Blog Posts by Refinery29

By Erin Donnelly, Refinery29
Well, that was fast. Just a few days ago Sarah Burton - make that Sarah Burton, OBE - revealed that she'd be keen to outfit a pregnant Kate Middleton in Alexander McQueen. And sure enough, last night, the back-on-the-mend Duchess wowed at the Sports Personality of the Year Awards in a forest green dress by you-know-who.Though it'd be a stretch to call the dress "maternity wear" considering Will's missus only has the faintest of baby bumps, the long-sleeved crepe wool number does suggest that the royal mum-to-be won't be letting her style slip in the face of pregnancy and an utterly heinous case of hyperemesis gravadarum. On hand to present an award to Sports Personality of the Year, Bradley Wiggins (Jessica Ennis, looking ravishing in red, placed second while Andy Murray came third), the Duchess paired the bell-sleeved, V-necked gown with black Jimmy Choo heels, an Asprey button pendant, Kiki McDonough blue topaz earrings, and her new sideswept fringe.

By Lexi Nisita, Refinery29

Every 1,000 years or so, a new idea comes along and changes everything. An idea that reaffirms the rare, wonderful qualities that make us human. This is probably not that idea.

The name? Kandals The goal? To "redefine the shoe experience." We don't generally think of the "experience" of wearing things to protect your feet from the hard, rough, germ-covered ground as something that needs redefining, but who are we to stomp out change (pun intended)? We assume they're called Kandals because of their kan-do attitude, and in case you're wondering, no, they're not mandals designed by Kourtney Kardashian. They're scented shoes, and they're organic, sustainable, and made of 100% Green Certified European Cotton.

We like the sustainable aspect, and we don't mind the idea of improving everyone's foot-odor issues, either. That is one experience that does need to be redefined. So, perhaps this isn't the idea that reaffirms our humanity; rather, it's the rare idea that

By Angela Tafoya, Refinery29

Some will argue that between the pay (or lack thereof), busy work, and schlepping around - being someone's intern is hardly a breeze. Remember those days? But hey, you know what they say...you've got to start somewhere, right? Well, in a surprising new study by Glassdoor, it turns out Facebook interns may be an exception and are not exactly working for chump-change. In fact, they are living quite the lavish life and making more than the average American (who nets around $40,000 annually). We're talking $5,602 a month, averaging $67,000 a year. Um, suddenly being an intern again doesn't sound too shabby. On top of the mega bucks the social-media giant dishes out, it also supplies interns with employee perks like gym access, laptops, phones, and more. Perhaps it's not that much of a surprise, though, considering Facebook is ranked one of the top companies to work for, but $67,000 a year? Wowza! Okay, where do we sign up?

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This New Shoe

By Nicole Catanese, Refinery29

In a perfect world (a.k.a. on a desert island) we'd never be grumpy, feel down, or find ourselves irrationally snapping at people. But of course, sometimes life gets messy and everything isn't all rainbows and unicorns. Well, don't phone your bestie for a bitchfest or cry into your beer just yet. Gabrielle Bernstein, author of Spirit Junkie and May Cause Miracles is sharing some simple (and free!) solutions to help you completely transform your mood, even on the cloudiest of days.

Be Like Mary J.: No More Drama
While voicing how you feel (especially when it's not in line with what you're hearing around you) might seem like the catalyst for a confrontation, it's actually the secret to making love, not war. "When you deny your feelings, you start to make up stories in your mind that drive you - and everyone else - totally nuts," says Bernstein. "These 'stories' can create chaos in your relationships and in your life." The stay-calm trick: State the reasons

By Dr. Frank Lipman, Refinery29

.Dr. Frank Lipman is an integrative and functional medicine physician and the founder of Eleven Eleven Wellness in NYC. In his new monthly column for R29, he'll talk about the latest health and wellness news; his favorite stay-healthy tips and tricks; plus answer your questions on how to be your healthiest, best self, every day.

Despite its relative youth with the North American health food(ie) crowd, quinoa's history dates back thousands of years. Originally grown in the Andes in South America, the Incas revered quinoa as the mother of all grains. In fact, it was so integral to their culture that the Spanish conquistadors forbade the growing of it as a way to control and suppress them. Lucky for us, quinoa love has come full circle and the UN has actually declared 2013 as the international year of quinoa.

You may be wondering why this unassuming little grain is such a nutritional superstar, but the answer is because it's actually not a

By Connie Wang, Photographed by Winnie Au, Refinery29

For the couple who prefers a quiet dinner to a blowout affair, there's no reason to throw an over-the-top wedding complete with self-brewed hooch, a 400-person guest list, and enough harvested wildflowers to cause a national scarcity. Nope - for the low-key couple with a proclivity toward old-school romance, a City Hall wedding is the only way to do it.

With that in mind, we staked out the steps in front of the New York City Clerk's Office to catch the couples who've vowed to keep things real - documenting everything from their outfits to their love stories. So, crank up the Boyz II Men and make sure the Kleenex box is within reach - all you saps out there, this one's for you.

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By Carly Pifer, Refinery29

Holiday shopping can be fun, but finding a gift that triggers that fuzzy, generous feeling can be tough on a student's budget. Not to mention the fact that you're also studying for finals and working the holiday-party circuit, and it doesn't help that you suddenly have about three times the amount of people to shop for than ever before. Between family and friends - new and old - teachers, bosses, and coworkers, it can seem like you have the gift list that rivals Santa's.

Time to stop panicking and check out our seasonal selects for all the wonderful people in your life. Your favorite aunt? A tea-infuser mug. Your kinda clumsy roommate? An extra-cute cell phone case. And the best part: With every present cashing in at less than $20, you won't be wiped out financially come 2013. Oh, and if you have a college-aged son or daughter that uses his student ID as an excuse not to buy gifts, you might want to send this on over to them!

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How

By Megan McIntyre, Illustrated by Naomi Abel, Refinery29

Contrary to popular belief, our staffers did not emerge from the womb knowing how to braid, curl, or draw a perfect cat-eye - we all had to learn it somewhere. With that in mind, we're starting a new series for you guys called Amateur Hour, where our staffers (with the help of top-notch experts) will teach you the basic techniques for some everyday beauty looks and tools. First up: hot rollers.

We've sung the praises of hot rollers on numerous occasions - they really are a one-stop shop for a coterie of curly coiffs. But for some women, they continue to be a mystifying hair tool that they just can't seem to conquer. Here, with the help of hairstylist Dan Sharp, we'll show you the basics of hot rollers, including how to create different types of curls and some sneaky tricks for mastering this handy hot tool.

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