Blog Posts by Refinery29

In NYC we may lovingly call our apartments "shoe boxes" but until now, we didn't take it too seriously. And, while you may have heard about the little old lady that lives in a shoe, we bet you didn't know she was so much more than a fairytale. Yes, she's alive and kicking and living in a lace-up white boot with a black chunky platform (in rural PA). The house, which was built by a shoe salesman in 1948, is 1,500 square-feet with five floors of living space. There's a kitchen in the heel, a spare bathroom underneath the laces, and three bedrooms with a whole lotta sole soul. The best part? The unique abode is decked out with 1,000 pairs of decorative shoes, making the space one helluva shoe box. Carrie Bradshaw, eat your heart out.



Video: Courtesy of SpacesTV

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By Emily Orofino, Refinery29

.We've long been obsessed with lip products and potions around here, so is it any surprise that an unusual launch results in the triumphant slapping-down of a credit card? From glitzy temporary lip tattoos to supposedly weight loss-inducing gloss, we've tried any and all WTF-inducing products we could find - but does this one put them to shame?

Anna Sui's latest offering, the beautifully packaged Moisture Lip Treatment, seems to be the perfect (albeit bizarro) cure for a winter-worn kisser. The set contains one uber-emollient lip balm (rose-scented, of course!) and - wait for it - moisturizing lip wrap. What is moisturizing lip wrap, you ask? As far as we can tell, it differs very little from that of the Saran variety, but shhh: try first, ask questions later. Slather on the salve and apply one sheet of the wrap…and wait. (The instructions recommend that you plastic up that pout for about three minutes.)

Our lips were left plump, lineless, and yes,

By Rebecca Taras, Refinery29

Just because it says "imitation" doesn't mean it can't be incredible. To prove it, we've gathered 13 finds based on one of our favorite winter trends: faux fur. Considering this is the time of year when looking cute often takes a backseat to basic survival, we wanted to give you some inspiration to look like the hottest snow bunny in the city - even if you feel like a misdirected hedgehog.

But make no mistake, just because we're talking about faux fur it doesn't mean it's going to look anything less than luxe - wait until you get a look at the gorgeous chevron-patterned coat or crimson-trimmed topper in our roundup. Ethically responsible and totally chic? Bundling up never looked (or felt) so good.

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By Sarah St. Lifer, Refinery29

We all know that celebs have first dibs on runway duds, especially when you're buds with the designers themselves (Marion Cotillard and Raf Simons are a prime example). Another bestie with benefits: Emma Stone, who attended last year's Met Gala with Lanvin's Alber Elbaz, was fitted in one of the French house's frocks from the pre-fall '13 collection at last night's Gangster Squad premiere. And, to further the fact that stars are definitely not like us regular folk, the dress Stone sported was previewed for the first time mere hours before in NYC. We've heard of fast fashion, but this is straight-up Concorde-flight status!

While the frock's debut to editors featured the crystal flower brooch at the bust, the actress chose to accent her waist with the glitzy accessory, also adding a large Lanvin necklace. Of course, Christian Louboutin pumps completed the completely crimson look. Not that we expected anything less, but Stone's first red-carpet appearance

By Nicole Catanese, Designed by Naomi Abel, Refinery29

A phyllo dough hors d'oeuvre here, a BLT hangover cure there, and the next thing you know, those skinny jeans are feeling, well, a little snug. A huge diet and exercise program is in order, right? Not if you try a few of these tiny little food tweaks every day. Aim for at least two, but three is even better. You'll save up to about 300 calories a day - potentially, a whopping 2800 calories a week. And since you need to eat an extra 3500 calories to gain one pound (or cut out that amount to drop it), in less than three weeks, you'll ward off that pesky couple of pounds from creeping up on you.

The amazing get-fit panel of experts from Fitist, the one-stop shop for nutrition and kick-ass workouts, shared some of their wait-what?! food swaps that are so easy, and still yummy, that you won't even notice the difference. But your waistline totally will.

Why 19? Research shows that sticking to something for at least 21 days can turn

By Megan McIntyre, Refinery29

There's no shortage of supplements, treatments, tools, and creams that promise to give you a head full of amazing hair, but if you're on a quest for a covetable mane, look no farther than your pantry for all the ammo you need to truly transform your tresses. Turns out everything from apple cider vinegar to molasses can be used to make your hair look positively stunning, and at a fraction of the cost of some of those pricy treatments.

We caught up with Kyle White, the supremely talented lead colorist at the Oscar Blandi salon in NYC. He's apparently a DIY beauty whiz kid, too - he knows the foods you need to eat to make your hair look awesome, plus what to slather on your strands to add softness, shine, and even make your color more vibrant.

"My grandmother was an Italian immigrant who grew up during the Great Depression," he says. "She believed that homemade was always better than store-bought. While I may not completely agree with her on that, I

By Leila Brillson, Refinery29

.Those of us who shop at Target generally do so for two reasons: First, it's a one-stop shop where we can get home goods, media, beauty products, and, uh, Hunger Games merch. Second, Target has sold consumers on its trendier Targét image, without gouging people at the checkout.

In a savvy move, the mega-chain announced today that it is extending its holiday-season price-matching policy to year-round. Says a Target rep: "If a guest buys a qualifying item at a Target store and then finds the identical item for less in the following week's Target circular or within seven days on Target.com, Amazon.com, Walmart.com, Bestbuy.com or Toysrus.com (including Babiesrus.com) or in a local competitor's printed ad, Target will match the price." This means that the best prices might not come straight from Amazon anymore - and your online price hunting can be taken from the web, straight to the store.

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Think of the '80s. Immediately, one conjures up images of neon, finger-less, lace gloves, and Madonna. Now, try the '60s. Our typical associations are tie-dye, peace signs, and Jefferson Airplane songs. But in the era of Instagram and instant gratification, of personal style blogs and immediate access to fashion shows, the signifiers of the aughts are much more murky.

In this time of personalization, the most recent decades are already having trouble defining themselves, argues The New York Times. No one is identified as being "totally aughts," and the uniform of the '00s hasn't quite appeared in hindsight yet. The NYT has pointed out a couple of reasons for this lack of clarity: First, temporal distance - the aughts were, in fact, less than three years ago. Secondly, as former Lucky editor Lauren Sherman explains, "Because fashion is so accessible to everyone now since prices have gone down so much, and people buy more clothes than they used to, trends