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A Preview Of Grace Coddington: The American Vogue Years

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The fashion world gasped in unison when Grace Coddington announced in January this year that she was stepping down from her integral role at American Vogue, which she had held for 28 years. Since taking up the position of Creative Director at the style bible in July 1988, Welsh-born Coddington has created some of the most iconic fashion shoots from the past four decades, collaborating with the industry's biggest names.

Coddington is undoubtedly one of fashion's most beloved visionaries thanks to her vivid imagination and unwavering commitment, encapsulated and made public in her standout role in 2009's The September Issue. The remarkable 75-year-old is also adored for her own simple, chic personal style and fiery mass of hair. Oh, and her cat obsession.

Coddington's decision to step back from Vogue, now serving as Creative Director at Large, has finally given her more time to focus on personal projects including the launch of her first fragrance in collaboration with Comme des Garçons.

Now, following on from the success of 2015's Grace: Thirty Years of Fashion at Vogue, this autumn Phaidon will publish Grace: The American Vogue Years, a visual celebration of some of Coddington's most memorable shoots. The eagerly-awaited tome features nearly 300 images, shot by 17 of the leading fashion photographers who Coddington has worked with since 2002, from Steven Meisel, Annie Leibovitz, Bruce Weber, David Sims, Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott, Craig McDean, and Steven Klein, to newer talents like Jamie Hawkesworth and Karim Sadli.

The beautiful book begins with a foreword by Oscar-nominated actress Saoirse Ronan and an introduction by Annie Leibovitz. Michael Roberts, former Fashion Editor at Vanity Fair and The New Yorker, co-art directed the book with Coddington, designed the cover, and contributed an essay. Alongside the spectacular images, Coddington provides personal stories behind the sumptuous shoots and shares anecdotes about working with the world’s biggest photographers, models, artists, actors, and celebrities.

Ahead we preview some of our favourite images from the upcoming book.

Grace: The American Vogue Years by Grace Coddington is available now through Phaidon.

Shot by Mert and Marcus for the December 2015 issue of American Vogue, Kendall Jenner starred in a fashion story entitled 'wonder.land', celebrating the season's most fantastical looks. Here Kendall (as Alice) wears full look Louis Vuitton accompanied by the White Rabbit.

Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott. Kendall Jenner in Louis Vuitton and cast of wonder.land (costumes designed by Katrina Lindsay); hair, Shay Ashual; makeup, Lisa Eldridge; set design, Andrew Tomlinson; London, December 2015.
Courtesy The Condé Nast Publications (pages 246-7).

For the June 2013 issue of American Vogue, photographer Peter Lindbergh, Coddington and Brit model Edie Campbell headed to Morocco. In this epic shot, Campbell wears Saint Laurent in the middle of the desert.

Peter Lindbergh. Edie Campbell in Saint Laurent; hair, Jimmy Paul; makeup, Stéphane Marais; Morocco, June 2013.
Courtesy The Condé Nast Publications (pages 112-3).

In this fashion story for the November 2003 issue, entitled 'American Splendour', supermodel Karen Elson (here wearing Dolce & Gabbana) and Elise Crombez embody Fitzgeraldian '20s glamour, shot by Arthur Elgort in Long Island.

This particular image was accompanied by a quote from Tender Is The Night: '[She] who had magic in her pink palms and her cheeks lit to a lovely flame, like the thrilling flush of children after their cold baths in the evening.'

Arthur Elgort. Karen Elson in Dolce & Gabbana and male model in Marc Jacobs and Louis Vuitton; hair, Didier Malige; makeup, Gucci Westman; set design, Mary Howard; New York, November 2003.
Courtesy The Condé Nast Publications (pages 194-5).

For this story in the July 2010 issue of American Vogue, model Natalia Vodianova and actor Ewan McGregor portray a 1950s married couple, with cracks beneath the surface. Styled of course by Grace Coddington, the cinematic shoot was captured by Peter Lindbergh and gave a first look at the AW10 collections. Here Natalia wears a Marc Jacobs gown while Ewan McGregor wears Dior Homme.

Peter Lindbergh. Natalia Vodianova in Marc Jacobs) and Ewan McGregor in Dior Homme; hair, Didier Malige; makeup, Stéphane Marais; production design, Colin Donahue; New York, July 2010.
Courtesy The Condé Nast Publications (pages 94-5).

Keira Knightley made her debut in American Vogue in 2003, and landed her first cover for the December 2005 issue. Since then she has covered the magazine another four times but one of our favourite shoots is this one from June 2007 in which the Brit actress embarks on a Kenyan adventure, making an elephant friend.

Arthur Elgort. Keira Knightley in Comme des Garçons; hair, Didier Malige; makeup, Aaron de Mey at Streeters; set design, Chris Payne and Emma Campbell of Interior IDEA Kenya; Kenya, June 2007.
Courtesy The Condé Nast Publications (pages 212-3).

In the 14-page Little Red Riding Hood inspired story by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott, named 'Into the Woods' for the September 2009 issue, Natalia Vodianova takes the lead in an array of scarlet gowns from Chanel, Moschino and Prada. Here she wears Ann Demeulemeester while the wolf wears Tom Ford.

Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott. Natalia Vodianova in Ann Demeulemeester, and wolf in Tom Ford; hair and wolf mask, Julien d’Ys; makeup, Charlotte Tilbury at Management Artists Organization, using Myface Cosmetics; United Kingdom, September 2009.
Courtesy The Condé Nast Publications (pages 234-5).

This shoot by Tim Walker for the May 2014 issue was inspired by a 1948 photograph by Cecil Beaton of models wearing satin dresses by Charles James and came out in anticipation of the Costume Institute's retrospective exhibition on the designer.

The models Grace Mahary, Maja Salamon, Ola Rudnicka, Codie Young, Esmeralda Seay-Rynolds, Nastya Sten, Sasha Luss, Alexandra Kivimaki, Alice Cornish and Fei Fei Sun all wear paper dresses and jewellery by Rhea Thierstein.

Tim Walker. Maja Salamon, Ola Rudnicka, Codie Young, Esmerelda Seay- Reynolds, Nastya Sten, Sasha Luss, Alexandra Kivimäki, and Alice Cornish in paper dresses and jewelry created by Rhea Thierstein; hair, Julien d’Ys; makeup, Lucia Pieroni; production design, Rhea Thierstein; London, May 2014.
Courtesy The Condé Nast Publications (pages 336-7).

In 2012 the Ritz Paris shut its famous doors for years of renovation but just before the luxury hotel closed for business, American Vogue captured Kate Moss there, wearing the latest couture collections.

Here Kate lounges in the palatial setting wearing Alexander McQueen and a headpiece by Julien d’Ys, shot by Tim Walker.

Tim Walker. Kate Moss in Alexander McQueen; headpiece, Julien d’Ys); hair, Julien d’Ys; makeup, Stéphane Marais; set design, Andy Hillman; Paris, April 2012.
Courtesy The Condé Nast Publications (pages 330-1).

Grace: The American Vogue Years by Grace Coddington is published by Phaidon September 5th 2016.

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The Internet Is Depressing You & Here's What You Can Do About It

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On social media, it's easy to catch all sorts of digital diseases, such as FOMO, internet addiction, and anxiety. Facebook and Instagram-wary researchers have said it for years now — and they're saying it again: Hanging out on social media too much isn't a healthy habit. So what's the catch this time?

The warning comes from an Italian working paper exploring relationships between our online and offline social network and happiness. On the upside, social media can make us happier when it helps spark face-to-face connections and conversations. Terrific! But this isn't a groundbreaking conclusion. Even back in the pen-and-paper days, academics understood that face-to-face is simply the superior way to communicate.

But the research also found that social media is associated with lowering our social trust, which can diminish the chances of those happiness-boosting IRL interactions. Not so terrific.

"The overall effect of [online] networking on individual welfare is significantly negative," the study authors concluded.

Please excuse us while we throw our smartphones out the window and seek out a friendly face for a chat. Just kidding. We're self-aware enough to know we can't live without Snapchat.

The Guardian 's Anna Petherick offers a few practical tips on sidestepping the social-media blues. First, quit fretting over the number of friends and followers your have, as they don't actually make us happier. Next up, socialise with intention; staying updated only on people you know well and regularly interact with can ward off that sinking feeling that everyone but you is living fabulously.

