone take note because these quotes will stick with you forever!
Selena Gomez Created Not 1 but 2 Items in Her First Design Collaboration With Puma
Selena Gomez's first design collaboration with Puma is here, and boy did she deliver. The singer and Puma brand ambassador is a huge fan of wearing sneakers, so it was only natural for her to get into designing them. The Phenom Lux training shoe ($110) is an all-white leather sneaker featuring gold details and a removable anklet. Selena loves to rock anklets so the fact that she incorporated one into this sneaker gives fans a chance to wear them just like she would.
"It has that chain that makes me feel womanly and makes me feel cool," she told Vogue. "It gives you a little bit of sparkle, and it can make you feel like you're dressed up even when you're in sweats."
That's not all, though! The 25-year-old singer also helped design fierce sheer windowpane socks ($14) that you could rock with the Phenom Luxes or any other shoe. The sneakers and socks are set to go on sale April 6. If that wasn't enough, Puma has pledged $100,000 from sales of the collaboration to the Lupus Research Alliance. The nonprofit's goal is to find a cure for lupus, an autoimmune disease Selena has been living with for some time now. Keep scrolling to see Selena looking fabulous and her equally edgy Puma sneakers.
50 of the Sexiest Latinas in Hollywood
Salma Hayek, Jennifer Lopez, Eva Mendes - that's just a few names that come to mind as some of the sexiest women to have ever walked this planet; and, yes, they all just happen to be Latina.
These stars' level of sexy is out of this world, so you will need to be seated before you start scrolling through our list of the hottest Latinas on the spotlight. It is that intense. No, we're not exaggerating.
But before you get it all wrong. These celebrities are not all sex appeal. They work hard and have paved their way in Hollywood through major achievements in film, music, and even behind the scenes as producers and directors. You'll see what we mean.
10 Selena Songs That Deserve to Endlessly Be on Repeat
23 years since her tragic death on March 31, 1995, Selena Quintanilla's legacy is alive and well. The Texas native and (still-reigning) Queen of Tejano, who was portrayed by Jennifer Lopez in Selena, is as iconic today as she was back then - and celebrities like Kat Von D and Orange Is the New Black's Jackie Cruz are making sure of it with their gorgeous covers of her hits.
To celebrate her memory, we curated a playlist of some of our favorite Selena songs. Keep scrolling to listen to them all.
26 Hilarious Memes Every Avocado Lover Will Understand
A true avocado fan knows the struggles of being a true avocado fan - the amount of time spent choosing the perfect avo at the store, the financial expense of needing to eat the fruit every day, the phrase "guacamole costs extra" - and is also not one little bit shy about sharing the pain on social media. If this sounds like you, scroll ahead, because we've rounded up the best avocado memes and puns on the Internet in one place. We apologize to your friends (who will surely be getting all of these via text) in advance.
This Is the Wedding That Brought Together 2 of the Most Powerful Royal Families
Queen Sofía and her husband, King Juan Carlos I, ruled over Spain for 39 years, which is why it might shock you to find out their marriage didn't actually start in the country. The royal couple married in Athens on May 14, 1962, but there's a good reason for why the nuptials didn't take place at the cathedral in Madrid, like the wedding of the current king, their son, Felipe VI.
The now queen consort was then known as Princess Sophia Margarita Victoria Frederica of Greece, the oldest daughter of King Paul and Queen Frederica. She met Prince Juan Carlos on a cruise through the Greek Islands in 1954, and she reconnected with him at a wedding just a year before they married. The third cousins (they are both descendants of Queen Victoria of England) might have wanted their wedding to take place in Spain, but in 1962, Juan Carlos and his family were officially in exile in Rome, since the monarchy was dissolved in 1931 during a period of military rule and political instability.
The couple instead married in Athens in three ceremonies: a Catholic one at the Cathedral of Saint Dionysius the Areopagite, a Greek Orthodox one at the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Annunciation, and a civil union at the Royal Palace in Athens. Sophia, who wed in a stunning lace dress by Jean Dessès, officially gave up her right to the Greek throne by becoming Roman Catholic and adopting the Spanish spelling of her name. The couple soon was allowed to return to Madrid, and they settled at the Zarzuela Palace before Juan Carlos officially became Prince of Spain in 1969 and king after the death of military dictator Francisco Franco in 1975.
