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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By Refinery29 | Healthy Living – Fri, Apr 5, 2013 5:55 PM EDTA Love Letter to Our Favorite (New) Redhead
By Refinery29 | Beauty on Shine – Fri, Apr 5, 2013 12:37 PM EDTBy Tara Rasmus, Refinery29
Read More »from A Love Letter to Our Favorite (New) Redhead
Rachel McAdams, we have a missed you. We know you've been busy being awesome, riding your bike adorably through the streets of your Toronto hometown, and, recently, breaking up with Michael Sheen. Despite your recent heartache (or maybe because of it?) we are thrilled to see you out and about, with a bright, sassy, totally breakover-worthy mane of electric red hair.
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While it's essentially be scientifically proven that you can literally pull off every hair color on the face of this great earth, we have to admit this particular shade of fire-engine might be a tad too bright for our liking. We love you as a redhead, so we'll have to see if we can adjust to this new hue - at least until you're on to your next shade. Boyfriends may come and go, but Rachel, our love for you (and your ever-changing hair) is forever.
More fromFiltered Water: Is it Really Healthier Than Tap?
By Refinery29 | Healthy Living – Thu, Apr 4, 2013 4:09 PM EDTBy Erika Stalder, Refinery29
Read More »from Filtered Water: Is it Really Healthier Than Tap?
Bottled or tap? Bubbly or still? With a growing and bewildering spectrum of filtered water choices available, including akaline, hexagonal, reverse osmosis, carbon, ultraviolet, tap and charcoal, the question seems almost quaint.
When you consider all the options available to us, the pursuit for pristine water can also seem excessive. But considering that homeland security has dubbed our waterways as possible vessels for terror, that lead remains a potential contaminant in some homes, that traces of prescription drugs have been found in 24 major metropolitan areas in the US, and that Americans consider the stuff to be a key component to their overall health and well-being, according to a 2012 Beverage Marketing Corporation report, then the hysterical search for purity begins to make more sense.
But, is one way of cleaning our water better than another? And, does molecular restructuring or a spiked pH make healthier water? Before you plunk down three grandThings We Hope Are False: Alleged Zara "Sweatshop" Conditions
By Refinery29 | Fashion – Thu, Apr 4, 2013 12:46 PM EDTBy Gina Marinelli, Refinery29
Read More »from Things We Hope Are False: Alleged Zara "Sweatshop" Conditions
With Zara's recent efforts to improve the quality of their products and make strides in being a more conscious company, the latest news about one of our favorite fast fashion retailers comes as an enormous shock. According to Telegraph UK, an investigation of a South American factory that may be producing Zara products has revealed "slave labor" working conditions.
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La Alameda, a worker's rights group, had caught wind of the Buenos Aires factory conditions that would turn anyone's stomach - namely 13-hour work days and "sweatshop" conditions for adults and children - and in response, the workplace was raided by Argentinian officials. Sadly, as reported by Telegraph, the findings included employees living within the factory space and working six-day weeks while denied their right to breaks.
Zara officials did respond saying that "theThe Best Brows for Your Face Shape: A Primer
By Refinery29 | Beauty on Shine – Wed, Apr 3, 2013 5:44 PM EDTBy Tara Rasmus, Refinery29
The most important aspect of your beauty routine may surprise you. While you may be used to putting your energy into searching for the perfect foundation or your secret-weapon lipstick, you may want to be focusing on the two small things that add the most structure and definition to your face: your eyebrows.
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"Brows can play a huge role in widening the eyes, narrowing the face, and drawing attention away from certain features - and enhancing others," says "brow architect" Tiffany Reicosky of Browhaus in NYC. "The brow shape will depend on a person's face shape, working to enhance a particular facial feature." Whether your visage is round, square or heart-shaped, rest assured: There is a brow shape that will work perfectly for you."
Click through to see six stars who are rocking the absolute best brow shape for their faces, and get Reicosky's tips on how to get the look right for your
Read More »from The Best Brows for Your Face Shape: A PrimerThere's a Scientific Reason You Look Different in Photos Than in Mirrors
By Refinery29 | Beauty on Shine – Wed, Apr 3, 2013 11:41 AM EDTBy Hayden Manders, Refinery29
Read More »from There's a Scientific Reason You Look Different in Photos Than in Mirrors
.Even though your outfit was slammin' and you swore you were having a good hair day, whenever someone takes your picture, it just looks off. Now, you can blame science for your un-photogenic tendencies. Turns out that the way we see our mirrored selves differs from the way we see our photographed selves.