When all else fails, Petherick recommends cat videos. No, really. Just as social media mellows our well-being, it's also a study-confirmed fact, courtesy of Indiana University, that cat GIFs can cheer us up.

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UK Patients At Risk, As Doctors See "60 Patients A Day"

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In a new report, the British Medical Association has announced concerns that GPs are oversubscribed, putting patients at risk.

According to the BBC, the BMA have expressed that patients are receiving less than 10 minutes with their GPs, who see up to 60 patients a day (the average, however, is thought to be around 30 to 40 patients, according to the Guardian)

Entitled "safe working in general practice", the BMA's report claimed that UK GPs face "unsustainable pressure" due to understaffing. It also described "general practice" as in a state of "crisis".

Britain has an ageing population, meaning that we are tending to live longer, and yet the report acknowledges that patients are referring to their GPs for increasingly complex conditions, meaning that GPs are not only faced with increasing numbers of patients, but a demand for "higher quality care".

The solution? Dr Brian Balmer, of the BMA's GPs' committee, said he believes that GPs should be limited to seeing 25 patients a day.

He suggested that minimum consultation time "needs to increase to 15 minutes" for the right provision of attention to be given to patients. This would require better government funding.

Until 2013, the law claimed that GP appointments but last a minimum of 10 minutes in the UK, meaning there is currently no fixed rule on how long GPs should spend with patients.

At the time, a spokeswoman for NHS England told the BBC: "GPs are professionals who know what is best for their patients."

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Why Dogs Are Actually Great For Your Health

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Photographed by Molly Cranna.

While watching videos of cats online can bolster your mental health, a new study from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) shows that dogs may be the healthier pet option IRL. Yet more cannon fodder for the oldest debate in history.

Previous studies have shown that dog lovers are more extroverted and agreeable than cat people, and this research from the CDC may offer an explanation. After surveying 643 children's parents about the kids' mental and physical health (including questions about nutrition, physical activity, anxiety, and emotional difficulties), researchers found that fewer children raised in dog-owning households were described as "anxious" by their parents, compared to their dogless peers.

Although there was no difference in BMI between dog-owning and dogless children, the study also cites the National Institutes of Health's findings that there is a lower rate of obesity and poor heart health among dog owners. Just one more reason to love your pup.

In addition, it's suggested that children gain an early understanding of caretaking and relationship-building from owning a dog — not to mention the obvious opportunities for play and physical activity that a pup presents to kids. The authors of the study added that having a dog could help children overcome social or separation anxiety, thanks to Fido's dependable companionship.

So, for today, the win goes to dog people; cat people may retreat to lick their wounds until tomorrow. At least both sides can agree on the merits of pet therapy?

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What To Know About Teyana Taylor, The Star Of Kanye's New "Fade" Video

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Kanye's new video, "Fade," premiered at the MTV VMAs — and it might just generate more talk than "Famous" (and fewer potential lawsuits). Unlike "Famous," Yeezy's newest video focused on just one woman: Teyana Taylor.

Taylor, whose body is on full display throughout the video, starts off dancing à la Flashdance in a thong and sports bra amidst a greyscale gym. The video follows her into the shower with her husband, NBA pro Iman Shumpert, and she transforms into a cat-like creature for the final reveal. The ending of the video was an evident surprise to viewers, but her involvement was not: West and Taylor have been working together since 2012, when Kanye signed Taylor onto his label, G.O.O.D. Music. Taylor then released her album, VII, in 2014, with "Maybe," featuring Pusha T and Yo Gotti, and "Do Not Disturb," featuring Chris Brown. She released "Freak On," with Chris Brown, last June.

According to Pitchfork, Taylor met Kanye during his Glow in the Dark Tour back in 2008. The singer started off signed to Pharrell's label, Star Trak Entertainment, and subsequently worked with 'Ye on My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, singing on "Dark Fantasy" and "Hell of a Life." Finally, she was a judge on America's Best Dance Crew, which makes sense, given her evident dancing skills.

Watch Taylor slay the dance floor, below.

This post has been updated to include information about Taylor's 2014 album.

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Introducing The Korean Blackhead Vacuum

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Living in Seoul and having access to cheap-and-when-you-want-it skin care is a perk that also doubles as a discovery depot for the latest beauty gadgets and procedures to hit the market. I’ve come to recognise that gleeful, mad-scientist grin my aesthetician has when she wants to try something new, usually skipping the whole "asking me if I'm cool with it" part. This is how I first came to get my pores vacuumed, a procedure I would have enthusiastically nodded yes to anyway because pore vacuuming just sounds awesome. Who wouldn't want that?

In Korea, this suction-powered hydrafacial is known as “aqua peel” and it’s essentially a skin vacuum in which a rotating nozzle tip simultaneously pushes an AHA/BHA solution into the skin and then sucks it up, taking dead skin, blackheads, and other unwelcome pore gunk along with it. The solution creates a centrifugal liquid seal with skin to powerfully pull out impurities while at the same time cushioning the skin from damage and irritation that a dry vacuum of the same force would cause.

The real clincher came when I was shown the cloudy water tank of disgustingness post-procedure. Seeing the little squiggles of sebum that had been hiding away in my pores just swimming around brought me equal parts horror and satisfaction. At one point, I became so obsessed, I was going two to three times a week.

Over time, I could see how this was the kind of maintenance that was actually making headway into my quest against blackheads. My skin was becoming as smooth as glass. A high-def camera could have come in for a close up, and I wouldn’t have flinched.

But a very busy traveling schedule made it near impossible to keep up my regular visits to my psychic aesthetician. (No pore-vacuuming in Tel Aviv?) So when I discovered an at-home version of the machine, I was like SIGN ME UP. Unfortunately the at-home device is not yet available in the U.S. So if you have a friend in Korea, beg/force them to order one and mail it to you. Totally worth the international shipping fees, promise.

Read on for my account on how to mimic the Korean pore vacuuming experience at home. Want to see it in action? Check out the video of my treatment — there's one for each step of the facial.

It’s important to follow up the pore-suctioning procedure with a pore-tightening solution and a soothing modelling mask. Because of the suction, skin can get irritated and red, especially for those with sensitive skin. A modelling mask is a skin-calming cocoon your face needs post-treatment. This one from Shangphree is infused with charcoal, a super-effective pore-purifying ingredient. The mask also tightens pores and hydrates your skin.

Shangpree Black Premium Modelling Mask, £19, available on eBay.

The actual pore vacuuming takes about 15 minutes, but you don’t just stride in and go straight to suctioning. Making sure the skin is properly cleansed and hydrated means less irritation, and like any skin-refining procedure, there’s a little prep to getting the pores ready to surrender their gunk. In this case, that means not just a thorough wash, but a gentle exfoliating treatment.

This freaky peeling gel from Korean dermacosmetic brand Dr. G balls up as you rub it around the face, taking dead skin along with it.

Dr. G Brightening Peeling Gel, $28 (£21), available at Glow Recipe.

For the professional treatment, gauze strips soaked in an acidic toner solution are placed on the face for 10 to 15 minutes to “melt” stubborn impurities that have been lodged in the skin. To get this step down at home, these handy giant Q-tip exfoliators are my jam. The swabs are almost comically oversized, and come soaked with a blend of lactic and glycolic acids to break down whatever squiggles of sebum you have nesting in your pores.

Yoon Dermaline Marine Aqua Peeler, $6 (£4.50), available at Glow Recipe.

The at-home skin vacuum has two chambers, just like the professional machine. One is filled with the AHA/BHA solution and the second for catching all the used solution plus everything it’s picked up from the pores.

The suction of the at-home device isn’t as strong as the in-spa one which is probably due to its more compact size and subsequently smaller motor. In Korea, this machine sells for around £135 (about a 10th of the price of the commercial device) and currently, it’s only being sold domestically in South Korea. Hopefully, it’ll be landing globally soon.

Skin Spa Aqua Peeling System, £135, available at Auction.

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This Country Is Telling Women Not To Wear Skirts For Their Own "Safety"

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Photo: Getty Images.

India’s minister of tourism has some safety advice for women visiting the country: Don’t wear skirts.

