September 28, 2018 at 12:06PM Even if you don’t have time to fit in an a.m. orgasm between your first supercharged cup of coffee and that morning workout, there’s something you can do when you wake up that can improve your healthy sex life, says relationship coach and Well+Good Council member Lila Darville. Here, she explains why fitting foreplay into your morning routine is a *really* good idea. Too often, people think about foreplay as the prep that comes immediately before sex (kissing, touching, a little Ginuwine if you’re into that). But by this definition, the word “foreplay” limits what we can be experiencing sexually. It gives people the narrow idea that they should start getting turned on only when they enter the bedroom, or in the minutes right before intercourse. There really isn’t a beginning or end to foreplay. In fact, foreplay is the arousal of sexual energy, and it doesn’t have to be relegated to the moments before sex play with your partner. It can start as soon as you wake up in the morning and last all day long, whether between two people or on your own. There really isn’t a beginning or end to foreplay. I like to think of my sexual energy like a simmering pot; I want it to always be simmering. I don’t want to have to go from cold to hot right before sex. If we restrict foreplay to those moments before we go to bed or the moments before we have sex, then
Month: September 2018
Lipstick’s younger, cooler sister has arrived just in time for fall
September 28, 2018 at 11:37AM I know so many women—myself included—whose go-to method of taking a makeup look from day to night is by swiping on a bold lip. Nothing gives you an instant boost of confidence quite like rocking a bright shade, am I right ladies? Just ask my roommate, who, on date nights, witnesses me swipe on my go-to fuschia lip to feel exponentially more self-assured with my look and the metaphorical exclamation point that it’s donning. Here’s the thing: Why can’t you take that easy swipe of confidence with you throughout the day? While popping pinks and intense reds can stick with you through the night, making them last from 9-to-5 (through coffee runs and lunch and the like) can be more challenging. That’s why I’m making the case for the upgraded tinted lip balm as your everyday beauty hero. A perfect medium between your go-to lipstick and a nourishing balm, tinted lips provide a touch of color along with hydration. And while they’ve existed for-eh-ver, sure, they have a new twist, functioning more as makeup than treatment. They’re like muted lipsticks—lipsticks with the volume dialed down a bit, if you will, whereas tinted balms of the past felt more like a Chapstick with benefits. These aren’t basic colors for the faint of heart, either—brands are making tinted lip balms in everything from your dark burgundy to coral pink, so you’re sure to find one in the hue you love. And as you reap the confidence-boosting benefits
Ready your stockpot for the most popular soup recipe on Pinterest
September 28, 2018 at 11:28AM Now that fall is in the air (and in your coffee cup), it’s time to stash away your trusty blender to make room for the stockpot (or slow cooker). But stop yourself from combing through the infinite pages of the World Wide Web to find recipes for the coziest soups and stews in which to dip your still-steaming loaf of super-bread. Rather, skip to the Pinterest finish line with a creamy vegan find: roasted butternut squash, the most-popular fall soup recipe on the whole platform. According to the social network, which is chock-full of ideas for living your best DIY life, the bowl that’s been saved 133 thousand times is one that’s filled to the brim with the orange-hued goodness, crafted by the food blogger behind Ahead of Thyme. The dish calls for 12 ingredients, including roasted butternut squash, carrots, celery, and onions, as well as apropos-for-autumn herbs like sage, thyme, and rosemary. After roasting the veggies for an hour, simply pop the ingredients into a food processor and, ta-da, dinner is served. View this post on Instagram Happy American Thanksgiving!! Serve my popular and delicious roasted butternut squash soup on your holiday table. Rosemary, thyme and sage… need I say more? | aheadofthyme.com – click link in bio for recipe #aheadofthyme A post shared by Sam | Ahead of Thyme (@aheadofthyme) on Nov 24, 2016 at 12:09pm PST //www.instagram.com/embed.js In second place (but not so close), a recipe for Italian chicken veggies soup comes in at 65 thousand saves—AKA,
The 5 best crystals for better sleep and how to use them
September 28, 2018 at 11:17AM There is no exact science for getting the perfect night’s sleep. There are, of course, things that can help you catch more zzz’s. You can set a curfew for your technology. Or, ban your pup from your bed, for starters. Some DIY energy healing with the help of crystals is another option. There are five crystals associated with better sleep, according to Heather Askinosie, co-founder of Energy Muse and author of Crystal Muse. Her recommendations are below. But first, she offers this word of caution before you over woo-woo your bedroom. “At the end of the day, crystals are amplifiers,” she says. “So they can keep some people up at night.” “Ninety-nine percent of the time, less is more when it comes to crystals in the bedroom.” Finding the perfect setup requires some experimentation. Light sleepers might want to keep the crystals farther from their beds. Another option is to opt for smaller stones. “Ninety-nine percent of the time, less is more when it comes to crystals in the bedroom” Askinosie says. Read on to learn about the five best crystals for better sleep and how to add them into your nighttime routine. Photo: Stocksy/Lyuba Burakova Selenite Selenite isn’t an obvious choice here since its nickname is liquid light. But Askinosie says “it represents what your ideal mindset should be before you head to bed: calm and clear.” Amethyst Are dreams the part of your slumber that could use some help? Fill your bedroom with amethyst. Amethyst
