September 05, 2019 at 07:31PM by CWC As a newbie rock climber, I’m quickly learning that the physical strength required to scale a cliff is no joke. Give me a yoga mat and I’ll handstand and chaturanga to my heart (and muscle’s) content. Which is why it was an exercise in humility when I found myself trying—and failing—to pull my body toward the artificial rock wall in a New York City gym. When I rely on my yoga practice for strength, am I leaving something out? I couldn’t quite put my finger on the frustrating muscle disparity. That is, until an Instagram post from Charlee Atkins, trainer and founder of Le Sweat and Le Stretch, incited a no-duh moment for me. “[Y]oga is a heckuva lotta ‘pushing’ and I’m in need of some pull!” writes the trainer. “If you’re a yogi or a regular practitioner of yoga, I highly recommend incorporating these ‘pulling’ exercises to help balance out your body for the long run.” It’s so true—right!? There are about a million yoga poses out there, but the vast majority involve pushing your weight away from the floor. Not pulling your body toward something. If you, too, have been feeling the repercussions of that imbalance, don’t sweat it (or rather, sweat your way through it). Atkins shared her workout for doing just that: The 4 best pull workouts every yogi needs to do at the gym View this post on Instagram UPPER BODY FOR YOGIS ⠀ We just closed Day 4 of yoga training
Category: City
The face washes that get you a thousand skin compliments share one ingredient
September 05, 2019 at 06:33PM by CWC Micellar water is one of my most dependable skin-care products. It always does the job of gently removing my makeup without any drama, like irritating my skin, not to mention it makes me feel very Parisian (since it’s a French-girl beauty staple). While perusing the skin-care aisles one day though, I stumbled across a micellar-spiked gel cleanser—that had the stuff nestled into its sudsing formula. Apparently, dermatologists love these types of cleansers because they work double-duty. For a refresher: “Micellar water is essentially purified water that contains hydrating ingredients and mild cleansers,” says Adarsh Vijay Mudgil, MD, of Mudgil Dermatology. “The soap components make microscopic spheres which attach to dirt, makeup, and debris.” So when you see micelles—the cleansing agents of micellar water—inside of a regular cleanser, the all-star ingredient in the formula will give you multi-tasking benefits. It basically double cleanses for you, attaching to makeup and debris to whisk it away, while the other cleansing agents help to cleanse skin on a deeper level. “Micellar cleansers provide a double whammy of cleansing in the least irritating way,” says Dr. Mudgil, who likes Isdin Micellar Facial Cleanser ($33). Dermatologist Joshua Zeichner, MD, adds that micellar cleansers are super gentle and can be used on all skin types. “Micellar technology is now being incorporated into traditional cleansing vehicles and even bars,” he says, noting that he really likes Dove Anti-Stress Micellar Beauty Bar ($7). Mon petit micelles, you’ve won my heart again. Keep
Starface is the pimple patch that squelches acne and acne shame in one go
September 05, 2019 at 02:30PM by CWC Much like under eye circles and chin hair, acne is something that we, as a collective society, have been conditioned to hide at all costs. But honestly…why? What good is it doing us to predicate our values system on perfection, when as Starface—a new skin-care line dropping today—shows us, embracing these moments with our skin can actually be really fun. In our authenticity-loving day and age, acne acceptance is growing (looking at you, Biebs). And so, it’s refreshing that Starface Hydro Star ($22), a yellow star-shaped, hydrocolloid patch (a research-backed acne-fighting material) flips the notion of hiding acne right onto its head. “Short of Facetune, it’s sort of impossible to hide a big zit,” says longtime beauty editor and co-founder of Starface Julie Schott. “Makeup often makes zits worse. Drying paste is messy. Clear pimple patches are boring. We wanted something equal parts efficacious and uplifting.” “Clear pimple patches are boring. We wanted something equal parts efficacious and uplifting.” —Julie Schott That’s what’s so unique and exciting about the launch: Once a pimple pops up, rather than immediately running to hide and squelch the thing, Starface is about giving your skin a gold star like you would to a good essay in kindergarten—it’s positive and cheeky. Because, as everyone who’s dealt with acne knows, it’s a skin condition that’s incredibly hard to treat, and to maintain confidence once you have it. Schott’s familiar with the feeling, pointing out that she had access to the
Why you should stick with a skin-care routine for at least 28 days
September 05, 2019 at 12:12AM by CWC We live our lives on a 24-hour cycle. It’s some iteration of wake up, work out, go to work, eat, shower, and then repeat—with a glass of wine or a green juice thrown in every once in a while for good measure. But while our brains and bodies can rest, recover, and revive over the course of that short stint, our skin needs a whole lot more time to undergo the same process. Like 28 of those 24 hour-cycles, to be precise. An adult’s skin regenerates itself over the course of four weeks (sometimes longer), a process that involves a new skin cells forming beneath the surface to replace a matured one, which will eventually slough off. “Think about planting a tulip bulb, and you have to wait until it grows and blooms—you plant them and then over the month they come up and bloom and it smells so good, but you can’t really rush the process,” says New York City dermatologist Ellen Marmur, MD. “The way the skin is made, it has a basement membrane that is like a layer, but it’s where everything comes from, so all the cells called keratinocytes—the skin cells—all come from this basement membrane, and then they grow. As they’re growing, they’re changing and maturing and developing. So they go from babies to toddlers to adolescents to adults, and then at the very top of the skin, they’re as mature and strong as they can possibly be.”