“For their own safety, women foreign tourists should not wear short dresses and skirts…Indian culture is different from the Western,” Tourism Minister Mahesh Sharma said on Sunday, according to The Guardian. The advice came during a discussion of the welcome kit that the country's tourism ministry is issuing for visitors. The kit also advises female visitors to avoid walking alone at night.

Minister Mahesh Sharma said that the advice in the kit consisted of “small things.”

“[Women] should not venture out alone at night in small places, or wear skirts, and they should click the photo of the vehicle number plate whenever they travel and send it to friends,” he said.

The safety suggestions are part of a response to declining tourism in the wake of several high- profile sexual assaults in the country, including the gang rape and murder of a medical student in 2012 and attacks on female tourists.

Sharma said that he had no intention of creating a dress code for tourists, according to the BBC, but has been criticised for the comments on social media, where many saw the suggestion as sexist. “India needs to ban such conservative ministers, not skirts #rubbish,” wrote one critic.

Sharma has also been criticised in the past for suggesting that a girls’ night out was “not part of Indian culture,” according to The Times of India.

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12 Cute Fruits & Veggies We Had No Idea Existed

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We all lost our shit when the adorably tiny cucamelon exploded across the internet earlier this summer — it was just so damn cute. The little edible gem piqued our curiosity: What other charming produce is out there that we just don't know about?

After some extensive googling, I came across a plethora of unknown fruits and veggies from around the globe. Some are petite and lovable, while others are a bit odd...but who are we to judge?

Check em' out, ahead, and let us know your favourites in the comments.

Lychee

Part of the "soapberry family" (is this real life?), these little fruits are native to China and taste like grapes.

Photo: Courtesy of Getty Images.

Oca

These miniature root vegetables from New Zealand resemble tiny aliens or, say, the limbs of a small Michelin Man.

Photo: Courtesy of Getty Images.

Feijoas

This Brazilian fruit resembles an egg-sized cucumber — and is surprisingly sweet and juicy.

Photo: Courtesy of Getty Images.

Pineberry

The pineberry is like a glamorous strawberry mixed with the pizzazzy pineapple. The fruit hybrid's origins stem all the way back to the 18th century.

Photo: Courtesy of Getty Images.

Kantola

This vegetable, which is found in India and South Asia, could be a lime's prickly cousin — but it's actually more similar to a gourd.

Photo: Courtesy of Getty Images.

Cherimoya

The cherimoya calls many continents home — and although it looks like an artichoke on the outside, the inside has been likened to a "custard apple."

Photo: Courtesy of Getty Images.

Cucamelon

Ah, the cute cucamelon — surprisingly, this fruit tastes more like a sour cucumber than a melon.

Photo: Courtesy of Getty Images.

Water Apple

This tropical fruit is not an apple at all, but a berry. It looks like a tiny pear-apple hybrid, and, surprise again, tastes like a snow pea.

Photo: Courtesy of Getty Images.

Fiddlehead

This vegetable's name alone wins the adorable contest, with its curlicue shape. I'll take a bowl of fiddleheads, please.

Photo: Courtesy of Getty Images.

Dragon Fruit (Pitaya)

A bold and beautiful fruit that resembles some sort of winning catch on Pokémon Go. It tastes kind of like a kiwi — its origins can be traced to Central and South America.

Photo: Courtesy of Getty Images.

Purple Mangosteen

From Southeast Asia and India, this fruit comes lovingly encased in a purple shell. It's tangy, sweet, juicy, and comes with its own little hat.

Photo: Courtesy of Getty Images.

Kumquat

This fruit is native to South Asia and resembles a tiny oblong orange — fun fact: you can eat these cuties, skin and all.

Photo: Courtesy of Getty Images.

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Why Are We So Obsessed With Alicia Keys' Bare Face?

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This is Alicia Keys. You know, the singer whose voice sounds like liquid gold being poured into your ears by angels? Last night, she stopped by the VMAs to sing a cappella and read a poem inspired by Martin Luther King Jr. about love and equality. But her performance wasn't what many people were focused on — it was the fact that she chose to walk the red carpet and appear on stage sans makeup.

Immediately, headlines started popping up applauding the singer for eschewing the traditional awards-show makeup formula of smoky eyes and contoured cheekbones. Twitter lit up with praise. Piers Morgan, the social media version of your drunk, sexist uncle, claimed that Keys was "100 times more 'empowering'" than Kim Kardashian and Emily Ratajkowski's nude selfies. (Because it's impossible to measure inspiration without slut-shaming in Piers' world.) No matter which social feed we checked, Keys and her bare face were dominating.

This isn't new, though. Publications (including, admittedly, Refinery29) make a big deal of female celebrities who show up in public without makeup on. Some even dub these women as "brave" or "inspiring." And yes, it is pretty cool to see a star with as much power as Keys define beauty on her own terms. Girls who choose not to wear makeup may need someone like Keys to feel secure in their choices, and there's no arguing that representation is especially important in beauty.

But what I take issue with is how quick we are to make a news story out of it. Alicia Keys doesn't have to wear makeup. Nobody does, in fact. You don't have to wear makeup to CVS, or to brunch with your friends, or to your cousin's wedding next weekend. To me, choosing not to wear makeup is like choosing not to wear a bra. Will people notice? Probably. But is it a big deal? No — and it's definitely not headline-worthy (just ask Kendall Jenner).

There's a problem with pointing out all of these instances of bare-faced celebrities. The more we single them out, the more they seem like rarities, and when we call them "brave," we imply that forgoing cosmetics is somehow a "dangerous" act. Not only that, but no tabloid ever calls the actress making a coffee run with her hair in a messy knot and a zit on her chin brave. Instead, she's labeled "completely unrecognizable" or "exhausted."

My hope is that we can eventually get to a point where paparazzi shots of makeup-free stars don't fetch boatloads of money. No woman's worth is wrapped up in the cosmetics that she puts on her face, and Keys' naked skin isn't any more inspiring than Amber Rose's red lips. The minute we stop praising and shaming women for their makeup choices is the minute we can actually talk about beauty for what it truly is: whatever the hell you want it to be.

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This Director's Cringey On-Set Story Says SO Much

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In the past year, I’ve frequently been asked to talk about being a woman in film. My debut feature, The Adderall Diaries, was released this year, and I am indeed a woman. I find the eagerness to confront sexism encouraging and indicative of the potential for real progress. I’m excited to have a voice and a platform from which to speak, to be a filmmaker, and to be part of the conversation.

And yet, I’m not terribly comfortable answering the question, “What’s it like to be a female director?” It’s the only kind of director I’ve ever been, and the answer has to involve so many more voices than just mine, across so many more years of vision and experience than I have so far. It’s just one part of the diversity problem in which the film industry is complicit.

I’ve heard many well-meaning people say that women inherently have qualities that make them well suited to directing. I disagree. I think gender has nothing to do with it. Directing requires a unique blend of skills and personality traits — diplomacy, the ability to galvanize and inspire, a balance of steadfastness and flexibility, fluency across departments and communication styles, to name a few — but none of those skills has a damn thing to do with gender, race, or sexual identity.

I felt a now-familiar defiant rage settle in my gut. That feeling can be highly motivating.

I will say that it never occurred to me to be deterred by the statistics until recently. As a kid, I watched all my other dirty outdoor friends come home with their Boy Scout knives and camping plans, and I couldn’t wait to sign up. When I got to Girl Scouts and found out there would be no knives or camping or fireworks, and instead we would be selling cookies and learning to double Dutch, I felt a now-familiar defiant rage settle in my gut. That feeling can be highly motivating. This should be very obvious to anyone who is a person, but no one likes to be told they’re not capable of things of which they most certainly are. I am now significantly more discouraged by the statistics. I hope they will change and believe we’re trying. In the meantime, there really are many female directors to admire and be inspired by. We’re not so rare.

No one has ever said something overtly sexist to me on set. But I do feel it sometimes, the underestimating and doubt. It’s coded and it’s mostly in subtext. It’s always surrounding a negotiation of power. It comes up a lot around money. I’ve consistently had to fight to be included in basic discussions about finances and business decisions. It comes up most often when someone I’m speaking to is trying to decide who I am, so they can decide whether they have to do the thing I’m asking.

I don’t really want to be required to only make films about women just because I am one.

