Blog Posts by Refinery29

By Lexi Nisita, Refinery29

As much as we love the pomp and circumstance of the Oscars, it's rarely the most surprising red carpet. You can count on your standard couture mixed in with a heavy dose of Marchesa and the occasional surprise from the likes of rule-breakers like Tilda Swinton and Helena Bonham Carter. But tonight, we jumped out of our seats when we saw - wait for it - Helen Hunt!

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Her strapless purple dress looked like standard fare, until we found out it was from H&M. Yeah, that's right. The same H&M that just moved into your local mall. The same H&M where you got those ten T-shirts for $5. Granted, she was dripping with $700,000 worth of diamonds, but that's still a lower total budget than most people on the carpet tonight.

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Usually, when you hear about relatable dressing in Hollywood, it means somebody's worn the same multi-thousand dollar designer

By Nicole Catanese, Refinery29

.The human papillomavirus (aka HPV) is more or less everywhere, statistically speaking. It's estimated that 75 to 80 percent of all sexually active adults will have some form of HPV in their lifetime. Some will develop genital warts, while in others, the virus will lead to a life-threatening disease: Nearly 12,000 new cases of HPV-related cervical cancers are diagnosed in the U.S. every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The crazy thing? Since there are so many different strains, some of which are asymptomatic, many women don't even know they've got it.

"HPV is a skin-to-skin contact infection," says Diane Harper, M.D., professor at the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine and a lead researcher of HPV and cervical cancer prevention and treatment. Translation: Condoms can't shield you from HPV because the virus could be lingering on skin outside of the condom. "There are over 100 types of HPV that invade the

By Nicole Catanese, Refinery29

.Soy is the leggings-as-pants of the food world - people either love it or they hate it. What really makes it stand out more than, it seems, any other food is that the evidence for and against its effect on your health is all over the place.

"Soy is definitely a very controversial topic," says Sara Vance, C.N., a nutritionist in San Diego and founder of Rebalance Life. "On the one hand, you have groups touting the health benefits - that it's a low-calorie, complete source of protein, it can help reduce cholesterol and heart disease risk, and some studies have even found that the isoflavones in soy have anti-cancer benefits." The result: Good things are said about soy, so people flood their diet with it.

On the flip side of that coin, there is also pretty substantial evidence to the contrary, says Vance. "[Some studies] say that soy can be quite detrimental to your health, and that the isoflavones can interfere with your endocrine system and hormone

By Brittany Martin, Refinery29

Like magpies and middle-schoolers, we cannot resist the allure of sparkle - which is why we've never met a statement earring we didn't love. Seriously, a great pair of drops, hoops, or chandeliers can take a tired LBD into ultra-glam territory - or add girly charm to your plain jeans. And, because we're addicted to the glitter, we speak from experience when we say you need more than just one pair.

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So, we've gone on a hunt for the most covetable gems under $50. From shoulder-grazing sparklers to chunky, Deco-inspired darlings, every last one of these babies is a sound addition to your jewelry box. After all, isn't it your time to shine?

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By India Jewel-Jackson, Refinery29

While many of us count ubercool girls like Solange Knowles, Sienna Miller, and Diane Kruger as our current girl crushes, back in the day we longed to walk a mile in the superstylish shoes of Whitley Gilbert, Buffy Summers, and Angela Chase. (Admit it-you did, too!)

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Fancy a 'gorgeous-grunge' revival? Pop in your mixtape and join us on a well-deserved trip down makeup memory lane! Time to revisit a few of our favorite looks from yesteryear, highlighting some of the decade's most memorable (and style-inspiring) characters. The dream of the '90s is alive - and it never looked so good.

Like this post? There's more. Get tons of beauty tips, tutorials, and news on the Refinery29 Beauty Facebook page!

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By Connie Wang, Refinery29

Okay, so you're probably going, "Is this like a Noxzema commercial or what?" But seriously, this is just L.A. brand Wildfox's spring '13 lookbook that's completely, awesomely, thoroughly dedicated to recreating Clueless in all its '90s glory. From Rodeo Drive to the tennis courts, the lookbook takes you on a little joy ride through the film (and you don't even need licensed driver Josh to take you!).

RELATED: Channeling: Our Favorite '90s Cool-Girl Beauties

Besides Cher, Dion, and Tai, your other favorite characters also make an appearance: Dion's furry backpack, Cher's "like, most capable outfit," that yellow-skirt suit, macrame beanies, and gym-class sports bras so fun it might have you reconsidering your own workout wear (because you know your New Year's resolution involves taking care of your mind and body, as well as something good for mankind or the planet). We dare you to go through and pick out each reference - oooh project!.

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By Gabriel Bell, Refinery29

.We like model Charlotte Free. We like her hair, her face, her style, the brands she represents, and her fun, unapologetic personality. But we don't like what she said on Tumblr in a since-deleted comment regarding the various sexual harassment allegations against creepy photographer Terry Richardson, who's made a career out of asking models to pose nude for him, among other X-rated things. As reported on The Fashion Spot:

"Terry likes to do sexy stuff, that's his shit. If you don't wanna be part of it, make it clear in the beginning. Don't willingly blow the man and get all mad and ashamed later…I hate when girls say 'but he asked me to.' You should have said no then, stupid bitch! There's plenty of other girls waiting in line, so he's not forcing you to do shit. When you make a choice you have to live with it - unless someone got you fucked up against your will."

After deleting the post, Free wrote, "I don't even believe the accusations against

By Tara Rasmus, Refinery29

Once a source of controversy and giggling, the Brazilian has become almost as common as getting a pedicure. Or...has it? As Brazilian waxing has become less of a buzzy beauty trend, we couldn't help but wonder if women have moved on to newer, trendier methods of hair removal (or are simply going a more natural route). "I think that one of the reasons why we don't hear about Brazilian waxing as much these days is that it has become routine, a de riguer part of the beauty regimen of many women in New York City and other major cities throughout the U.S.," says Ramon Padilla, U.S. director of Strip Ministry of Waxing. "The service itself is not as 'news-worthy' as it once was 10 years ago - although it's still considered to be the new hot thing in some cities around the world."

Jessica Coba, CEO of European Wax Center, concurs. "Brazilians are definitely not going out of style, they are still are one of European Wax Center's most requested services,"