October 30, 2019 at 11:00PM by CWC I’m a stickler for cruelty-free makeup. I simply won’t purchase or use any cosmetics that have been tested on animals. While I’m really not particular about a lot of things, if I can’t find a seal of approval from an animal welfare organization, I’m not buying your lipstick or eyeliner. As I’m trying to be a more conscientious consumer, I’ve noticed that there’s a common misconception that cruelty-free cosmetics are expensive and really hard to find. That, unless you’re willing to shell out a ton of money at the beauty counter on luxe, independent brands— sorry!—you’re out of luck. Plot twist, my friends: you can buy quality cruelty-free makeup at just about any drugstore. Walgreens, CVS, Rite-Aid—you name it. At your local drugstore, you’ll find cruelty-free brands that won’t break the bank, like Burt’s Bees and e.l.f. Cosmetics, which particularly dedicated to the cause. (According to PETA, “the company has never conducted, commissioned, or paid for tests on animals anywhere in the world.”) NYX Cosmetics, though owned by L’Oreal, remains 100 percent cruelty-free and “does not conduct, commission, or pay for tests on animals for its ingredients, formulations, or finished products.” With most products under $35 (and some as cheap as $2), there’s something for every budget at the drugstore. If you’re willing to pay a little more, Milani and Physician’s Formula not only avoid animal testing, they’re also vegan can completely avoid animal by-products in development. Look no futher. These are some
Category: Fashion
Cancer took my breasts, but it didn’t get to take my right to feel good in a bra
October 30, 2019 at 04:00PM by CWC Fashion designer Dana Donofree found a lump in her breast the day before her 28th birthday. She was diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma —making her one of the 12,150 women under 40 who are diagnosed with breast cancer each year—and underwent a bilateral mastectomy, six rounds of chemo, and a year of drug treatment. After reconstructive surgery, she was shocked that she couldn’t find a single bra that made her feel comfortable and confident. So she decided to create one for herself, and her company AnaOno was born. “Try a sports bra.” That was the advice my doctor had when I told him none of my bras fit after my mastectomy. I was 28 years old, and fighting aggressive breast cancer. My other option, according to him? “Wear nothing at all.” It felt weird to ask a doctor for advice on how to buy a bra, since that’s not something I ever would have done before cancer, but none of my old bras (or old clothes) fit me the right way. Since I no longer had natural breast tissue that was soft and pliable—instead I had implants that did not move—tops didn’t fit right and bras didn’t fit my new shape at all. Plus, there are certain things you need from a bra after a mastectomy. You want to have something soft, especially immediately after your surgery—underwire is completely out. You can’t have molded cups, either, because you want something flexible that will
The most common things we do each day that can throw our body alignment off
October 29, 2019 at 04:00PM by CWC You take time to stretch before and after each workout, and you see your doctor regularly for check-ups. You pay attention to your posture and try to incorporate yoga to build your abdominal and back strength. Generally speaking, you feel healthy and properly aligned, but still, sometimes you have unexplained aches-and-pains. What’s up with that? If you ask Emily Kiberd, DC, founder of the Urban Wellness Clinic in New York City, the culprit could be seemingly innocent everyday activities that challenge your spine. According to her, the same way we develop positive habits, so too can our body also learns negative ones. “We are a blueprint of our actions, and most times what we do all day is not balanced,” she explains. “Imbalanced loading of certain muscles and joints can lead to repetitive strain and sprains. We become susceptible to new injuries, as well as increased likelihood of exacerbating existing issues.” So what could be to blame? These rituals that we’re all pretty much guilty of doing on the reg. Sitting all day You probably don’t need us to tell you that sitting pretty from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. is bad news for your back. But in case you haven’t gotten the memo, consider this: “Sitting is the new smoking!” exclaims Kiberd. In addition to the stress it puts on your muscles, it can also compromise your ability to inhale and exhale effectively, especially if you are slouching or hunching over your
7 tips to help you handle the grief of losing someone once you go back to work