Recently, I introduced myself to a location manager (“Hi I’m Pamela, I’m the director”) and asked her about the possibility of shooting in a hallway I’d seen. We had a little discussion and she said, “I’d really like to run it by the director. Do you know when he gets here?” After a confused moment I said, “He is me. I’m the director. I’m here.” Somehow, she repeated again, “Okay, let me know when he gets here and we’ll talk about it.” This woman was otherwise totally articulate and coherent. This happens to me at least once on every project. The forest ranger who wouldn’t tell me where exactly the poison oak was after informing the cast they would “erupt into tiny painful blisters” if they touched it. The grip who pulled up a chair and started reading his paperback in the 6 feet between me and the actors on the first day of The Adderall Diaries. The huge number of people who ask me at lunch if I work in hair and makeup or the art department. It’s not conscious, and I know they don’t mean to be disrespectful, but they just don’t include “director” as one of the possibilities when they’re trying to suss out what my job on set is. Even if I’ve already said it.

In the discussion of gender and filmmaking, one of the comments I hear most often is, “We need more female directors because we need more strong female characters.” While I appreciate the sentiment, it troubles me for a couple of reasons.

James Franco and Amber Heard in "The Adderall Diaries"Photo: Everett Collection.

The first is that I don’t think “strong” is exactly what’s missing from the depiction of women on screen. I like superhero movies. I love Ripley and Furiosa and so many other film she-roes. But what we’re so often missing is real female characters. Authentic female characters. Complicated and flawed and rich female characters. That’s what was so exciting to me about two of my favorite films last year, Mustang and Diary of a Teenage Girl — I recognized myself in those characters. I loved them and cared about them and learned from them. That’s so important. It’s the entire purpose of art for me, to connect with someone in the secret or sensitive corners of themselves in which they feel the most alone, and say, “You’re not crazy and you’re not weird; I feel this way, too.” The women in those films are whole, authentic humans. They also happen to be female. I love the story about Helen Mirren reading the Eye in the Sky script and saying that she wanted the part, not rewritten for a woman, but as is. I wonder how many films have great characters that could be cast without thinking of gender.

The second thing that bothers me about the female-filmmakers-equals-strong-female-characters equation is that, while I endeavor to write all of my characters well, I don’t really want to be required to only make films about women just because I am one. The number of questions and pushbacks I got about making a father-son story as my first feature made it very clear to me that there was a population of people with a kind of “stay in your lane” mentality. They welcomed women making indies about women, but not necessarily doing anything else. I’m clearly not a father or a son, but I do have the same empathy and imagination that allows many filmmakers to write characters who are astronauts and gangsters and other kinds of people they are not.

It’s a real sign of evolution that inclusiveness and diversity in film is a hot topic right now.

One of my favorite quotes, which I often reference when asked for advice to other filmmakers, is Billy Jean King’s “pressure is a privilege.” Pressure means you’re in the game. It means you’re in pursuit of something valuable. It means you’re near to power. And resistance often means someone has correctly identified you as someone who might have the opportunity and skill to share that power. Pressure can also be an incredible motivator, and it can be applied to create real change. I really believe that in the not-too-distant future, with significant pressure, we could see a real restructuring of power and inclusiveness in the film industry.

For those of us in the industry right now, I defer to Effie Brown’s excellent motto, “invest, mentor, hire.” Invest in films written, directed, produced by, and starring women, people of color, and LGBT folks. Mentor young men and women who have bold voices that you believe in, and do what you can to get their projects into the hands of your colleagues who can help get their projects made. When you’ve got the power to hire, use it to demonstrate the principles you believe in, and surround yourself with a diverse team. Those of us who consume media have power, too. Most of us can’t finance a film, but we can choose which ones to seek out and support with our ticket dollars and social media posts and word of mouth. We can watch and share and talk about content on television and online, especially on platforms like Refinery29 that specifically endeavor to support diverse voices. We can support organizations like the Sundance Institute that conduct research to understand statistics, support diverse filmmakers, and help develop incentives that ask the industry to be held accountable for hiring practices.

It’s a real sign of evolution that inclusiveness and diversity in film is a hot topic right now. Pressure is a privilege, so let’s leverage it. So many of the people who have the power to create real change are listening.

This summer, we're celebrating the biggest movie season of the year with a new series calledBlockbust-HER . We'll be looking at everything film-related from the female perspective, interviewing major players in the industry and discussing where Hollywood is doing right by women and where (all too often) it is failing them. And now...let's go to the movies!

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Brazil's First Female President Defends Her Record At Her Impeachment Trial

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Photo: Eraldo Peres/ AP Photo.

This is a developing story. More information will be added as it becomes available.

Update: President Dilma Rousseff took the stand during her impeachment trial in the Brazilian Senate and delivered a speech defending her record.

“Don’t expect from me the obliging silence of cowards,” she said at the start of her testimony, according to The New York Times.

Rousseff is accused of manipulating the Brazilian federal budget to hide the scale of the nation’s economic problems. During her speech, she argued she was innocent, and that the charges brought against her were part of a conspiracy.

The president’s opponents need two-thirds of the Senate, or 54 votes, to convict her.

Michel Temer, current interim president and former vice president, will hold the presidency until the end of the term in 2018 if Rousseff is found guilty.

Update, May 12, 2016: President Dilma Rousseff has been suspended and stripped of her official duties following a vote by Brazil's Senate to impeach her. The Guardian reports that the motion to impeach the country's first female president passed by a vote of 55 to 22.

Rousseff will have to step away from her duties for at least six months, at which point she will be put on trial to face charges of manipulating government accounts. Vice President Michel Temer is now serving as Brazil's interim president.

Update, May 9, 2016: The impeachment process against Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff has taken an unexpected turn. Just days ahead of a Senate vote about whether her impeachment trial should proceed, the acting speaker of the country's lower house annulled the previous vote, the BBC reports. It's now unclear whether Wednesday's Senate vote will still take place.

This story was originally published on April 20, 2016.

When Brazil elected the first female president in its history, many were understandably excited.

Dilma Rousseff is one of just 17 elected female heads of state or government out of the nearly 200 countries in the world. And Rousseff, a member of the left-wing Workers' Party, campaigned on promises to help the poor in one of the countries with the greatest income inequality in the world, according to the World Bank.

But five years later, Rousseff is now trying to fight off those who want to oust her from office. In a humiliating move that means she might be forced out, Brazil's lower house of Congress voted Sunday by a wide margin to approve an impeachment.

After three days of debates, the vote tally from the Chamber of Deputies in favour of impeachment against Rousseff was 367 versus the 137 legislators who voted against the measure. The tally easily surpassed the required two-thirds majority. There were seven abstentions and two deputies did not vote.

"This is a sad moment" for Brazil, said Paulo Sotero, director of the Brazil Institute at the Woodrow Wilson International Centre for Scholars. It’s the second time in 25 years that a Brazilian president is facing impeachment. Fernando Collor de Mello, president from 1990 to 1992, stepped down before the impeachment vote.

"It is not a very good average," Sotero told Refinery29 from São Paulo. "There is something very wrong with the system and you have to reform it, otherwise we are going to continue to produce the type of politicians that we are producing today."

But just what is going on in Brazil, and what happens next? Refinery29 breaks down what you need to know.

This is just pretext to take down a president who was elected by 54 million people.

Who is Dilma Rousseff?

Rousseff was sworn in on January 1, 2011, and was reelected by a narrow margin in 2014. She was born in 1947 and in her youth, Rousseff was a Marxist guerrilla who fought against Brazil’s brutal military dictatorship. She was imprisoned for several years and tortured in the early 1970s.

Roussefff was a protégé of and the chosen successor to the former and hugely popular President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Rousseff served as Lula’s chief of staff. Recently, Rousseff appointed Lula as her chief of staff. Some critics have said this was an effort to shield him from charges linked to corruption.

Former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva participates in the May Day celebrations in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on May 1, 2015. Photo: NELSON ALMEIDA/AFP/Getty Images.

What are the accusations against her?

Rousseff has been accused of concealing budget deficits to strengthen her re-election prospects in 2014, and Article 85 of Brazil’s Constitution stipulates that infringing on budget laws is a crime for which a president can be impeached.

Whether a charge of hiding budget deficits should be reason enough to impeach the president is up for debate, but from a strict legal point of view, Congress is entitled to do so "and they have a case, so be it," Juan Carlos Hidalgo, a policy analyst on Latin America at the right-wing Cato Institute, us.