You can buy every fall wardrobe essential you could possibly want on Amazon, and we’ve got the proof right here
September 05, 2019 at 12:00AM by CWC Before you start jumping on the trends of the season (hiya, fall!), it’s important to make sure you’ve got a solid fashion foundation to build on. Not only will it help give your wardrobe longevity—because, let’s be honest, nothing says “forever” like a good leather jacket—but it will also give you few go-tos that will make getting dressed a far easier endeavor… especially on those late-in-the-year mornings when you need to do so before the sun is fully up. What’s more, while you might add or subtract layers as seasons come and go, the essentials are totally season-less and can be worn with ease all 365 days of the year. While building your ultimate wardrobe from the ground-up might seem like a daunting task, we are happy to report that you can one-stop-shop everything on your must-have personal style list on Amazon. The company has upped its game on shoes, apparel, and accessories of late and—might we add—it shows. Not to mention that most of the items below can be ordered through Amazon Prime, which means that you could have a little black dress on your doorstep practically as fast as your take-out sushi order. Below, find your eight ultimate wardrobe essentials, and the pieces of each we’re currently snatching up on Amazon. Leather Jacket Buy Now Mackage Baya Leather Jacket $950 Buy Now Cupcakes and Cashmere Vivica Vegan Leather Moto Jacket $118 Buy Now BlankNYC Moto Jacket, $113 A leather jacket is
With the rise of digital fitness, gyms need to be built differently
September 04, 2019 at 10:12PM by CWC Hot take: the way we use gyms is changing, which means gyms themselves need to change with us. Thanks to the rise of digital fitness, gyms have become a playground, rather than a maze. With coaches in our pockets and on our wrists, we can work out anywhere, anytime, with nothing more than a mat and our bodyweight. We no longer need to schlep to the big-box down the street to get our sweat on—hey, we don’t even need to leave our living rooms or put on pants. So, as physical spaces become less of a necessity, how can those who run them adjust so that they don’t become obsolete? “I think they should build their gyms to look different,” says Brynn Putnam, founder of Mirror Home Gym System. “The era of consumers prioritizing the newest treadmills and the nicest showers is over. Now, they’re prioritizing smart content and great instruction, so resources should be allocated appropriately.” Traditionally, these have been the things that have drawn gym-goers to want to pay a monthly membership to a gym, but now that demand is shifting. “The rise of digital fitness has shown that the consumer is hungry for better quality content and instruction, and they’re willing to pay a premium for it more-so than high-end amenities.” Putnam says she first noticed this when she was building Refine Method, a barre studio in New York City that offered minimum amenities, but poured its resources into instruction.