October 29, 2019 at 03:00PM by CWC Returning to work after losing my mom was a hard reality to face. Being in meetings, answering emails, and meeting deadlines all felt so trivial and weird given that I was right on the heels of the most emotionally taxing time in my life. Dealing with grief at the office quickly proved to be a struggle—I couldn’t and didn’t want to check it at the door when I came in each morning only to pick up on my way out. But I didn’t know whether I should communicate my feelings at work. And if so, how? Dealing with grief is complicated because it’s so personal and affects everyone differently. It can influence how you work, connect, and communicate, and figuring out how to navigate this new normal (even if it’s a temporary normal) in a professional setting can be an intimidating and daunting task. Two big factors in this discomfort? A workplace’s culture and its attitude—perceived and direct—toward grief, says career coach and human-behavior expert, Beverly Flaxington. “We haven’t been taught how to be supportive and understanding, yet not intrusive, about the nature of grief,” she says. “Plus, in many workplaces, it’s all about the work. This can make it challenging for the person experiencing the grief, because they may be afraid and hesitant to bring up their grief.” That said, some do prefer to disregard their emotional weight during business hours, because it can serve as a break or distraction of sorts
Whether you love leggings or hate them, you need these wear-everywhere lounge pants, like, yesterday
October 28, 2019 at 10:30PM by CWC My mom has always been my wide-legged pant fashion icon. She owns no less than five pairs that billow out into vibrantly-hued patterns, and she rocks the look on a regular basis. But even though I’ve admired her look since I could say the word “style,” I’ve never quite nailed the Bohemian-casual OOTD myself—I was always a “wear leggings everywhere” kind of girl. All that changed, however, when Lively’s The Lounge Pant ($45, sold in sizes XS-L) found its way into my closet, and gave my dozens of pairs of black leggings a real run for their money. Lively designates the swooshy pants “leisurée,” and the name is apt. They exude the kind of effortlessly chic vibes you see on the twisted streets of Paris, and come in pink, navy blue, and white for whatever mood may strike you. For casual work days, they pair simply with a favorite tee or turtleneck. And yes—they look 100 percent profesh in the office. But I’ve quickly found ways to wear them everywhere (and I mean everywhere) I go. Because Lively’s pants are made of 100 percent cotton, they add a level of comfort to every single situation. In September, I flew home for a wedding and had the most snuggly airplane ride of my life in the blush pair. Just last week, I wore the navy ones to yoga class and got no less than five compliments from my leggings-clad counterparts. And, of course, I
The 7-step email hack to help you ask for what you really want
October 28, 2019 at 02:23PM by CWC We all have a friend who has a friend that works with someone you admire and would probably love to connect IRL with—but actually asking that person to introduce you comes with a serving of awkwardness that’s often hard to get through. Nobody really enjoys asking others for favors, but there is a way to do it that erases the weird feelings around it. Marika Frumes, co-founder and CEO of HER USA, shared a seven-step method for asking for what you truly want at our recent Wellness Collective event with Athleta—without the whole “I was wondering if it would possibly be okay to…” type of email. “As women, we really suck at asking for things,” Frumes says. And it’s true. How many times do you apologize or say thank you as a reflex? “We feel like we burden people when we ask for things, but that’s not the case,” Frumes adds. So, put yourself in the other person’s shoes when you’re drafting an email to a potential connection—would you really be that inconvenienced by that favor? Want to know how to ask for help in a non-awkward email? Keep scrolling for the exact steps. 1. Start with why you’re asking that specific person Before jumping into what you want, explain why you chose them. “You are giving someone a gift by asking something from them,” Frumes says. Similar to when your friend asks you to help tune up her resume or share your
Changing your mind is especially hard when you’re forced to disagree with yourself
October 28, 2019 at 01:00PM by CWC Like lots of extended families, mine is pretty evenly split between liberals and conservatives. Although we may not agree on all things policy-related—and I’m grateful for that, because it always makes for interesting dinner-table conversation—there is one thing we’ve always had in common: an extreme amount of compassion and kindness for others. Ever since the 2016 election, however, I’ve seen some of my most staunchly Republican relatives defend actions from the administration that are far from kind or compassionate, despite the fact that I know these actions aren’t fully in line with their values. Whenever this happens, I’m confused. Yes, changing your mind is a complicated process, especially when it’s about something as deeply connected to your identity as your political beliefs. But why would someone insist on standing up for something they don’t believe in deep down, simply because they want to remain loyal to a party, a social group, or a label? If you’ve also noticed that those around you are more divided than ever—and standing stronger in their convictions—it turns out there’s an explanation for it. Experts agree that our beliefs give us something solid to hold on to in the midst of uncertainty, like the kind we’re experiencing on the political, social, and environmental fronts right now. “We all naturally gravitate towards certain identities or labels because they offer a sense of security and belonging in an otherwise overwhelming world,” says Rosie Barton, LMSW, a member of the Alma