A Look at the Man Selena Quintanilla Left Behind
Selena Quintanilla met her husband, Chris Pérez, when he became a guitarist in her band Los Dinos in 1990. The couple started dating, and their relationship got serious quickly - in a series of Facebook posts, Chris confessed the famous pizza scene in the 1997 movie Selena marked the first time Chris and Selena said "I love you." The pair dated in secret since Selena's dad, Abraham, did not approve of their relationship and eloped in April 1992. The two tried to keep their marriage a secret, but news outlets reported that they had tied the knot, so they were forced to tell her family that Selena was now Selena Quintanilla-Pérez.
Chris opened up in an interview with CNN in 2013 about how unhappy the Tejano singer's father was when he discovered the two were together. "I think the main reason for that was it kind of hurt his pride and his ego to find out that he was the last to know and when things got tense and things were said by him, it hurt me that he was saying it but I didn't let it get to me because I knew deep down he knew the kind of person I was."
The now-48-year-old also went on to say he and Selena hit a rough patch in their marriage before her untimely death and had even discussed divorce. "I think what it boiled down to is that we were young. We were married and together 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We had to learn how to handle that and that was both of us. It's not like she brought up the idea and I was fighting it because honestly I was right there with her," he told CNN. "We communicated with each other and when that came out on the table it wasn't like I hadn't thought of it myself. The more we talked about it and the more time went on, it wasn't a long time, maybe a month, we ended up patching things up and making a promise that we would never let that happen again."
Chris became a widower when Selena was murdered in March 1995, a little over three years after their wedding. He remarried Vanessa Villanueva in 2001 and had two children, a boy and a girl, before divorcing in 2008. Now, he makes efforts to keep Selena's legacy alive, attending the launch of Selena's MAC Cosmetics line, and even gave fans a peek at his marriage with Selena when he wrote his book To Selena, With Love.
17 Years Later, Thalia and Tommy Mottola Continue to Prove Their Love Is Strong
Thalia and Tommy Mottola have been married for almost 17 years, and after two kids and nine Thalia albums, the couple are going strong, always right by each other's side.
Fun fact: the two were actually set up by Gloria Estefan's husband, Emilio Estefan. "He kept talking to me about a guy that he knew and I should meet him because we're like two drops of water and he kept saying the same thing to Tommy. I was like, 'What am I going to do with a guy who just got divorced and has kids?' and he was like, 'What am I going to do with a singer and an actress?'" she told HuffPost in 2011. "I was in New York for just one night, so we met for drinks and the rest is history." Clearly, Thalia and Tommy fell in love at first sight, but the two work hard at their relationship, with Thalia saying respecting each other and developing memories together are keys to their success. Their love is endless, and it totally shows in these photos.
6 Searing References in The Weeknd's "Call Out My Name" That Have Selena Written All Over Them
The Weeknd dropped his EP, My Dear Melancholy, on Friday, and um, let's just hope that Selena Gomez isn't listening. Not only does the singer reference his famous exes Selena Gomez and Bella Hadid throughout the entire album, but there's one song in particular that seems to be undoubtedly all about Selena and their relationship.
In case you need a refresher, Selena and The Weeknd dated for almost a year in 2017. While a source told People that long distance played a factor in their breakup, their split came hot on the heels of Selena's reconciliation with ex Justin Bieber. So now, let's take a look at the lyrics, shall we?
- "We found each other / I helped you out of a broken place." - In August 2016, Selena announced that she would be taking a break from the spotlight after dealing with complications due to her lupus diagnosis, and two months later, she entered a rehab facility in Tennessee to "focus on her metal health." Following her stint in rehab, Selena made her first public appearance at the American Music Awards in November 2016, where The Weeknd just so happened to be performing. The two must have crossed paths at the ceremony, because by January 2017, Selena and The Weeknd were officially dating.
- "I claimed you so proud and openly." - The Weeknd is known for being notoriously private about his life. Back when he was dating Bella in 2015, it took him five months to finally go public with their relationship and they didn't make their red carpet debut after almost a year of dating at the Grammys. However, things were different with Selena. Not only did the couple flaunt their romance all over the globe, but it only took The Weeknd three months to make their relationship Instagram official and four for them to make their red carpet debut at the Met Gala.
