December 29, 2018 at 02:54AM Right now you’ve reached that winter point where all the holiday gifts have been opened and the new year is mere days away. In all likelihood, you’re freezing and the idea of sunny days and balmy nights seems like a far cry from reality at the moment but there is a way in which you can (almost) manifest yourself poolside with a piña colada: the post-holiday sales. Sure, it’s tempting to scoop up the winter items you sadly weren’t gifted, but the more strategic move is to shop for the types of warm-weather essentials you reach for on a tropical holiday and in the summer months like swimsuits, sandals, and shoulder-baring dresses at steep discounts. Michelle LeBlanc, founder and owner of the online boutique MILLE says, “It can be super tempting to dive headfirst into the new resort arrivals” this time of year, but “if you take a look at the sale sections online you can typically find a few good pieces at steep discounts leftover from summer.” “If you take a look at the sale sections online you can typically find a few good pieces at steep discounts leftover from summer.” —Michelle LeBlanc, founder and owner of the online boutique MILLE The shop owner recommends stocking up on swimsuits (duh), skirts, flat sandals, statement sunglasses, hats, and bright accessories (especially earrings) to wear with basics as well as sun-worthy dresses in certain fabrics. “Indulging in one splashy silk dress can be a good investment—you do need
Category: Fashion
Here’s a secret: Sprinting on a treadmill doesn’t have to totally suck
December 28, 2018 at 10:51AM A few weeks ago I discovered what I consider the Holy Grail of tips for running on the dread-, er, treadmill. During an audio-guided workout, the coach let slip that front-loading a running-in-place session with an incline makes it easier to sprint like a cheetah during the latter half of your mileage. Naturally, I had to investigate. According to Hollis Tuttle, coach of New York City’s Mile High Run Club, applying the “eat the frog” mentality to your treadmill time pays off in speed. “Prior to picking up the pace, I strongly recommend running up a few hills to ensure that you are better prepared to find your top speed when on flat ground,” she says. “Running uphill improves your form because you must lift your knees higher and land with your feet beneath you.” As a result, you’ll increase your joint mobility and activate your fast-twitch muscle fibers, explains the coach. “All of which will ultimately improve your leg turnover and make your stride more efficient,” Tuttle says. In other words, hitting your hills before sprints will make crushing that 9.0 speed oh-so-much easier. But if you want to test the method for yourself, grab your sneakers and try the Tuttle-approved treadmill routine below. Hollis Tuttle’s incline-first treadmill program Warm-up 5 min: Dynamic warm-up 5 min: Easy jog warm-up Treadmill intervals 2 min: Conversation pace 1 min: Recovery (walk or light jog) 1 min: Conversation pace with 1 percent incline 1 min: Conversation pace with 5 percent incline 1 min:
How to set New Year’s resolutions that will *actually* make you happy, according to science
December 28, 2018 at 06:06AM As a glass-half-full kind of gal, I’m of the opinion that 2018 wasn’t all bad. It did gift us inspirational moth memes and cauliflower tots in bulk, after all. But admittedly, this year had its share of challenges—like political scandals and natural disasters—and it’s pretty clear we could all use a fresh start. So let’s begin 2019 by revolutionizing resolution-setting. Instead of, say, vowing to quit sugar or pay down debt (which are definitely important but sound quite dreary, IMO), why don’t we all just set the intention to be happier in the New Year? I know, this nebulous advice goes against all the conventional goal-creating wisdom of making resolutions that are specific, measurable, blah blah. But that’s the whole point, says happiness coach and Arrive at Happy founder Tia Graham. (Yes, that’s a real job—Graham is wrapping up her certification at the Happiness Studies Academy, created by former Harvard professor Tal Ben-Shahar, PhD. And Graham already has a busy slate of corporate and private coaching clients in Los Angeles, plus a Malibu retreat on deck for March.) “From what I’ve studied, a lot of people set their New Year’s resolutions to attain something, whether that be weight loss, a promotion, a bigger bank account, or a relationship,” she says. These goals sound fine, in theory, but we’re largely falling short of them. According to a 2002 study from the University of Scranton, more than half of us completely abandon our resolutions within six months. If we focus on simply cultivating
These 14 personal essays show there’s no such thing as TMI
