Blog Posts by Refinery29

By Sarah St. Lifer, Refinery29

We'd like to meet the woman whose one single handbag can take her from the office to the gym, and then to drinks, in a pinch. Sure, there are seemingly bottomless carryalls like the Céline Boston Tote and the Hermès Kelly bag that would put Mary Poppins' satchel to shame, but we don't have the budget to blow on those It bags. Plus, with a routine that's anything but, we're firm believers in being prepared for whatever may come our way - even if it means having an extra coin purse handy just for parking meters.

Related: Do These Natural At-Home Beauty Treatments Really Work?

So, whether you're in the market for a new laptop sleeve or a cool place to stash your sneaks, our lineup of 16 cheap and chic bags of all shapes and sizes should have you covered - and each rings in under 100 bones. A new home and serious savings? Yep, your wallet owes you big time!

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By Erika Stalder, Designed by by Isabelle Rancier, Refinery29

Sooo…about those New Year's Resolutions. Though most of us have the most noble of intentions, not to mention dedicated wallets (Americans will spend a projected $5.6 billion this year on resolution-related stuff and services), the statistics are grim: 75 percent of us ditch our goals to become fitter and healthier by the second week of January. For intentions that are born with the brightest of hope, the reality is downright depressing.

We're here to combat these dismal trends by offering 12 low-to-no-cost (and, more importantly, achievable) ways to stay healthy and well throughout the year. Mind you, these are not the secrets to losing 20 pounds in 20 days or reaching a higher state of being during your lunch break. Instead, we've discovered little ways to tweak your days (and nights) that yield a high impact when it comes to getting - and staying - healthy.

More: 29 Beyond-Easy Way To Cut 100 Calories From Your Diet

By Gabriel Bell, Refinery29

.Consumer activism is one of the few things in this world of price points, mass retailers, and corporate profits that actually gets anything done. Over the last few months, we've seen the future of garment production completely change thanks to a Greenpeace-led initiative that - thanks to people like you - actually worked. On a smaller scale, one child's letter to Hasbro not only helped change the color of the Easy Bake Oven, it may have spurred a new generation of boys to cook.

Well, today, we've got another chance to make a difference through small, simple actions. Allana Maiden, the daughter of a breast-cancer survivor, is asking the popular lingerie maker Victoria's Secret to make people like her mother who have undergone mastectomies feel just a little bit more normal and pretty through a heartfelt petition on Change.org. It reads, "So many of us have mothers, daughters, and friends who have faced breast cancer. These inspiring women who have had

By Nicole Catanese, Designed by Naomi Abel, Refinery29

Okay, so you already have some smart food tricks under your belt that can help shave some calories off here and there. While cutting calories is good, it's only half the battle. To keep weight off, you need a one-two diet-and-exercise punch.

Related: 29 Beyond-Easy Way To Cut 100 Calories From Your Diet

That's why, this time, the pros from Fitist gave us crazy-good workout moves. Do them on their own or add them on to your usual routine, and you'll push the calorie-scorching through the roof. Because these moves range in the 100 calorie arena - and you have to burn 3,500 of those bad boys to shed a single pound - when coupled with a balanced diet, the result will be a totally fitter, healthier you. And, well, what could be better than that?

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By Megan McIntyre, Refinery29

Flakes, painful raw patches, that annoying white ring of dead skin around your mouth - chapped lips are hella glamorous, no? Sure, you can slather on balms to combat a parched pout, but sometimes we feel those store-bought lip salves do nothing more than get us hooked on the stuff. Natural remedies to the rescue!

Related: Drugstore Beauty Binge - What Products to Try in 2013

We checked in with dermatologist Dr. Marina Peredo to find out which natural wonders would work, well, wonders on our chapped mouths. Here, she's laid out the five ingredients that can cure your chapped lips, plus the pros and cons of each, how to use them most effectively, and why each is an essential in her winter beauty arsenal. Read on to learn the secrets to healthy, hydrated lips.

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By Nicole Catanese, Designed by Ammiel Mendoza, Refinery29

By now, you may have heard some of the health buzz surrounding your thyroid gland and the ways that it can potentially affect your health. This small gland - really, just the size and shape of a (little) butterfly - found in the base of your neck, plays a big role in your health, as well as how you feel on a daily basis. Here's how it works: your thyroid converts iodine (a substance found in foods items ranging from potatoes to dairy products) into two hormones: T3, which is triiodothyronine, and T4, known as thyroxine.

So, why should you care? "The thyroid secretes these hormones, and then they go directly into the blood, which then affects the entire the body because [the hormones travel all over your system and work into every single cell," says Betul Hatipoglu, MD, an endocrinologist at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio. That's right - the thyroid affects everything in your body, head to toe.

The problem: the

By Megan McIntyre, Refinery29

Hair oils are something of an overnight sensation in the beauty world. While they've been used by natural beauty aficionados for ages, in the past five years we've seen a huge boom of oils in the mainstream market. Argan, camellia, jojoba, olive, coconut, almond: It seems like everything you can press some oil out of has become liquid gold for your strands. Not to get all Carrie Bradshaw-voiceover on you all, but have hair oils hit their cultural saturation point?

"Hair oils have become somewhat of a 'fad' product," admits hairstylist Sera Sloane. "Even though they are good, they aren't always for everyone. They can be easily overused, causing you to look like you are in need of a shower." However, when used sparingly, adds Bumble and bumble stylist Michael Wilson, hair oils are great for adding shine and softening your strands. The key to making sure your hair doesn't look like a vat of French fry oil was dumped on top of it? "It's always best to keep

By Nicole Catanese, Refinery29

We spend so much time focusing on how we treat our bodies-to eat right, get enough sleep, chill out (as much as possible) and of course, squeeze in regular sweat sessions. But what about exercising our brain? Just because we use it a lot by pure necessity day-to-day, doesn't mean that we're treating it right, or, well, making it better. And even if you're still in school or you're in a challenging career where you think so much you swear your brain hurts, that doesn't mean your brain is completely satisfied.

And there are surprising ways that you could be hurting how your brain operates: "What you do as an adult or what you do on a regular basis, has huge impact on how you feel and how you act - and your behavior boosts, or minimizes brain function, too," says Dr. Daniel Amen, MD, a psychiatrist and founder of Amen Clinics in California and author of Unleash the Power of the Female Brain. "One of the most important things to know is that if you are