- "And when times were rough, when times were rough / I made sure I held you close to me." - The rough times The Weeknd talks about here could be a reference to the kidney transplant surgery Selena had over the Summer in 2017. According to People, The Weeknd stuck by Selena's side through it all and even took time off from his Starboy: Legend of the Fall world tour. "Abel has been one of her biggest supports. She had been traveling with him on his tour and he was off during her surgery and right after during her recovery," a source told the publication in September 2017. "He's been very caring and it's meant a lot to her to have him by her side."
- "Girl, why can't you wait? (Why can't you wait, baby?) / Girl, why can't you wait till I fall out of love?" - Selena famously reconnected with Justin Bieber following her kidney transplant over the Summer in 2017. At the time, Selena was still dating The Weeknd; however, sources claimed The Weeknd was totally fine with them being "friends." The Weeknd and Selena eventually split in late October 2017, and less than a month later, she and Justin were officially back together.
- "I almost cut a piece of myself for your life." - This is perhaps the most telling lyric. Selena previously revealed during an appearance on Today that she never asked a "single person in my life" to donate their kidney to her, but that her friend, Francia Raisa, automatically volunteered. Selena has thanked Francia multiple times for "saving my life," but it looks like she wasn't the only one willing to "cut a piece" of themselves for Selena.
- "Guess I was just another pit stop / Till you made up your mind." - Selena and Justin have been on and off since 2010. Even though she's tried to move on from Justin with other guys like Zedd, Charlie Puth, and Niall Horan, Selena somehow always finds her way back to Justin.
Selena Quintanilla's Sister Thinks the Singer Would Be Doing This If She Were Alive
Selena passed away 23 years ago, but her legacy lives on. In the past year, the Tejano singer had a MAC makeup collection released in her honor, an announced star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and a second wax figure unveiled at Madame Tussauds in Times Square in NYC. POPSUGAR Latina spoke to Selena's sister, Suzette Quintanilla, right after the reveal. Suzette opened up about how she thinks her sister would feel about her wax figure and what she would say to her if she were still alive.
POPSUGAR: If Selena was here right now, what do you think she would say about all of this?
Suzette Quintanilla: I think she'd be ecstatic just like I am, probably even more so. I think she would definitely be be taking selfies with her wax figure and she would be doing this interview instead of me.
PS: Are more wax figures coming?
SQ: For right now, I don't know of any. First of all, I love working for Madame Tussauds. They've been incredible and they heard our concerns when they were creating her. They've been amazing to work with and if in the future they ever want to do something, I'm so down for doing another one. I'd love to see Selena in Madame Tussauds across the world. That'd be really cool!
PS: What do you wish you could say to her in this moment?
SQ: She knew exactly how I felt about her, so there is really nothing new that I could say besides the fact that I miss her tremendously. I'm very proud of her and she knew that. She knew how much I loved her.
PS: What other things do you and your family have up your sleeve to honor your sister?
SQ: There's a lot of things going on. I know a lot of people have been asking about the Hollywood Walk of Fame star. There hasn't been a definite date set yet, but I think that's the newest thing that's coming up. I forgot to mention that today is the launch for the vinyl for Selena's last concert.
PS: What Selena moment made you most proud?
SQ: Everything! Every moment in my life with my sister. Playing the drums was very special to me and just even more special now. It always was, even before she passed.
PS: What do you want fans to take away from this experience?
SQ: I would love fans to come here and have a sense of pride, because she represents us as Latinos. It's a major thing! You look around and there is really not a lot of wax figures that represent us as Latinos, and so I hope that people can walk away being able to identify with that. Also, be proud that she represents us as a whole.
I've Spent a Year Searching For My Forever Mascara - Here's Everything I Learned
Up until a year ago, I had been wearing the same drugstore mascara that I discovered in high school. I purchased tube after tube for over a decade, trusting the formula to make my stick-straight Asian eyelashes look long, thick, and, most importantly, dramatically curled. Accompanied by a good dose of eyeliner along my top and bottom lash line, the mascara looked fantastic. I had no complaints.
But when I hit my mid-20s, my approach to makeup shifted - I grew more comfortable and confident in my own skin and started to appreciate a less-is-more beauty look. As someone who previously balked at the thought of leaving the house without wearing a full face of makeup, I found myself going out more and more frequently with just my lashes and eyebrows done. And I soon discovered that without the buffer of eyeliner, my previously trusty mascara would end up tragically transferred onto my lower lash line (where I would normally apply eyeliner) by the end of the day.