Here’s what’s *actually* going to happen to you if you eat expired butter
September 28, 2018 at 10:14AM There are some fridge staples I run out of on the reg. It seems like I’m always buying eggs or another half gallon of almond milk. But butter on the other hand, sits in my fridge for literally months on end. Maybe it’s because I don’t make Bulletproof coffee every morning and I’m not much of a baker, but it takes me forever to run out of the stuff. Which made me wonder: When does it reach the point when it’s not safe to eat anymore? I did some digging to find out. Apparently, there are a lot of people out there who have ancient butter in their fridge, including this person who put four year old butter on her baked potato. Fortunately, scientists have actually studied this. They meticulously monitored butter kept in the fridge and found that it can last about six months with no gross bacteria growing on it and no changes in texture or flavor. In another study, scientists found that after ten months, there actually still wasn’t enough harmful bacteria on refrigerated butter to lose any sleep over it. So it turns out when kept in the cold, butter can last for a long damn time. But what happens when you’re like the lady who ate four-year-old butter? Will it leave your stomach, er, churning? (Sorry! Sorry!) The first thing to know: Don’t panic—old butter can’t kill you. It seems the worst that can happen is, yes, you’ll get a stomach
5 hot-off-the-runway athleisure trends from the Off-White fashion show in Paris
September 28, 2018 at 10:03AM Designer Virgil Abloh doesn’t follow fashion trends. He sets them. It’s why luxury brands trying to embrace athleisure and street-style lovers in need of new inspo follow his every move. After all, his collections are harbingers of where the fastest growing fashion category is headed. So it makes sense that Abloh’s Off-White ready-to-wear show yesterday for Paris Fashion Week was a good place to look for spring/summer ’19 athleisure trends. He collaborated with Nike again for this go-round on the runway, for which he had the concrete floors of the Garage Amelot painted to look like an indoor race course. (Track-and-field was the theme of the collection.) The models, a mix of pro catwalkers and pro female athletes, included Vashti Cunningham, the 20-year-old U.S. Olympic high jumper who’s as well-known for her athleticism as she is her personal style. While Abloh’s unexpected casting choices grabbed headlines, inclusivity wasn’t the only newsworthy aspect of show. Scroll down to see five athleisure moments that were statement makers as well. Keep an eye out for these 5 brand-new athleisure trends. Photo: Richard Bord/Getty Images 1. Pointed-toe sneakers As if to signal the chunky sneaker trend is coming to an end (sigh), Abloh sent down the runway several pairs of retro kicks with a modern twist: a narrowed toe curve. It’s a common shape in boots and heels, but sneakers? Okay, Abloh, we get your, ahem, point. Athleisure is refining its fashion game. Photo: Kay-Paris Fernandes/Getty Images 2. Peekaboo sports bras Cropped sports
The 2 ingredients for the best DIY dry shampoo are already in your pantry
September 28, 2018 at 09:31AM There are countless numbers of dry shampoos to choose from on store shelves. But why spend money on pricey options with long ingredient lists when a couple pantry staples will do? It turns out arrowroot and cocoa powder create the perfect DIY dry shampoo recipe. Plenty of natural brands already use each in their dry shampoo formulas. (Acure, Mother Mountain Herbals, and Primally Pure are examples.) Both ingredients are excellent alternatives to traditional aerosolized sprays, according to Libby Rhee, DO. “Since most people use dry shampoo as a means to extend their blowouts or decrease washing and subsequent heat styling—not the sole means to cleanse their hair and scalp—this intermittent use of natural dry shampoo ingredients is a great choice,” says the New York City-based dermatologist. So how exactly do you take advantage of these ingredients for oil-free strands? It’s super easy. For lighter hair, you’ll use 1/4 cup arrowroot powder on its own. For darker hair, you’ll use the same amount of arrowroot powder and add 2 Tbsp of cocoa powder. The sweet stuff acts as a natural colorant. Then, if you want to, add in 5 to 7 drops of essential oil, like lavender, chamomile, Moroccan argan, or jojoba, says Dr. Rhee. To use it, you can either sprinkle it onto your hair with your fingers or work it in with a fluffy makeup brush. Here’s an added bonus for you brunettes. “[Cocoa powder contains several minerals and antioxidants that can be healthy for the scalp and
What *really* happens when you mix CBD and alcohol?