"Regardless of the fact that most of the Congress is also corrupt, I think this is a good start by removing the president and showing the world that nobody is above the law in Brazil," Hidalgo said. And this is not just about Rousseff, Hidalgo added, "This is about the entire political class."

But others have likened it to a coup. "This is just pretext to take down a president who was elected by 54 million people," Pedro Arruda, a political analyst at the Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo, told the New York Times. "She doesn’t have foreign bank accounts, and she hasn’t been accused of corruption, unlike those who are trying to impeach her."

Alex Main, from the Centre for Economic and Policy Research, told us that he believes the efforts to impeach Rousseff are "clearly politically motivated and, as such, are in clear violation of the country’s constitution."

Rousseff also believes that she is discriminated against simply because she is not a man. “Mixed up in all this is a degree of prejudice against women. There are attitudes towards me that would not exist with a male president,” she said.

Has she been charged with corruption? Have others been charged with corruption?

While Rousseff has not been charged with corruption or fraud, the same cannot be said about lawmakers who have voted or will vote on her fate, including the lower house speaker Eduardo Cunha, who himself is facing money laundering and other charges.

From 2003 to 2010, Rousseff was the chairperson of the state-run oil company Petrobras, which is at the heart of the Brazil’s massive billion-dollar scandal. In short, Petrobras executives in cahoots with other companies are said to have coordinated bids with kickbacks benefitting politicians and others.

Anti-government protestors jam Avenida Paulista during a demonstration calling for the removal of President Dilma Rousseff on March 13 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images.

"There is an enormous demand for ethics in politics," led in part by a new, younger generation of judges and prosecutors who have exposed corruption, said Sotero. "There is a problem not of legality, but of legitimacy, in this process," Sotero added.

There are dozens of members of Congress, including the president of the Senate, who are being investigated by federal prosecutors in Brazil or who are under suspicion for having committed "major corruption crimes."

However, Rousseff "is accused of crimes of responsibility, like hiding the true state of federal accounts, manipulating fiscal accounts," Sotero said. "This is a crime in Brazil."

The impeachment proceedings are following the strict rules of Brazil’s highest court and therefore "the fact that many congressmen are facing corruption charges does not impair the legitimacy of the result," Jorio Dauster, former Ambassador of Brazil to the European Union, told Refinery29.

"Nevertheless, the extremely positive point is that very few countries are really facing endemic corruption the way Brazil is, and I’m quite sure that a good number of crooked politicians will be expelled from our parliament in the near future," Dauster added.

There is something very wrong with the system and you have to reform it, otherwise we are going to continue to produce the type of politicians that we are producing today.

How does this impact Brazil's huge economy?

Brazil’s economy is anything but stable right now, with the country facing its worst recession in more than 85 years. The impeachment vote also comes as Brazil, the fifth largest country in the world and seventh largest economy, is struggling to combat the Zika virus epidemic. Brazil will also host the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro this summer.

Unemployment is currently at 9.5% and inflation is 9.4% – figures that are in line with Rouseff’s popularity, which is currently hovering at similar digits, Hidalgo noted.

What happens next?

If a simple majority of the 81 senators in the upper house vote to accept the impeachment motion, which analysts say is likely, Rousseff must cede power for 180 days while she is investigated. Vice President Michel Temer will then temporarily assume power. Following the 180-day period, the senate will decide if she should be forced from office; but this time, a higher vote of a two-thirds approval is required.

Anti-impeachment protestors attend a rally on April 11 as former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, 'Lula', speaks while supporting President Dilma Rousseff in the historic Lapa neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro. Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images.

Hidalgo thinks the senate will vote to impeach Rouseff, as her party has proportionally less power in the senate than in the chamber of deputies. Parties once allied to the president have also peeled away, including minor parties. "Her chances are very, very slim" of surviving the vote, Hidalgo said.

If Rousseff is impeached, Temer takes over and will serve out her term, which is set to end in 2018.

Rousseff can appeal the charges to Brazil's highest court, the Supreme Federal Tribunal. Eight of the 11 current justices were named by either Rousseff or Lula. The court, however, has so far refused motions to dismiss previous impeachment proceedings.

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The Best Theories About The Stranger Things Finale

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Photo Courtesy of Netflix.

If you haven't watched Stranger Things yet, then what are you waiting for? It's one of the standout series of the summer, possibly even the year.

What makes Stranger Things so special is that it combines fantasy, curiosity, and science to create a believable fictional world. The characters, most of whom are kids, are refreshingly authentic. The four main friends — Will, Finn, Dustin, and Caleb — are innocent suburban boys, thrown into the adventure of their lives. The genre-bending horror series is more mind games than gore, and more '80s nostalgic than tragic.

The only downfall is, now that season 1 has been sufficiently binged, we're in withdrawal as we wait for news of season 2. To pass the time, we're rounding up the best theories about the series finale.

Matt Duffer, one half of the Duffer brother duo behind the show, told Variety that the plot of the series is only going to get darker and more intense with the next season (which is rumoured, but not yet finalised.) And that as the show goes on, the characters within it will be trying to piece together the mystery with theories of their own. "They’re very weird, and the weirder it is, the more inexplicable it is, the scarier it is," he told the site .

Weirder? Scarier? Count us in. Now, let's get to theorising.

The Byers' problems with government officials are only just starting.

The family knows way too much about Eleven, The Upside Down, and the evil government suits working on the project. There's no way that things go back to normal now. If Will goes missing again, I'd bet it's the work of the government agents.

Photo Courtesy of Netflix.

Will's body is now an incubus for the monster with those slugs living inside of him.

And he won't tell his mom or brother about his condition until it is too late. In the season 1 finale, that black-tar looking slug slithers down the sink when Will coughs it up, but he isn't shocked by it, which makes it seem like it's a normal occurrence.

Photo Courtesy of Netflix.

Barb is dead.

This is a fact. I am sorry to all the Barb fans. However, she will have justice in season 2.

Photo Courtesy of Netflix.

Nancy and Jonathan will end up together.

There's no way that these two won't end up together. Steve did redeem himself, and seems to be learning from his mistakes, but Nancy and Jonathan have some unfinished business together. If Jonathan does grow up to be Daryl in The Walking Dead, will Nancy be his ass-kicking sidekick?

Photo Courtesy of Netflix.

Eleven’s dad will come into play and explain more about her origin story.

After meeting Eleven's mother, it's clear that she has been through some serious shit. She can barely talk, and she obviously knows a lot more about what's going on with her daughter than she lets on, which makes me even more curious about Eleven's father. Some people think it might be Chief Hopper (unlikely) or the intense Dr. Brenner (more likely), or it's someone we haven't met who also has unexplainable powers (most likely).

Photo Courtesy of Netflix.

Eleven is still alive and is probably the monster.

We get more into the theory in this post, but to summarise: Eleven has an incredibly powerful mind. So incredible, in fact, that her subconscious exists on its own in The Upside Down in the form of a terrifying creature.

Photo Courtesy of Netflix.

Chief Hopper is working with the government now.

Hopper doesn't have a lot to lose. He lost his daughter, his ex-wife, and at times (after nights of heavy drinking) he loses his sanity. We know he made a deal with Dr. Brenner to get Will out of Upside Down, but it's unclear what the details of the agreement were. Is Hopper now aligned with the sketchy agents? Remember, he did get in the car after leaving the hospital. He also leaves Eggos in the woods. Does he know more than we do?

Photo Courtesy of Netflix.

The boys will go to Upside Down to look for Eleven.

Finn isn't going to give up on his true love, Eleven, that easily. The boys are also much braver now than they were in the first episode.

Photo Courtesy of Netflix.