Disappointed, I set out to find a new everyday mascara - one that would still hold an aggressive curl, minus the raccoon eyes. Little did I know, it was a process, and one I wasn't exactly prepared for. One year and 10 tubes of mascara later, I still haven't discovered a worthy replacement, but I have discovered some eye-opening (literally) things along the way.
If you're on the hunt for your own forever mascara, learn from my mistakes and read on for seven tips I picked up that'll help make your search easier than mine.
1. Take product reviews, testimonials, and suggestions from others with a grain of salt
Nothing will derail a meeting faster than telling a conference room full of beauty editors that you're looking for a new mascara. As soon as I casually mentioned it to my colleagues here at POPSUGAR, the suggestions came pouring in. And with plenty of impressive before-and-after photos to go off of, I had a running start.
But after trying the third tube that came highly recommended, I realized that what was working for my fellow mascara-lovers was definitely not working for me and I couldn't rely solely on word-of-mouth, popularity, or photos, no matter how jaw-dropping. Now, I do my own extensive research on a potential brand and product and remind myself to give every product a fair chance, whether or not it's been highly touted by others.
2. Don't write off a mascara after the first try
Whether it's the way you wield the wand, the passing of time, or even the formula's exposure to air, your second experience with a mascara can differ drastically from the first. When I first applied a popular mascara, I found that the formula weighed down my lashes and deflated the curl. A few weeks later, I decided to give the same mascara another try and was pleasantly surprised to see that somehow the formula held a curl much better the second time around. With every new tube, I now make a point to apply the product on at least three different occasions before formulating a definitive opinion on it.
3. Standard and waterproof formulas are different, even for the same mascara
The name and packaging may be the same (save for a small "waterproof" label), but that doesn't mean the formulas are. After interrogating my sister on how her lashes always look so amazing, she suggested I use her go-to mascara. After trying a tube for myself, I was disappointed to discover that what delivered long and thick lashes with an impressive curl on her fell completely flat on me.
The one small, but significant, detail? She uses the waterproof version. Sure enough, after swapping my standard formula for the waterproof one, my lashes held a curl for longer. If you think about it, standard mascara formulas need to be chemically altered to withstand water, so there's a high chance they're developed differently - which means they'll most likely interact with your lashes differently as a result.
4. Ensure everything else in your makeup routine stays consistent
Don't follow my lead and start experimenting with a new liquid liner at the same time that you're experimenting with a new mascara. Since your lashes can be affected by everything from the eyelash curler you use to the order in which you apply your products, you'll want to keep the makeup you're wearing around your eyes the same in order to quickly determine whether the mascara is right for you.
5. A coat is not created equal across mascaras
With my previous drugstore go-to, I was used to swiping on coat after coat after coat in rapid succession to achieve the mega volume I liked. Once I started wielding different wands, it quickly became clear that I needed to change up my application technique depending on the mascara. Sometimes all I needed was one lighthanded coat, while other times, the mascara called for three coats (along with drying time between each) to achieve the same effect.
6. Don't assume mascara will look the same once it dries
You'd think that the eyelashes you see in the mirror directly after applying mascara would be the same eyelashes you see an hour later, right? Not necessarily. After applying a new mascara for the first time, I was happy with the results. But a mere few moments later, I glanced in the mirror and was disappointed to discover my curl had completely deflated as the formula had dried.
7. It takes a lot of time, money, and patience
Patience is really the key word for me here. I'm not one to let beauty products go to waste, so over the course of the year, I found myself trying to finish a tube of mascara before moving on to the next one, even if I didn't love it (or even like it). But that just means that once I finally discover The One, I know I'll appreciate it that much more. After all, confidence-boosting lashes are worth it!
Your Hairstyle Could Actually Be Aging You - Here Are 11 Ways to Avoid That
We worry a lot about keeping our skin youthful, but have you ever considered how your hairstyle might be another culprit that's aging you? See: wispy bangs, limp locks, or chopping all your hair off once you've hit a certain age just because you think it's your social obligation to do so. The truth is, you can make simple hair changes that instantly leave you looking fresh-faced and, more importantly, give you a confidence boost. Ahead, we show you exactly how with the help of celeb hairstylists like Etienne Ortega, Franck Izquierdo, and more.
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