Frog hops open your hip flexors and massage your spine at the same time
October 27, 2019 at 05:00PM by CWC Yesterday, I was crawling all over the floor at WillSpace Movement, the new workout studio in New York City’s West Village. The class was instructed to do all types of animal-like crawls—no matter how weird or embarrassing—in order to get our bodies moving. But it was the frog hops specifically that made me say “ahhhhhh” rather than “ughhhhhh.” If you don’t watch National Geographic documentaries about amphibians on the reg, frogs sit very low in a respectable ultra-deep squat, legs out wide, then use their front arms (are they called arms on frogs?) to reach far in front of them, stretching out long, and then using their leg strength to jump forward into another squat position. It looks and sounds intimidating, but when I actually got onto the floor and tried it for myself, I was surprised by how good it felt. Frog hops have a lot of benefits for your body. “They condition the wrists, ankles, knees, and hips—specifically, the tendons and ligaments within the joints,” says Will Torres, trainer and founder of WillSpace Movement. “Frog hops, or crawls, work to open the hips and ankles, while strengthening your legs and lower back.” Getting down into the wide squat feels really good on my hip flexors—prying them right open. Then reaching out onto the floor pulls my spine, giving it a tasty stretch slash massage. Torres says that you should begin in a deep squat, which means hamstrings-to-calves—but if that’s not accessible, modify
People from all around the country told us why they run, and we’ve never been more inspired
October 25, 2019 at 06:42PM by CWC Back when I was in middle school, my very first attempt at exercise was a run around the block. It was all of a sudden that I got the itch to move more than my daily steps—and running was the only form of exercise I had immediate access to. All you need is a pair of sneakers and, well, the ground below your feet. Running became my after school hobby—even a 15-minute jog around my neighborhood would clear my racing teenage mind, and I got hooked on that post-race endorphin high. Seventeen years later, running is still my fave way to sweat, mainly because of how it makes me feel mentally, and how it feels to have my legs fly underneath me, and how happy I am afterwards. But people run for a zillion different reasons. Fellow Well+Good editor Kells McPhillips—who’s running her very first New York City marathon next month—runs because it’s “quintessentially human” and allows her to test her limits, while beauty and fitness director Ali Finney’s reasoning has changed over the years. “When I was younger, I would imagine literally running to a better, healthier version of myself,” she says. “Over time, my relationship with running healed a lot of the things that got me into the sport in the first place by simply allowing space and time to work through them. It’s a simple formula: one foot in front of the other, and repeat.” In the spirit of our
Why we need genderless ‘feminine hygiene products’
October 24, 2019 at 09:44PM by CWC You can buy period products in a variety of colors as long as you select a shade of pink or purple—you know, “girl” colors. This marketing strategy symbolizes a conscious decision to leave people who don’t align with the traditional idea of a “woman” out of the conversation about menstruation. With a step toward inclusivity, maker of tampons and pads Always announced its decision to remove the female symbol from packaging of so-called “feminine hygiene products” in order to recognize transgender and non-binary customers. Transgender activists and allies publicly asked Proctor & Gamble, which owns Always, to redesign the pad’s wrapper without the symbol, reports CNN. The company issued a press release explaining that its new packaging would to bolster the inclusivity of their products by removing the feminine “Venus” symbol. “For over 35 years Always has championed girls and women, and we will continue to do so,” Procter & Gamble said Tuesday in a statement. “We’re also committed to diversity and inclusion and are on a continual journey to understand the needs of all of our consumers.” Every company’s current emphasis should be to fulfill the needs of diverse consumers, says Joanna McClintick, LCSW, youth sexual health educator at The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center in New York City. “The simple fact of having a period can be traumatic or gender dysphoric for young people in the gender nonconforming and trans-male or -masculine communities,” says McClintick. “It can cause disappointing