Blog Posts by Refinery29

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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How To Get Rid Of Frizzy Hair In 10 Seconds

By Leila Brillson, Refinery29

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

By Connie Wang, Refinery29
Any of you who were subjected to orthodontia - as well as all the discomfort, embarrassment, and social gaffes that come along with the experience - might feel a little more than a toothache at this recent trend. Youth in Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia are shelling out $100 for sets of fake braces in wild designs and colors. Yes, fake braces.

Considering the fact that real braces cost at least ten times that, it seems that a mouthful of metal can be a sign of spending power: Western-style, rich-kid adolescence you can buy for yourself (perfect smile not included).

Ironically, you need fairly straight teeth in order to wear these one-size-fits-all accessories, which are typically installed at beauty salons or at home via DIY kits. And, obviously, these faux sets come with a slew of health hazards including infection, choking, and lead poisoning, all of which have led the Thai government to ban the production and sale of fake braces. That hasn't stopped

By Natalie Goel, Photographed by Rachelle Manning, Refinery29

.Truth be told, we're only a few days into 2013 and we're already struggling to stick to all those healthy-eating ambitions. Sure, chowing down loads of vitamin-packed fruits and veggies might be good for us, but it ain't always easy. Preparing them properly takes time, and even then, sometimes they don't taste as good as their less-wholesome alternatives. But, don't start reaching for the cookies just yet. There is one tried-and-true (and pretty delicious) way to consume good-for-you foods in no time - in liquid form, of course.

To prove it, we enlisted Phoebe Schilla of the Studio of Good Living - a local culinary wellness group dedicated to teaching simple, flavorful recipes - to verse us in making four DIY smoothies that will knock your socks off with their flavor and health benefits. From creamy chocolate-banana concoctions to green blends of kale, avocado, and agave, here's a quartet of wow-worthy (and super-easy)

By Annie Tomlin, Photographed by Bek Anderson, Refinery29

Does makeup make women feel bad about themselves? We last pondered the question back in Women's Studies 101, but this week, the New York Times resurrected it for another look. "If makeup has indeed become the status quo in the public realm," its latest Room For Debate column asks, "does it ultimately damage a woman's self-esteem, or elevate it?" To explore this issue, seven writers - makeup artists, writers, and researchers among them - argue whether makeup signifies female self-expression or an oppressive tool of the patriarchy.

We're all for a good rip-roaring debate, but this particular one is about as current as, well, frosted lilac lipstick. As third-wave feminists already argued decades ago, wearing makeup doesn't necessarily mean a woman feels inadequate without it - just as going bare-faced doesn't automatically lead to radical self-acceptance.

Don't get us wrong; when women feel pressured to wear makeup, that's

By Nicole Catanese, Refinery29
As soon as the first day of the year strikes, it's easy to get all gung-ho about reversing your previously callous ways when it comes to your diet and fitness routine. We swear off overdoing it with the Veuve, then we vow to never ever skip spin class for an impromptu dinner with the girls. Do-able, right? Eh, if history holds true, probably not. Instead of setting yourself up for get-healthy-and-fit failure, try these tiny tweaks. They may not make a whole lot of bang initially, but they're more likely to stand the test of life-gets-in-the-way time than the big promises we make to ourselves year after year.

Look At The Bright Side
This one is way harder than it sounds, but it can also have a way bigger payoff than you think. "Often we focus on what we are doing wrong," says Susan Albers, PsyD, a psychologist at the Cleveland Clinic and author of Eating Mindfully. "I ask my clients what they think they do well and then come up with ways to do it even