"We grow up getting used to all of our asymmetries as reflected in the mirror," writes Jordan Gaines of NBCNews.com. When the time comes to look at our own portraits, our brain can't comprehend why the differences and nuances we see in the mirror don't match with the "us" in a photo. The same can be said of the way we hear our voices when played back in a recording.
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Pascal Belin, a professor of psychology at the University of Glasgow, breaks down the way we hear. Quite simply, Belin explains, "We never actually hear our voice like other people hear it," because sound enters our ears in two ways:10 Awesome Pairs of Rain Boots for $100 or Less
By Refinery29 | Fashion – Wed, Apr 3, 2013 10:27 AM EDTBy Rebecca Taras, Refinery29
Winter's wrath may be behind us, but we're not exactly in the clear yet. And, just because April showers bring May flowers doesn't necessarily mean things are coming up roses - especially when it comes to our wet feet.
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Instead of suffering through soggy stockings, scoop up one of these adorable rain boots. Between fun patterns and sleek styles, you'll be fashionably equipped all day long. You can't deny it: This buy feels right as rain.
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Read More »from 10 Awesome Pairs of Rain Boots for $100 or LessWe Answer the Personal Beauty Qs You're Afraid to Ask
By Refinery29 | Beauty on Shine – Tue, Apr 2, 2013 5:34 PM EDTBy Tara Rasmus, Refinery29
Read More »from We Answer the Personal Beauty Qs You're Afraid to Ask
Tipping for good service, being on time for appointments, even avoiding yakking on the phone during a mani-pedi sesh are all standard practices that ensure that customers are happy and that beauty businesses run smoothly. But what about those issues that are a little bit more, er, gray-area? For instance, do you need to pre-groom before a bikini wax?
Wanting to get these and other questions answered (hey, for our own benefit as well as yours!), we reached out to some of our favorite beauty pros for their takes on the stickiest beauty situations. Read, learn, and rest assured: You definitely do not need to trim before getting a Brazilian. So...at least there's that.
Let's get right down to the nitty-gritty of it: Is it okay to head to the spa if you're surfing the crimson wave? "Massage during your menstrual period can actually be very beneficial, as it will relax you and can reduce pain and discomfort associated with cramps,"says Josie Feria, Director ofLike Mother, like Daughter: Suri Cruise Gets Bangs!
By Refinery29 | Beauty on Shine – Tue, Apr 2, 2013 5:01 PM EDTBy Seija Rankin, Refinery29
Read More »from Like Mother, like Daughter: Suri Cruise Gets Bangs!
If being fascinated with Suri Cruise is wrong, we don't want to be right. There's just something about Katie's mini me that's totally enthralling - maybe it's the fact that her wardrobe is better than ours, maybe it's her hobnobbing in hipster hangouts. Either way, it's easy to forget that this stylin' six-year-old is just that: A six-year-old.
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But then, just when the Holmes-Cruise's have us convinced she's actually a mature adult masquerading in a child's body, Suri goes and does the most six-year-old thing ever - she cuts her own bangs. The wee one was spotted cruiseing around town this weekend sporting a brand new 'do that totally screams "I did this myself!" And, we couldn't love her more for it. Now, as for Katie's reaction? That, we would love to see.
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WeBy Vanessa Golembewski, Refinery29
Read More »from Is Kate Middleton Making a Clothing Line?
.The downside of being a is charitable giver is undoubtedly all the lackluster swag you get in return. Personally, we can't count the number of oversized T-shirts we've collected by donating to philanthropies or running 5Ks with a cause. But swag from The Royal Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry? Well, that could be a different story.
Seems the Foundation has applied to trademark fashion items with Kate Middleton's coveted name on them. Though the charity's name would appear on each piece, this is the first instance where the Duchess' name would appear on branded clothing and could (could) be the buddings of a Kate fashion line.
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A palace spokesman says that this decision is not indicative of a Kate Middleton clothing brand, but rather to a step to, "protect the foundation against other people using its name illegally." The statement