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9 Health Scares You Can Stop Worrying About

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1. Artificial SweetenersThe myth: Artificial sweeteners, especially aspartame, will give you cancer.The truth: Our bodies break aspartame down into several chemical compounds, including formaldehyde, which is definitely a carcinogen. But our bodies also get rid of that formaldehyde far too quickly for it to build up in an amount great enough to actually be harmful. Unless you have phenylketonuria, a rare but serious congenital condition in which your body is unable to break down a certain amino acid found in aspartame (among other things, like eggs), eating or drinking this artiical sweetener isn't dangerous. The hard truth: Although it might not be as scary as cancer, there is other evidence to suggest that artificial sweeteners can alter the way your gut works. For one thing, you have sweet taste receptors in your gut. Normal sugar activates these receptors and triggers your intestine to extract that glucose so it can be used elsewhere in the body. Somewhat surprisingly, artificial sweeteners like aspartame also activate this process, which some scientists speculate may be a bit confusing for your body. Other research in mice has found that artificial sweeteners can alter the population of bacteria in your gut. However, the science here isn't conclusive yet, so we're not sure how big of a deal this actually is. That means that drinks with artificial sweeteners may be a good idea if you're substituting them for less healthy options (full-sugar sodas, for example), but they should still be thought of as treats. And, as always, your best option is still good ol' water.Photographed by Brayden Olsen.

Whether you're thinking about paying bills or just picking a lunch place, there's a lot to worry about out there. And when it comes to your health, freaking out every once in a while is totally justified. Luckily, there's also plenty of nonsense out there to stop worrying about. So we're here to finally clear the air.

Although many health scares started out with a tiny kernel of something worth scrutinising, the vast army of internet "doctors" loves to spin those kernels into exponentially greater fears. Usually, that's done with the hope of selling you some pseudoscientific "cure" or "protection." In many cases, that initially concerning finding is debunked under subsequent investigation. The pseudoscience, however, never really seems to die out.

Of course, you can feel free to continue to spend your money on whatever makes you feel better — even if that's a daily £8 bottle of unnecessarily alkaline, organic, non-GMO green juice. But we're here to tell you that, in these cases at least, you really don't need to spend your time (or effort or money) on worrying.

1. Artificial Sweeteners

The myth: Artificial sweeteners, especially aspartame, will give you cancer.

The truth: Our bodies break aspartame down into several chemical compounds, including formaldehyde, which is definitely a carcinogen. But our bodies also get rid of that formaldehyde far too quickly for it to build up in an amount great enough to actually be harmful. Unless you have phenylketonuria, a rare but serious condition in which your body is unable to break down a certain amino acid found in aspartame (among other common foods, such as eggs), eating or drinking this artificial sweetener isn't dangerous.

The hard truth: Although it might not be as scary as cancer, there is other evidence to suggest that artificial sweeteners can alter the way your gut works. For one thing, you have sweet taste receptors in your gut. Normal sugar activates these receptors and triggers your intestine to extract that glucose so it can be used elsewhere in the body. Somewhat surprisingly, artificial sweeteners like aspartame also activate this process, which some scientists speculate may be a bit confusing for your body.

Other research in mice has found that artificial sweeteners can alter the population of bacteria in your gut. However, the science here isn't conclusive yet, so we're not sure how big of a deal this actually is. That means that drinks with artificial sweeteners may be a good idea if you're substituting them for less healthy options (full-sugar sodas, for example), but they should still be thought of as treats. And, as always, your best option is still good ol' water.

Photographed by Brayden Olsen.

2. Deodorant

The myth: Using deodorant can give you breast cancer.

The truth: To start, breast cancer is multifactorial, which means that no one thing is ever going to be solely responsible for giving someone breast cancer. But does deodorant add to the risks? According to more than a decade of research, there is no conclusive evidence that using aluminium- or paraben-containing deodorant increases your risk for breast cancer.

The hard truth: It's actually pretty difficult to do a large, long-term study about deodorant use because it's tough to find a big enough sample of people who don't use it to function as your control. So, technically, the research looking at a potential link between deodorant and breast cancer is inconclusive. That said, experts will tell you that you're much better off thinking about (and actually doing) the things we know lower your breast-cancer risk. That includes eating a nutritious, well-balanced diet as well as getting regular exercise, keeping your alcohol consumption moderate, and sticking with the screening that's recommended based on your other risk factors (e.g. family history).

Photographed by Brayden Olsen.

3. Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)

The myth: MSG causes headaches. And maybe kills babies?

The truth: Restaurant-goers, including researchers, have been captivated by MSG for decades now. But the chemical, which is used as a flavour enhancer in many Japanese and Chinese dishes, has never conclusively been linked to any serious health issues. It does seem like some people can develop headaches after eating MSG-containing food, but those reactions are far less predictable than you'd think. So it's been tough to really pin down the root cause.

The hard truth: Although research hasn't found any conclusive link between MSG and headaches, some people do report that their migraines are triggered by eating MSG. That may be because each individual can have his or her own unique set of migraine triggers — and we're just not sure why yet.

Photographed by Brayden Olsen.

4. Coffee

The myth: Coffee causes cancer.

The truth: For years now, we've had contradictory evidence about coffee. For every study that linked it to an increased risk for cancer, there was another one around the corner suggesting the opposite. But recently evidence has been weighing steadily on one side of the scale.

Earlier this year, the World Health Organisation (WHO) finally reversed its stance on coffee's possible link to cancer. After reviewing more than 1,000 studies on the link, the group of researchers found that the confusion stemmed from the fact that drinking extremely hot coffee (as is the custom in many countries) may still pose a slight risk because it can burn the oesophagus. That allows cancer-causing damage to occur over time. But the way most people drink it (at or around 60ºC) is totally safe.

The hard truth: There's no denying that caffeine, including coffee, can be addictive. You'll slowly build up a tolerance, and eventually it'll take more and more coffee to get you to the same energised state. If you're a daily java drinker, you've probably already noticed the symptoms of withdrawal — headaches, irritability, lethargy — when you don't get your cup on time.

So, in that sense, drinking coffee every day isn't exactly harmless. Some people have a harder time with the tolerance-addiction cycle than others, possibly due to their genes. But if you're concerned, it might be a good idea to notice when you feel like reaching for that extra cup — and take a break for a few days instead.

Photographed by Brayden Olsen.

5. Inflammation

The myth: You don't feel well because you have inflammation, and if you don't do something about it, you're going to get a chronic disease.

The truth: Inflammation is a natural process that your body goes through in order to protect you. For instance, the runny nose you get when you have a cold is a product of inflammation, and it's actually one of the ways your body is trying to get rid of the virus or bacteria that's infected you. So inflammation on its own isn't necessarily a bad thing, even if it doesn't feel great.

The real problem is that when we talk about "inflammation," it's not always clear what we actually mean. When researchers study inflammation, they're usually looking at compounds your body produces as part of this immune response, such as cytokines or C-reactive protein.

But if you're just diagnosing yourself, it'll be a little harder because the effects of inflammation are different in different parts of your body. If you have plantar fasciitis, for instance, you'll feel pain in the heel of your foot caused by an inflamed piece of connective fascia in your foot. But if you're dealing with a rough bout of Crohn's disease, you'll have some unpredictable bowel movements.

But, as with the common cold, these different types of inflammation are symptoms of actual diagnoses — not the diagnoses themselves. It's not as though eating an anti-inflammation diet or taking supplements that supposedly reduce inflammation is going to make your foot feel better.

The hard truth: Researchers have traced a fair number of issues back (potentially) to inflammation. That includes depression, PMS, and even hangovers. But that doesn't mean that treating inflammation is the key to solving those things, or that it's even a viable option. The science just isn't far along enough there.

Photographed by Brayden Olsen.

6. Gluten

The myth : Gluten sensitivity is the root of depression, anxiety, indigestion, etc.

The truth: Unless you have celiac disease, it's unlikely that gluten is causing your symptoms. Although there is some evidence that some people may have a gluten sensitivity (outside of an allergy), researchers have found that the far more likely culprit is something called fermentable, poorly absorbed short-chain carbohydrates (called FODMAPs), which also happen to be found in gluten-heavy foods like pasta, breads, and beer.

The hard truth: You should not cut gluten out of your diet without working with your doctor. For one thing, if you cut gluten out before you're tested for celiac, the tests will be inconclusive and you'll have to start eating it again to get an accurate diagnosis. But also, researchers suspect that those who do feel better after removing gluten from their diets are actually responding to the absence of something else. That something else might be FODMAPs, preservatives, added sugars, or it may even be the root of an eating disorder, so it's much better to work with a professional who can help you figure out what's really going on.

Photographed by Brayden Olsen.

7. Acidity/Alkalinity

The myth: The pH of our bodies is out of whack, so getting more alkaline food and water in our diets will cure us of pretty much everything.

