SubscribeTopic: LOOK
Pimp My Health: 5 Blissful Ways To Have The Best Shower Ever
When done right, showers can be the best part of your day. Not only do you have an opportunity to get super-clean, but you can also use this time to improve your health, your skin and your mood. So, this week on Pimp My Health, we’re going to pimp your shower. All it takes is a little know-how to turn 10 routine minutes into 10 awesome minutes. Take a look: More »
My Personal Trainer Promised A New Me In 30 Days…What’s Wrong With The Old Me?
I’m starting to see a personal trainer at my gym next week. Let’s call him Tony. Tony says in one month, I’ll be a new Briana. Which made me wonder, what does he have against the current Briana? Is just part of the personal trainer’s sales technique to make women feel bad about themselves? Or do so many women feel bad about themselves that guaranteeing us new versions of ourselves is just the de facto kind of encouragement that personal trainers are supposed to give? More »
Daily Fail: Rachel Weisz’s Arms Don’t Look ‘Too Buff’
Rachel Weisz was photographed on set in Manila recently, and naturally The Daily Mail took the opportunity to criticize her body. In their article, “Biceps to rival Madonna! Rachel Weisz reveals guns of steel on the set of The Bourne Legacy,” they suggest that the actress is going overboard with her workouts based on photographs of her in a tank top, then reveal her workouts, which are…not extreme at all. As always, we salute the Mail‘s ability to cut down a lady. More »
Zooey Deschanel Says Her Healthy Weight Is ‘Weird’ For Hollywood
Zooey Deschanel is featured on the latest Allure, so I clicked through her cover shoot gallery online. Between quotes about her bangs and makeup, inevitably, I found the obligatory quote about her diet and weight. And it was surprisingly refreshing. Which, as she points out, is sadly “weird” for Hollywood. More »
Daily Fail: How Does Victoria Beckham Do It? It’s Called Photoshop
Our favorite tabloid, The Daily Mail, has an article today noting that “Victoria Beckham is super slender in her first lingerie shoot since the birth of baby Harper” and asking “How does she do it?” Uh…might I suggest she does it via a little program called Photoshop? More »
Special K Thinks You Can’t Be Sassy, Proud If You’re Not Thin
When I was a kid, the only thing that came in a cereal box was a lick-on tattoo, or possibly something made of plastic. Now, if you’re to believe Kellogg’s ladies-only diet-brand Special K‘s new series of ads, your cereal box not only has the only prize women should ever care about (weight loss, of course!), but also a few hidden surprises–like a personality, which apparently, you can’t have if you’re even remotely overweight. More »
Daily Fail: LeAnn Rimes’ Weight Is Not A Healthy Obsession
Recent paparazzi photos of LeAnn Rimes shopping in L.A. spurred a Daily Mail article about how she’s looking too thin, because, you know: It’s important to stay on top of celebrities’ weight fluctuations. They say that despite looking healthy on the beach just a few days ago, Rimes is now “back to her skinny-self.” But despite their feigned concern for her well-being, there’s just nothing healthy about obsessively tracking someone else’s weight. More »
What Your Skin Says About Your Inner Health
Did you know that your skin can be a window to your underlying health? Many internal health conditions first appear as skin problems. But how do you know if that rash, that itch or that paleness is something to be concerned about? To find out, we consulted with New York dermatologist, Dr. Neil Sadick, who says that certain skin conditions can signal everything from a malignancy, disease or even a vitamin deficiency. Learn how to tell what your skin could be telling you (of course, these are just possibilities, to find out more, you should consult your doctor): More »
Miranda Kerr Says Victoria’s Secret Promotes ‘Healthy Body Image’…Seriously?
Photos from latest Victoria’s Secret campaign are out, and the models are talking fitness and nutrition, saying some stupid stuff in the process. Like Miranda Kerr, who recently talked about how she loves modeling for the lingerie company because they are so into promoting healthy body image and curvy bods. Seriously? More »
I Tried It! 3 Homemade Eco-Friendly Moisturizers That Actually Work For Winter Skin
Yes, there are quite a few DIY beauty recipes out there, and to be honest, some of them have me saying, “You want me to put what on my face?” But the idea of making my own skincare products from time to time and using all-natural ingredients is still appealing–especially this time of year when dry winter skin is at its peak. So I did a little research and found three recipes that are not only simple to make, but they actually work. Not to mention the fact that they smell delicious! More »
Body Acceptance Gone Wrong: Why This Photo Doesn’t Make Me Feel “Hot”
I know that images like the one above are supposed to make me feel better about my body; sharing the photos of old Hollywood actresses against today’s starlets on Facebook and Twitter is some women’s way of cheering on their friends. It’s supposed to send the message: “You shouldn’t feel bad because you don’t look like too-thin movie stars…Rah rah rah!” But the thing is, it doesn’t. Like the Nigella Lawson vs. Gillian McKeith photo before it, or the recent PLUS Model Magazine photo shoot, I know the intention of this graphic is good. But in reality, it’s just adding more pressure to comform to unforgiving ideals…and encouraging women to feel better by hating on each other. More »
Why I Got Botox In My 20′s
You know that muscle in the middle of your forehead, right between your brows? The scowling muscle? Maybe you don’t. Maybe some people are blissfully unaware of their weird, clenchy forehead muscle.