Why we let our friends get away with behavior that’s breakup-worthy
September 04, 2019 at 01:00PM by CWC It took me longer to break up with my ex-best friend than it did with, you know, any of the Mikes, Matts, and Daniels that I used to date. In retrospect, that’s weird because my BFF displayed the same the relationship red flags as most of my exes. She wouldn’t respond to my texts for days at a time, she flaked on our Valentine’s Day plans, she left me alone in a foreign country after I spent upwards of $1,000 on a plane ticket…. Well, anyway. Though I was in a very blurry, intense, and co-dependent Broad City-style frielationship, it is common to seek the same qualities in both a friendship and a relationship, right? Respect, love, trust, emotional and social support, affirmation, and commitment should exist in romantic pursuits and platonic ones alike. And if it’s a forever friend, not the fair-weather type you only see every six month because JOMO takes precedence, the expectations should be the same. So why is it that when our friends wave their red flags directly in our face, we’re more likely to put up with the nonsense? My guess is because sex isn’t there to muddle the situation, which also explains why my friend breakups hurt more than my romantic ones. Friendships form on the pure and unselfish foundation of people genuinely just liking each other, so when they end, it’s because that’s not true—and other factors like “timing” and “circumstance” and “goals” don’t really
Mushrooms aren’t just for cooking—here’s why you’re about to put them on your face
September 04, 2019 at 04:30AM by CWC Grilled on skewers, whipped into an omelette, or acting as a vessel to stuff in even more veggies—is there any way you don’t love mushrooms? Newsflash: There’s about to be a new one, because they want in on your face. That’s right, the potential benefits of mushroom (and other forest-grown ingredients) are making their way into your skin care, and it couldn’t be happening at a better time. “Stressors from environmental pollution, digital pollution, and our fast-paced modern lifestyles [can] create barriers to the natural world and wreak havoc on our health and our skin,” says Natalie Pergar, lead skin care trainer at Eminence Organic Skin Care. So are Netflix and smog doing not so-great-things for your skin? Pergar thinks so—but says that exposing your skin to nature, like the Japanese practice of forest bathing, can help. “The Pure Forest Collection brings the restorative properties of the forest directly to the skin, allowing us to release the stress of urban living and reconnect with nature.” That’s why Pergar and the team at Eminence Organics took things back to basics with their latest collection. “The Pure Forest Collection [helps] bring the restorative properties of the forest directly to the skin, allowing us to release the stress of urban living and reconnect with nature,” she says. And the star ingredient? Mushrooms, of course—specifically supercharged reishi and snow mushrooms, both of which have been buzzed about for their potential radiance-boosting powers. Keep scrolling to learn more
Pycnogenol is the collagen-stimulating ingredient to add to your skin-care routine pronto
September 03, 2019 at 11:00PM by CWC Were there an Atlas Obscura for skin-care ingredients, rest assured that you’d find an entry for pycnogenol. Because while retinol, vitamin C, and hyaluronic acid might get most of the buzz, the collagen-stimulating ingredient offers up the road less traveled (so to speak) when it comes to skin care. And it could pay off big time to add it to your routine because it’s got a lot of clout for plumping, hydrating, and protecting your complexion. Pycnogenol is a research-backed ingredient that’s a potent antioxidant, so it helps to fend off free radicals, and it’s also been shown to restore elasticity within the complexion. According to Rachel Nazarian, MD, a New York City-based dermatologist, it’s derived from a maritime pine bark and can be applied topically or taken as a supplement to absorb its good-for-skin benefits. “It’s been studied for several years to determine its effects on skin and aging,” she says. “Many studies have supported its use as a supplement taken orally that enhances the skin’s ability to produce more hyaluronic acid to maintain hydration and water in the skin.” Similarly, the ingredient has been found to help with collagen production in the skin, which keeps your complexion looking plump and youthful. “I call it one of my desert island supplements because of its multitude of health benefits,” says Fred Pescatore, MD. “When pycnogenol’s applied topically, it works at the cellular level to selectively bind to collagen and elastin. Its natural anti-inflammatory
Solidcore is doing for the megaformer what Orangtheory did for HIIT—taking it everywhere
September 03, 2019 at 08:49PM by CWC “Never give up.” Those three words are painted on the floor at Solidcore, a megaformer studio in Chelsea in New York City, and some other 20 cities nationwide. To be honest, this mantra is the only thing keeping me from collapsing out of what feels like my 900th plank of the day. As I use my core muscles move the carriage in and out as slowly as possible, I can’t help but grunt out loud Serena Williams-style at the level of exertion and the fact that every single part of my body is shaking like a jello mold. There is so much sweat dripping off of my face that the concrete around that “Never Give Up” sign looks like a Jackson Pollock painting. It is absolute hell, but I feel strong. Though it took me until this summer to discover Solidcore, the brand has actually been around since 2013. It first launched in Washington DC (where it quickly became one of Michelle Obama‘s favorite workouts), and has since expanded to more than 50 studios in 21 cities. The brand is on the verge of a massive expansion with plans to open at least 20 more studios before the end of the year and hopes to hit their 100th location some time in 2020. If this is the first you’re hearing of Solidcore, it certainly won’t be the last: They’re primed to become the Orangetheory of megaformer classes, if you will. ad_intervals[‘418709_div-gpt-ad-9261280-3’] = setInterval(function ()