The truth: Your body's pH is a very finely calibrated system. In fact, different parts of your body need to be kept at different pH levels in order to function. If your blood was at your stomach's pH, you'd be dead. On top of that, nothing you eat or drink will change your body's pH. So not only is trying to be "more alkaline" a bad idea, it's also impossible.

The hard truth: Many people who go on alkaline diets do report feeling "better." But that's almost certainly because alkaline-diet-friendly foods tend to be very healthy fruits and vegetables. So those foods are good for you, but not because they're alkalising.

Photographed by Brayden Olsen.

8. Electromagnetic Fields (EMF)

The myth: EMFs, like those produced by your cell phone, will give you cancer.

The truth: There is currently no conclusive evidence that cell phones cause cancer. According to the National Cancer Institute, the radio frequency that's produced by phones does not lead to the DNA damage that's responsible for cancer.

The hard truth: Although we'd like to say this case is closed, there is still controversy. The World Health Organisation recently classified cell-phone-related EMFs as "possibly carcinogenic," but that still doesn't mean you need to stop using your phone. That category also contains caffeic acid, a compound in coffee, so that classification isn't as worrying as it sounds. "While we can’t prove zero risk, at some point the probable remaining risk becomes too small to worry about," concludes Steven Novell, MD, at Science-Based Medicine. "At some point, you are more likely to die because you did not have access to a cell phone than from the radiation from cell phone use."

Photographed by Brayden Olsen.

9. "Toxins"

The myth: Toxins are everywhere, and you need to get rid of them.

The truth: The short answer? We've all forgotten what toxins actually are.

As for the long answer, a toxin is simply any substance that's poisonous to humans. If that substance isn't produced by a plant or animal (i.e. it's synthetic), it's actually more correct to call it a toxicant. But colloquially, they're all just "toxins." However, what people often forget is that the dose of that substance is usually just as important as the substance itself.

Many things that can be toxic — arsenic, cyanide, caffeine — are naturally occurring in food, the environment, or our bodies at low levels. There are reports of liquorice being toxic when eaten in extremely high amounts. Even vitamin A, which is something you need, can make you feel like crap at high doses. Other compounds (such as oxycodone) are safely used as medical drugs at low levels but can be harmful at higher levels. Plus, totally nontoxic things (e.g. grapefruit juice) can interact with medicines and cause a toxic effect.

By all means, be worried about too much lead in your water or too much vitamin A in your diet. But all of this means that getting worked up about the general concept of "toxins" is just unproductive. We all encounter many of these things every day without any problems. And, luckily, your body is pretty great at getting rid of them already.

The hard truth: Because you don't need to worry about toxins, you also don't need to worry about detoxing or cleansing. In fact, all of those words should be treated as red flags. If someone is trying to convince you that a fancy new product is going to "detox" you, that's a good sign that they're selling snake oil.

Photographed by Brayden Olsen.

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This Hairstylist Is Changing The Definition Of Sexy Hair

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When we hear "sexy hair," many of us think of the Bardot beehive, the beach waves on the Victoria's Secret runway, or perhaps the Jessica Rabbit side-swoop. And while, yes, these are all sexy, they're also pretty predictable — not to mention, exclusive to a single hair type.

Luckily, there are some Hollywood hairstylists taking a fresh approach to sexy hair. One who is leading the charge? Jennifer Yepez, whose client list includes Gigi Hadid, Chanel Iman, Jourdan Dunn, Kim Kardashian, and Jessica Alba (who made Yepez an ambassador for Honest Beauty hair care). Basically, celebs with already enviable hair flock to her because she knows how to mix in elements one might not immediately associate with allure — headbands, '40s sets, half-up styles — and make them sexy (not twee) through texture, volume, and a casual, undone finish.

Naturally, we tapped Yepez for her modern-hair secrets. Her version of sexy hair — and all the tips, tricks, and products to get it — ahead.

Trick: Wrap — don't clamp.

The trick to the romantic style Yepez gave Jourdan Dunn is simple: Prep the hair to add structure and hold, but keep the waves extra soft by brushing them loose. First, she misted Dunn's hair with volume spray. "It's easier to create texture when your hair has some product in it," Yepez says. (For a similar finish, she recommends Honest Beauty's Honestly Uplifted Volumizing Spray.) Then, she wrapped sections of hair away from Dunn's face using a curling iron like a wand (don't use the clamp) to create waves. Once everything cools down, brush through with your fingers.

Photo: Getty Images.

Trick: Bend — don't curl.

The secret to scoring Yepez's signature bedhead? Exercise restraint with the iron. But first: "I spray a thickening spray all over, from roots to ends, and rough-dry the hair," Yepez explains, noting that Hadid has natural waves she blowdries before styling. "After that, I take a 1-inch curling iron and just bend some of the pieces — I don't wrap her hair around the whole iron." She finishes by spraying dry shampoo through the roots for more texture.

Photo: @jennifer_yepez.

Trick: Skip hairspray for a touchable take on '40s hair.

The longevity and softness of a classic, Old Hollywood set relies heavily on the prep, Yepez says. "The most important thing is to prep your hair with enough volumizing spray," she says about this look she created on Chanel Iman. "You want to have a good hold." Layer the products into wet hair before drying, then do a classic set and brush your 'do once it's cool. Skip hairspray to create a softer finish, she says.

Photo: @jennifer_yepez.

Trick: Grit can be good.

Of all the looks she's created over the past year, Yepez cites Hadid's many styles the night of the iHeartRadio Much Music Video Awards as her favorites. "We did so many braided looks that night!" she says. To get the looks to stay, but not feel too gritty, she prepped Hadid's hair with R+Co's Dry Shampoo Paste. "Make sure to rub it in your hands really well, then use your fingertips to massage it onto your scalp," she says. "It gives you amazing texture and grit."

Photo: Getty Images.

Trick: Sleep in a topknot for easy waves.

Scan Yepez's Instagram and you'll find that she doesn't just give smooth, soft waves to her clients — they're her personal signature. To master them, heed her advice: Blowdry the hair straight and then put it into a sleek topknot before bed. In the morning, spray hair with dry shampoo, brush through, and use Honest Beauty's dry conditioning serum for soft waves. Tip: Use an old-school scrunchie, which is gentle on the hair, to secure your knot.

Photo: @jennifer_yepez.

Trick: Style around your accessory.

For most of us, fancy headbands seem like a good idea in theory — but making them feel like they're part of your look, and not just sitting on top, isn't so easy. The fix? Yepez added this Jennifer Behr piece to Hilary Rhoda's hair before pulling it into a chignon, which makes the accessory look more organic.

"You can create a romantic look so effortlessly with a headpiece," she says. "Create some texture in your hair, place the headpiece where you want, and then arrange your hair as you like. Pull out some pieces in the front, intertwine your hair with the headpiece, and simply do a chignon in the back."

Photo: @jennifer_yepez.

Trick: Define dry hair the right way.

Yepez recommends volume and salt sprays for defining damp curls and waves, but there's no need to wet hair to add definition on day two. Instead, Yepez swears by Honest's new Dry Conditioner: "It gives great texture and waves."

Yes, dry conditioner. It's the same idea as dry shampoo, except it gives softness and shine to hair between lathering up. Spray through your lengths and ends, then reach for your favorite dry shampoo for roots (on slide four) if you need oil-absorbing benefits, too.

Photo: @jennifer_yepez.

Trick: Brush out your curls.

For soft and bouncy curls, start with clean, damp hair: "Use a lot of volumizing spray from root to end, then a heat protectant and a leave-in conditioner or serum," Yepez says.

Once the products are worked in, blowdry hair smooth with a medium-sized round brush and use a 1.25-inch iron to set the hair. (Curl 1.25-inch sections and set in pin curls to cool.) Once the hair has cooled, remove the pins and brush through. "I use a Mason Pearson brush and brush out all the curls," Yepez says. "Finally, I like to use dry shampoo at the roots for some extra volume."

Photo: Getty Images.

Trick: Volumize with a touch of heat.

For some, a few spritzes of salt spray (for wavy hair) or smoothing serum (for curly hair) is all it takes to get light hold and beachy texture. For those with fine or limp locks, however, heat is key to the equation.

To get a look similar to the one Yepez gave Alessandra Ambrosio here, Yepez says, "Spray volumizing spray from root to end, get a good medium-sized brush (I like T3), and always lift the roots when blowdrying." For extra volume and movement, she recommends setting your hair as you blowdry.

