Month: March 2019

March 12, 2019 at 09:00AM by CWC I heard it all when I was thinking about getting my first tattoo. That they’re not very ladylike. That I’d regret how it would look when I got older. And, my personal favorite: What if I met a guy and he didn’t like tattoos? The horror, right? I felt discouraged from getting a tattoo—something I should have had the agency to choose for myself, no questions asked—because of an archaic ideal of keeping up “feminine” appearances. What the naysayers don’t realize, though, is tattoos can contribute to a positive sense of self. That they can make you feel like a work of art by literally adding one to your body. I have two tattoos currently (getting a third soon), and beyond the skin-deep ink, they have become part of me—they’ve even helped me become more myself. Put simply, they just make me feel more confident. And I’m hardly alone in my my feelings here: According to recent Pinterest data, searches for “self-love tattoos” is up 1320 percent, and psychologically, it totally makes sense why. “In a culture that constantly polices how women show up in their bodies, getting tattoos can be a symbolic and empowering act and can help people see parts of themselves in a new light.” — body-image therapist Sarah Herstich, LCSW “In a culture that constantly polices how women show up in their bodies, getting tattoos can be a symbolic and empowering act and can help people see parts of themselves in a

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March 12, 2019 at 08:00AM by CWC In the heat of the moment, tossing out an ultimatum to your boss, your partner, or even a restaurant manager after a decidedly awful experience might seem like the best if not only option. But, #realtalk: Are these my-way-or-the-highway brokerages ever really a good idea? Because after you get what you want and the dust settles, the result is likely not everything going back to a slightly elevated normal. So, why do we resort to ultimatums in the first place? “When we lack the skills to convey our needs in healthy ways, we often turn to control and demands to gain a false sense of security in a relationship,” says Gin Love Thompson, PhD, psychotherapist, relationship specialist, and author. “In general, ultimatums set a relationship up for future resentments.” And that applies no matter how big or small the ask is and whether or not it’s met. Beyond highlighting some lacking communication skills, a reliance on romantic-leaning ultimatums is also a reflection of the current dating environment, says licensed psychologist Mary Jo Rapini, a love and relationship expert. “In the dating world now, there is a lot of fakeness, and nobody really wants to commit to anything, so people forget they have to set boundaries,” she says. It’s true that boundaries are key in any type of relationship, because without them, it’s pretty easy to be taken advantage of. And if you’re not getting what you want from the relationship and find yourself giving more to

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March 12, 2019 at 07:09AM by CWC [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zYQBK7Nq18] The rivalry between sweet potatoes and their regular potato cousins has never been greater (we’re talking Sharks versus Jets level stuff here). As people ditch white potatoes for their sweet orange counterparts in the name of more fiber and better health, it’s easy for any spud lover to wonder which camp to choose. Luckily for you, nutritionist (and pun master) Tracy Lockwood Beckerman, RD, tackles this very debate in the latest episode of You vs. Food (Well+Good’s video series unpacking all things food and nutrition). Here are some of the mind-blowing revelations she offers up: Sweet potatoes and yams are NOT the same thing. Sweet potatoes have more vitamin A and are lower in calories. They also taste sweeter. Yams, however, have more potassium and fiber. Sweet potatoes can also help stabilize blood sugar levels because they’re a low to medium glycemic index food (meaning that its carbs and sugars don’t affect your blood sugar levels as much as, say, pasta or ice cream). To get the most out of that benefit, Beckerman suggests eating sweet potatoes with healthy fats like ghee, nuts, or avocado. Iron is absorbed better by the body when eaten with vitamin C. Guess which food has both at once? Yup, the sweet potato. White potatoes may have less fiber than sweet potatoes, but they’re generally more fibrous than other starches, Beckerman says. They’re also packed with potassium, which can help lower blood pressure, she says. You won’t get

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March 12, 2019 at 07:00AM by CWC More than arguably any other step in your beauty routine, there’s something about applying perfume that makes you feel equal parts sensual and luxurious. After all, there’s a reason why all Marilyn Monroe wore to bed was Chanel No. 5, and why the chase of a “signature scent” is a life-altering pursuit. Coco Chanel herself actually may have put it best: “No elegance is possible without perfume. It is the unseen, unforgettable, ultimate accessory.” Whether you’re one of those people who, like me, can’t leave the house without walking through a cloud of fragrance—more specifically, a cloud of Glossier You ($60), ICYWW—or if you just dab a roller ball on your wrist in honor of special occasions, your scent has the potential to speak volumes about you. As perfumer Maurice Roucel once said, “Your fragrance is your message, your scented slogan.” (Can you tell I went down a black hole of perfume quotes while researching this story?) But while fragrance can be one of the most personal beauty choices you can make, there are a few things worth knowing about the “right” way to wear it. To find out, I tapped some of the top pros in the industry to share their tips on how to wear perfume. Keep scrolling for their sound advice. Think about the scents themselves All scents are (obviously) not created equally, which means that the way you apply them actually depends on the scents themselves. “Fragrances that are from the aldehydes,

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