December 28, 2018 at 05:04AM Full disclosure: This list was originally going to include just 10 stories. But, as I started combing through the 2018 archives, I turned into a shopaholic at a sample sale—And I want this one! And this one! Oooh, this one is too beautiful to pass up! As managing editor at Well+Good, I read almost everything that gets published on the site. And so often, the stories that stay with me—that I think about during my commute, bring up in dinner conversations, and send to my friends—are the personal essays. And this year, our writers really brought it in the realness department. From acne to anxiety, body image to body hair, these stories went there. And I’m so, so glad they did. I had elective breast reduction surgery at 18 and the changes were more than skin-deep By the time Tamim Alnuweiri was 16, she was a J cup. Tying her shoes was tricky, running was painful, and wearing cute bralettes was completely out of the question. After she had surgery two years later, the weight that had been lifted felt so much greater than a few cup sizes. “I thought my high-functioning anxiety made me better at my job. I was so, so wrong.” Alicia Lutes thought her anxiety, which made her go, go, go like the Little Engine That Could, made her a better manager and more productive worker. It took a career fail of epic proportions to shatter this illusion. As a complete
Why Norma Kamali is no longer only a “women’s” designer
December 28, 2018 at 03:30AM Norma Kamali is a longtime wellness aficionado, a fashion legend, and—on everything from health to hemlines—a forward thinker. Now, with 2019 only days away, she’s about to do something unprecedented: She’s making her clothing more accessible to all genders. Here, Kamali explains how the ’70s underground, genderfluidity, fashion, and New York City have added up to a moment that’s very now. Back in the ’70s, I was presenting a women’s collection, and yet, half of the clients in my New York store were men. They were expressing their personal style through all types of clothing—as was pretty much everyone at the time. If you weren’t there, I must give a little background. Back then, New York was a dangerous place. The city was basically bankrupt, storefronts were heavily gated, and people were fleeing for a safer environment for their families. After dark, I would walk in the street rather than the sidewalk because muggings were so common. Those were bad things, but good came out of this time, too. In the midst of this danger, NYC became a very inexpensive city for artists and creatives looking for affordable rents. It drew folks who felt out of place in their hometown, giving them a place where they could freely be themselves. At the same time, the feminist movement was coming alive again after decades of silence. Gay people were coming out and feeling safer to live their truth—yes, even in the unsafe environment of New York
These are the Well+Good stories readers loved most in 2018
December 27, 2018 at 12:12PM Oh, dear reader, we laughed, learned, and loved a lot together in 2018. We found that if we had a question, you probably did, too. We discovered that if we dove into TMI territory, you’d jump in along us. And the past year delivered no shortage of conversation fodder to get you clicking: Advice for self care (…down there and elsewhere), the importance of a good night’s sleep, and the key to finding compatibility with a romantic partner were all winners in your eyes this year. Without further ado, these are the most popular stories published on Well+Good in 2018: 1. Sex experts answer all your burning questions about getting it on Discovering your own sexual preferences—and honoring them—is the best way to practice #selflove between the sheets. Sex and relationships educator Logan Levkoff, PhD, gives advice on everything from achieving an orgasm during penetrative sex to the best way to talk to your significant other about consent and sexual fantasies. 2. 6 Instagrams that prove Britney Spears is a bona fide fitness influencer Sometimes she runs, sometimes she works out her thighs, but these days, Britney Spears is *never* scared of a super-tough workout. Not only is she stronger than yesterday (sorry, had to), but with her rigid workout schedule, she’s stronger every day. Photo: Getty Images/Eldad Carin 3. Here’s what’s going to happen to you if you accidentally eat a bite of moldy bread If you’re choosing a bread with fewer preservatives, you might be dealing with mold before you’ve had
Music fights dementia one song at a time—and 3 more ways to stay mentally fit
December 27, 2018 at 11:21AM Driving around in the car while belting out Kelly Clarkson with your friends sure does wonders for your mood. But did you know it’s also sneakily working to boost your brain health? It’s true. In fact, the connection between social singing and cognitive health is so strong that there are at least 67 choirs across the country—each composed of people with dementia and their caregiver—meant to strengthen mental fitness. On Thursday, The Washington Post highlighted the Giving Voice Initiative, an organization that helps to form choruses for those living with Alzheimer’s disease. There’s research to back up this feel-good endeavor: When people with dementia sing with loved ones, they experience improved quality of life as well as reinforced communication skills. Other fringe benefits include higher self-esteem and social support. Music is so strongly tied to emotion that it works to activate a response in the brain directly connected to memory formation. Coupled with continued learning, this type of therapeutic activity proves to be exceptionally powerful. If you’re hesitant to sing in the shower let alone a group, rest assured that an organized sing-along is by no means the only way to improve cognitive function. Here are three more ways to stay sharp: 1. Fill up on fiber and healthy fats. Genius Foods author and brain health expert Max Lugavere has made it his mission to educate people about filling their plates in a way that feeds their brain as well as their body. The Cliff Notes version of his advice: Sugar