September 28, 2018 at 09:12AM As many of us learned the hard way in college, weed and alcohol aren’t exactly the most graceful pairing. But CBD—cannabidiol, the non-psychoactive compound in cannabis that’s credited with soothing anxiety, improving sleep, and more—must be a different story, right? After all, bartenders are now mixing it into cocktails, so you’d assume it would be relatively safe (and might even make your martini feel extra relaxing.) Well, the first thing to keep in mind is that the interactions between CBD and alcohol haven’t been rigorously researched. But based on the studies that have been done, it doesn’t seem like there are any immediate adverse effects of mixing the two substances on a one-off basis. In fact, you might not notice anything unusual about your buzz at all. “In the [small] studies I’ve seen, there wasn’t a noticeable difference between people who had alcohol and those who had alcohol with CBD. Their experiences were in line with what happens when you have alcohol [alone],” says Jackie Harding, a scientist at cannabis research and development company Cannabistry Labs. “It’s not like you’re going to feel better if you have CBD when you have a cocktail.” (Although CBD affects everyone differently, so it’s a good idea to know how your body responds to it before you start adding it to your happy-hour order.) Cannabis Feminist and Hempia co-founder Jessica Assaf agrees with this sentiment. “Because there is no euphoric ‘high’ associated with CBD, the immediate benefits are subtle,” she says. Yet Assaf
3 tips for tapping into your Type B personality for endless career success
September 28, 2018 at 08:54AM In the current work climate, where busy, busy, busy seems like a straight-up cornerstone of every employee handbook, Type A personalities are predisposed to thrive. Just think about it: How many times have you seen the words, “go-getter,” “fast on your feet,” and “forward thinking” as desirable qualities on a job listing? So, then, how do you still make an impression at work if you land a little farther down on the personality alphabet at Type B? Katy Caselli, a North Carolina-based organizational psychologist who specializes in personality frameworks like Myers-Briggs says the Type B personality is characterized as “a different way of expressing drive, ambition, and energy when you’re going after a task.” Rather than flying through the action items on their to-do lists, Type Bs tend to linger on one project, taking time to make sure it’s done just right. “A Type B person is more about the process, the experience, and the ideas that are coming out, and is fairly concerned with the quality of the end product as well.” Maggie Mistal, a New York City–based career coach, adds that Type Bs also tend to have thoughtful and meaningful relationships with their coworkers. “They’re not glazing through the workplace just trying to get things done. They’re really solid in their work and also in their immediate relationships,” she says. Just think back to two classic Sex and the City archetypes. Are you more of a get-shit-done Miranda? Or an I-couldn’t-help-but-wonder Carrie? If in order to, say, write one thought-provoking column, you require a trip
How indoor farming is making it easier to eat locally grown, pesticide-free food
September 28, 2018 at 08:40AM As a farmer, your entire job is at the mercy of the weather. A scorching hot growing season with no rain or, conversely, too much rain could ruin your entire crop yield. And then you’re screwed. Or at least, that’s how it’s been for centuries. Bowery, an indoor farming startup with locations in New York City and New Jersey, has moved the whole operation indoors. And doing so has yielded a perfect crop virtually every time. The company uses cutting-edge technology to make every part of the growing system controllable. “We’re able to give the plant exactly what it needs, exactly when it needs it throughout its entire life,” CEO and co-founder Irving Fain says. “So we really control that process from seed to store.” To build this tricked-out farm, Fain and his team started with a warehouse. It’s filled floor to ceiling with stacked shelves of potted romaine, bok choy, kale, butterhead lettuce, arugula, cilantro, parsley, and basil, with LED lights shining their artificial sunshine on each level. After being harvested, they greens will be packaged and shipped out to Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s locations across the tristate area, along with Dig Inns and Sweetgreens throughout the northeast. Photo: Bowery Fain calls the specially designed operating system the “brains of the farm.” And while he won’t give me a rundown of exactly how it works (that’s proprietary info), he does say that the system has sensors that collect data about the crops every step of