Blog Posts by Refinery29

By Emily London, Refinery29

Two complaints investigated by the Advertising Standards Authority into imagery on American Apparel's website have been upheld. The brand's use of "real" women and employees in their advertising campaigns is widely documented, but it is the images of women promoting the label's knitwear and body suits that have caused the recent controversy. Complaints were files about the perceived vulnerability and explicit sexual overtones of the models' postures and outfits. Particularly in the case of a model wearing a sweater who appears not to be wearing any underwear.

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The A.S.A explained their findings: "We considered there was a voyeuristic quality to the images, which served to heighten the impression that the women were vulnerable and in sexually provocative poses. For the reasons given, we considered the ads were likely to cause serious offence to visitors to American Apparel's website."

By Annie Georgia Greenberg, Refinery29

Unfortunate but true: Junk food tastes so right...until it feels so wrong. It's not that you can't enjoy fried chicken without shame spiraling, but it doesn't always feel great after, does it? And as guilty-pleasure enthusiasts ourselves, this bums us out to no end.

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So, we tapped four top dietitians to give us their picks of the healthiest junk foods around. You know, the in-bounds diet "cheats" that don't make you feel like you've just watched a Real Housewives marathon with your hand in an economy-sized bag of chips. And surprisingly, nothing's off limits: From salty splurges to sour candies, alcohol to comfort foods, these tempting dishes will leave you maximally full with minimal regrets. Click through, then munch on.

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By Erika Stalder, Refinery29

.Most of us don't think much about the treatment we give our pits. We wash them, shave them, deodorize them, and forget it. But, a practice that started in the hormonally-wacked out years of our teens may deserve another look. You've probably received forwarded e-mails warning about possible dangers in your deodorant or antiperspirant, but are those scary statistics actually true? Wonder no more. Here's the no-BS guide to what's actually in your antiperspirants and deodorants - and what the research says.

Aluminum: This metal (an active ingredient in many antiperspirants) blocks sweat glands, stopping sweat from reaching the skin's surface. Some studies have also found possible links between aluminum to breast cancer and Alzheimer's. Can the use of aluminum-based underarms cause breast cancer because of the pits' proximity to the breasts? Can aluminum cause dementia when it enters the brain? The jury is still out; the National Cancer Institute says that

By Hayden Manders, Refinery29

Faux-fashion fans beware: The next time you head down to Chinatown for a knockoff Louis Vuitton (a.k.a. a Louis Vuiton), you could be fined more than the cost of the real deal. New York councilwoman Margaret Chin has thrown her 2011 proposal calling for more strict law enforcement on the sale of designer bootlegs back on the table.

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Currently, it's not illegal to buy knockoff designer goods, but Chin wants to make the purchasing of these items just as punishable as it is to produce and distribute them. Canal Street shoppers believing they scored a deal on a $30 Céline bootleg could be faced with a $1,000 fine. In fact, that bag could even earn them a stint in the slammer. Fashion's black market is huge in the US, and is a considerable source of revenue across the globe. In a comment to WWD, Susan Scafidi, director of the Fashion Law Institute

By Lexi Nisita, Refinery29

The question of whether or not size matters (and you know what we mean) has long been a point of discussion for pop-science fans and legitimate researchers alike. And though a watershed study in 1966 concluded that no, women don't much care what you're sporting down there, new research published in the always-thrilling Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences now suggests the opposite. In the interest of conciseness, here are a few helpful tips we've gleaned from the findings.

Go big or go home, but don't go too big, because that's unappealing. Though women tended towards more-is-more when it came to other typical "masculine" traits, the curve of positive feedback re: penis size was, to put it scientifically, an upside-down U. Meaning that ratings of attractiveness increased with size to a certain extent, but then dropped off once things got, well, uncomfortable. So, if you're thinking of investing in some of those male enhancement pills that totally

By Alden Wicker, Refinery29

Think you need an MBA to get your financial act together? Think again. Becoming a money boss just requires the right know-how and some smart choices. That's why we've uncovered the savviest $$$ decisions a gal can make…along with a few not-so-smooth moves that could cost you, literally.

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Because we know you want to add a few zeros to the end of your bank account, we reached out to Andrea Travillian, a personal finance expert in Texas who coaches clients on how to reach their financial goals, to let us in on a few of her secrets. (For free, of course.)

To help you get to the point where you have so much money, you actually have to pay someone to take care of it, we'll clue you in on the smartest and dumbest moves you can make with your coin. Ready to take the first step toward getting rich?

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We Answer The Very

By Megan McIntyre, Refinery29

If you've learned anything from reading our beauty content over the past few years, you'll know one thing for sure: Shy we are not. From hair loss to vajazzling, there aren't many things out there that we won't discuss. But, it has come to our attention that there are still some subjects out there that many of you feel ashamed to speak out about - so-called "gross" problems like warts, cold sores, dandruff, ingrown toenails, and body hair.

Part of this embarrassment comes from the stigma that surrounds these issues - the unspoken public opinion on them are that they only happen to people who are unclean. We're here to tell you that is so not true, as these issues can happen to anyone regardless of their grooming routine.

While accepting your body and all of the natural - albeit weird - things that come along with it is righteous, we get that just because you prescribe to the "warts and all" approach to body love doesn't mean you want to, you know,

By Nicole Catanese, Refinery29

.In the words of the Beatles (and The Wonder Years), we get by with a little help from our friends. But sadly, not all of our pals are doing their jobs. While a good friend can lift you up when you are feeling blue and enrich your life, a bad friend can make you doubt yourself and feel guilty for just being you. Whether intentionally or unintentionally, there are those in our circle of BFFs who manage to undermine us and drain us, both emotionally and physically. These are the toxic friends.

You know who they are, right? Those people in your lives that you aren't quite sure why they are there other than to get you heated, piss you off, or diminish your confidence in mere minutes. Although sometimes, the clues aren't as clear - you can have a good time together, and they're there for you when the going gets tough. Yet, on a regular basis, they're more of an energy suck. What gives?

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