The best piece of style advice each of these 5 fashion writers is taking into 2019
December 27, 2018 at 10:14AM As 2018 slowly winds to an end, let’s all collectively undo the top button on our mom jeans, loosen the laces on our dad sneakers, and let out one big sartorial sigh of relief. Phew! We made it, folks. Fashion was all over the place this past year. Depending on where you looked, the last 365 days felt a lot like 1984, 1994, or 2004, to be honest. Retro trends like bodysuits, slip dresses, chunky sneakers, bike shorts, and going-out-tops all came back in big ways. As did western wear, utilitarian dressing, and faux fur. Oh, and let’s not forget about leopard print, either. But for all the throwback style moments, 2018 was also a year for fashion firsts. Sustainable fashion shed its granola reputation, a luxury designer made a pair of sneakers you can actually work out in, and the influence of wellness on how we dress became undeniable. (Hello, gorpcore.) Trends aside, though, the biggest takeaway from 2018 for me personally was how much individuality and self-expression reigned supreme. I mean, if Michelle Obama walking out on stage wearing those thigh-high glitter boots didn’t leave you empowered to wear WTFYW in 2019, I don’t know what will. So, in the spirit of the “you-do-you” ethos that permeates everything we do editorially at Well+Good, I asked our fashion writers to share the best fashion advice they embraced in 2018. Unsurprisingly, no two answers were exactly alike—but each was stellar in its own way. Keep
Suffering from style SAD? Take a cue from us Cali girls and add these mood-boosting pieces into rotation
December 27, 2018 at 06:15AM I grew up in a small town in Oregon that’s more known for its hiking than its sartorially-inclined residents. Come winter, everyone donned practical clothing to brave the chill—and I always hated having to sacrifice my fashionable inclinations for something as silly as “not getting frostbite.” But when I moved to Los Angeles, I was able to essentially toss the phrase “practical clothing” out of my vocabulary. That’s the fun thing about southern California winters—even though one might be inclined to put the word winter in quotation marks—the weather never gets inclement, so we have the freedom to play around with cold-weather clothing because we don’t have to be practical. It’s also a little like buying new clothes before you go on vacation; we get daring because we get to break out items we don’t get to wear a ton. Because of this, LA winter dressing skews more toward standout items with a bit of whimsy, tempered by the laid-back basics California is known for. The combination is like an instant mood-booster, so if you could use a cureall for cold-weather dressing, infuse your winter wardrobe with a bit of this energy by adding a few of these pieces into rotation. Funky sweaters If the weather is in the 60s or below that means it’s officially sweater weather. An arsenal of staples in camel, black, and gray is basically a given to wear day-to-day. But since we really don’t have to worry about snow/sleet/rain, a
I never knew what “glowy” skin actually was until I got a chemical peel
December 27, 2018 at 04:39AM I’m just like the rest of the world in that I’ve always thought that getting an in-office chemical peel resulted in an alarmingly irritated face à la Samantha Jones in Sex and the City. So, rather than sign up for a dermatologist appointment in order to try out the formerly daunting exfoliating treatment, I’ve opted for at-home peels pads (hello daily use of Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Extra Strength Daily Peel Pads ($88) and uber gentle resurfacing fruit enzyme masks to slough off dead skin. And that was all fine and dandy, because I saw them chip away at my post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation or PIH (AKA the ghosts of breakouts past) day-by-day, but all of the sudden I started craving instantaneous results. And so, I booked my first in-office chemical peel with just a dash of trepidation. “A peel is an anti-aging treatment with a host of benefits that include exfoliation, but it also builds collagen, reduces fine lines and wrinkles, boosts radiance, shrinks pore size, diminishes dark spots, clears the complexion, and can even help with rosacea,” says Dennis Gross, MD, a New York City-based dermatologist with an eponymous skin-care line. Essentially, it’s like a bulked-up exfoliation treatment: “Chemical peels accelerate your skin’s exfoliation through the use of acids, resulting in a more uniform complexion,” says Jordana Mattiolo, CompleteSkinMD aesthetician in NYC. This all goes to say that I needed one—immediately. What it’s *really* like to get a chemical peel I arrive at Mattiolo’s office bright and early one