Mine has always been overactive.
As a teenager, I always had this deep cleft of worry and contempt etched between my brows, even when I wasn’t angry. Sometimes, the spot would actually hurt from overuse. In my early twenties, it became more pronounced. The middle of my forehead would ache, and I would rub my fingers over it in circles, trying to relax it. More »
Does It Matter If Angelina Jolie Was Too Skinny At Last Night’s Golden Globes?
When Angelina Jolie stepped on the red carpet at last night’s Golden Globe Awards, all eyes were not on her dress or her hair (as per the usual superficiality of these events), but instead, some people were focused on her weight–or lack of it.
More »
Miss America 2012 Contestants Talk Health And Fitness
Yesterday’s Golden Globes ceremony kind of overshadowed another tradition of sparkly gowns, slim bodies and spectacle taking place over the weekend: The 2012 Miss America pageant, a multi-day, reality-TV-itized affair in Vegas that concluded Saturday night. Miss Wisconsin Laura Kaeppeler was crowned the winner. The random line-up of judges included Dancing With the Stars Mark Ballas, Kardashian mom Kris Jenner and actress Teri Polo. Contestants included Miss South Carolina Bree Boyce, who lost more than 100 pounds before competing, and Miss Idaho Genevieve Nutting, who wants to prove that she looks good in a potato sack. And, overall, the women seemed to have pretty healthy bodies—on the thin side, of course, and perhaps more perfectly proportioned than most of us, but ultimately more hot-girl-next-store than bone-baring runway model. In their introductory videos, talent competitions and Q&A’s, many of the 2012 contestants talked about how they stay fit, and their answers are pretty cool, and diverse—from running to rock-climbing to ballet. Take a look.
More »
Sexy Yearbook Photos: 25% Of You Don’t Think They Should Have Been Censored
All week, we’ve been talking about Colorado teenager Sydney Spies, whose sexy yearbook photos were rejected by the school’s yearbook committee. The school did offer her the option of purchasing ad space in the back of the yearbook for $300 where she could display her “artsy” photos, but that didn’t satisfy the 18-year-old and her mother who appeared on the Today show this week, and numerous other media outlets around the country, to complain about their censorship. Regardless of whether they end up boosting her career, they certainly caught your attention: Spies’ photos were one of the most hotly-debated issues on Blisstree this week. More »
Deodorant May Not Give You Breast Cancer, But Other Toxic Beauty Products Could
New research suggests that deodorant doesn’t directly cause breast cancer, but don’t go crazy stocking up on Teen Spirit: The other conclusion of the study is that most of our beauty products are probably responsible for increasing our risk (and deodorant’s not really safe, either). Basically, British scientists analyzed tissue samples from 40 women who had mastectomies, and found parabens throughout the tissues, even of women who said they didn’t use deodorant. Which isn’t really good news whether you use deodorant or not. More »
Kelly Osbourne Hates This Look, But What’s So Bad About Gray Hair, Anyway?
Like every optimistic 20-something, I always said that once I started to go gray, I would embrace it…until, at 22, I found my first silver hairs, which I decidedly did not embrace. Imagine my surprise, then, when Kelly Osbourne, who has experimented with hair color for as long as she’s been in the public eye, actually chose long, silky, Emmylou Harris-colored strands.  The look is being roundly rejected–Kelly herself, apparently, hates it–but why is going gray something so horrifying anyway? More »
Bald Barbies Sound Great, But They’re Not Enough To Empower Girls
Should there be a bald Barbie? That’s the question that Mattel is facing right now due to the pressure from people across the country who feel this would help girls feel better about themselves after losing their hair due to cancer or other illnesses. In theory, it’s a great idea and it has all the makings for some much-needed positive PR for a company who has come under fire repeatedly for promoting everything from negative body images to eating disorders. But is a bald Barbie really the way to make these girls feel better about themselves? No. More »
Why Vaseline Is Bad For You, And What You Should Use Instead
Vaseline is the panacea of winter skin problems, but lately rumor has it that petroleum jelly is bad. But why? I know some of it has to do with the environment: Petroleum comes from the same place as gasoline, so it’s not exactly “green” beauty. But it’s not just the eco-friendly who shun petroleum; there’s also concern for the bad things it can do to your skin and body. Just don’t ask anyone why—it’s surprisingly tough to find out what’s so bad about petroleum jelly. So I asked around and found some straightforward answers, as well as some ways to make sure your winter skin isn’t left in the lurch. More »
PLUS Model Mag Promotes Size Acceptance, But Are Their Photos Really Body Positive?
According to PLUS Model Magazine, most runway models are considered anorexic judging by their body mass index (BMI). That’s just one of the shocking statistics accompanying their controversial shoot, titled “Plus Size Bodies, What Is Wrong With Them Anyway?” meant to provoke discussion of the damaging body standards set by the fashion industry. The shoot features size 12 model Katya Zharkova, and in some photos, an anonymous “straight”-sized model. In an accompanying editorial, editor Madeline Figueroa-Jones also makes some good points about how the debate over beauty and fashion should be separated from health. The editorial makes some great points, but to be honest I’m not sure the photos themselves really do all women justice. More »