Photo: @jennifer_yepez.

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Why This Woman's Breast Cancer Tattoo Is Getting People Talking

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Alison Habbal knew her body would never be quite the same following her breast cancer diagnosis, but that hasn't stopped her from celebrating her body in her own way.

Habbal, 36, underwent a lumpectomy following her diagnosis, during which the tumor and some surrounding tissue — including her nipple — had to be removed. Though a lumpectomy only involves partial breast removal (as opposed to a mastectomy, in which the entire breast is removed), in cases where cancerous cells are detected around or at the site of the nipple, the nipple itself has to be removed and patients are given the option to reconstruct.

However, Habbal was uninterested in having her nipple reconstructed. Instead, like some women have, she opted to tattoo her breast following surgery. "I didn't want a fake nipple made from some other piece of flesh. I thought I'm just going to get a tattoo," she told the BBC.

In fact, throughout her treatment, which included surgery to remove the tumour followed by chemotherapy that made her nauseous and exhausted, she thought a lot about her post-illness look, she explained to the BBC: "During the year I was sick, I had the idea of me with the blonde crop and the tattoo. The whole time I was sick, I would trawl tattoo artists over the internet."

After careful consideration, Habbal decided to consult New Zealand-based artist Makkala Rose for a tattoo design, and the result is stunning.

About last night - about half way #painismybitch #likeafuckingboss

A photo posted by Alison (@secretary925) on

"It's quite humbling and it puts a lot of things into perspective," Rose told the BBC about the tattoo's 13-hour process. "That made it really cool to be able to do for her," she continued, adding that Habbal was an "absolute champ" throughout.

And it seems a lot of people agree: photos of Habbal's tattoos have received hundreds and thousands of likes on Instagram, accompanied with encouraging comments.

"What a gorgeous work of art! It really reflects life, beauty, and hope," one Instagram user wrote. "Love and vibes to you for good health and much happiness. Thank you for sharing your story."

In addition to Habbal's strength and courage in undergoing treatment and deciding to make something beautiful out of it, the fact that she decided not to reconstruct her nipple means that her photos aren't subjected to censorship on Instagram or Facebook.

"Because there's no nipple, I can blast it everywhere all over Facebook and Instagram, and they can't censor it, which I think is really funny," she told BBC.

#FreeTheNipple, indeed.

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Your New Instagram Stalk: Djuna Bel

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Djuna Bel is one of those creatures whose life looks so utterly beautiful it really should be depicted in the pages of a book. Like some Wes Anderson character with Renaissance features and Rapunzel locks, Djuna is an archetypal LA girl dressed in unbelievable vintage finds and occasionally head-to-toe in Gucci clobber.

However, Djuna is more than just beautiful Instagram pictures. Yes, at 17 she was modelling in NYC, but it wasn't long before the part-time stylist had opened her own store in the Lower East Side, namely, Fox & Fawn. Like any rolling stone, Djuna quickly moved onto other things, starting with a new city – Los Angeles, a place she still calls home and holds accountable for her insane stock of fabulous vintage clothing. She even owns one of Jimi Hendrix's leather jackets.

Djuna is now a full-time commercial and editorial stylist, but in her spare time you'll mostly find her lounging around desert island locations with her best pals Camille Rowe and Langley Fox Hemingway, looking like Jerry Hall on vacay in the '70s. Here's a glimpse behind the beaded curtain of our favourite LA girl's bohemian life...

Name, age, l ocation, occupation:

Djuna Bel, 31, Los Angeles, CA, Wardrobe Stylist

Do you collect anything?

Are you asking if I am a hoarder? Yes.

What item of clothing are you still hunting out?

I have so many jumpsuits, but always looking for more.

How would you sum your style up in three words?

Right this moment? California '70s tomboy .

What’s your favourite pair of shoes?

Either my beat up white Converse or my Gucci marmont heels.

If you were an item of clothing, what would you be and why?

Probably an old pair of jeans... Classic, reliable and interested in making your butt look as good as it possibly can.

Favourite item of clothing you’re currently wearing?

My vintage YES T-shirt.

What item of clothing best sums you up?

Either an Ossie Clark dress or a Pucci jumpsuit. Classic, nostalgic, semi-precious or loud and wild.

What do you love about the city you live in?

I love that you have the beach, the forest, the desert all within reach. I also love the weather.

How does it impact your style?

My style has changed so much since I moved to LA. The weather has certainly affected my style. No more fur muppet coats. I feel like I have gotten a lot more colourful since I moved to LA.

Where’s your favourite place to shop?

I mostly just shop Vintage. I love Worship, Painted Bird, What Goes Around.

If you had to wear one designer for the rest of your life, who would it be?

Anything Alessandro Michele lays his hands on.

Who do you stalk on Instagram?

@oo35mm for Korean beauty, @nasa, @overheardLA

What’s your favourite picture you’ve posted on Instagram?

Probably the video of me annoying my mom :)

What’s your most important beauty rule?

Wear sunscreen every day. But I am a total beauty junky - so I could go on for ages...

Favourite make up product and why?

I love Nars Dolce Vita stick - it's a lipstick but makes a great blush as well.

Weirdest beauty trick you’ve ever tried?

I will try anything. I use snail mucus (which is amazing) or a homemade jello pore mask.

Where are we most likely to find you on a Friday night/ Sunday morning?

Hiking / making brunch with my friends .

Your favourite place to eat?

I have so many favorites - Kitchen Mouse; Gjelina, The Springs, Nobu, Kim Chee Jiggae at Natura Spa. And, my boyfriend's cooking at home...

What’s your favourite thing to cook?

Unfortunately, I can only cook one thing well. I make a mean kale salad inspired by the tuck shop in NYC: Kale, golden raisins, sunflower seeds and home made tahini dressing that, and toast.

What keeps you up late?

Online shopping.

Your book club recommendation?

Sheila Heti – “How A Person Should Be”.

Who’s your best buddy?

Niki Haas, Camille Rowe, Langley Fox Hemingway, Sandy Ganzer, Terri Walker and Vincent Gallo.

Where’s your happy place?

Home/somewhere in the tropics/wherever my friends and family are .

Your motto?

Whoops.

Your biggest fear?

Needles/Shots. I know, it's so stupid.

Your biggest achievement to date?

Buying a home.

What do you want from your career?

Happiness.

Where will you be in ten years?

Mars.

Who makes you laugh?

Me.

What quality do you most admire in other people?

Motivation, determination, compassion.

What’s next?

Are you hitting on me?

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The Best Highlighted Skin On Instagram

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I remember the first time I heard the word 'strobing' and I remember what I did when I heard it, I rolled my eyes and carried on eating my lunch. Why? Because as a beauty writer your life is very much inundated with cosmetic innovations and techniques that are as ludicrous as they sound. Then I watched the, nothing short of hypnotic, YouTube tutorials and I started to get rather caught up in the frenzy.

For those who aren't familiar with the term, it's basically short hand for complicated highlighter. I came to highlighter young in life (Benefit's Moonbeam anyone?) and then, like most of my teenage beauty habits grew out of it. It's only now, years down the line that I've fully got back into the glow. This is partly down to celebrity experts ringing out their bells over the benefits of some well-placed highlighters, but also largely down to highlighter being one of the least time consuming, most effective and easy ways to make your skin look a million bucks.

If you start your morning routine with face oil followed by moisturiser you'll find that the oil slowly finds it way to the surface throughout the day (temper with some aptly placed loose powder). Then pick out points like your cheekbones, the bridge of your nose, under your brows and your cupid's bow and apply highlighter. You will look fresh from ten hours sleep, guaranteed. It's A-list skin in one hack.

Here's the insta-girls who are shedding some light on the highlighter hype...

@elizabethsmart

Liz has great skin to begin with sure, but the photographer has clearly picked up a few tricks on set too. NB the nude lips. Try patting gel highlighter down the centre of your bottom lip over your lipstick to make lips look fuller and your whole face a hell of a lot healthier.

Photo: via @elizabethsmart.

@georgiehobday

Georgie is Alex Box's favourite model for makeup because of her almost entirely symmetrical face. Here she's wearing nothing but highlighter.

Photo: via @georgiehobday.

@rinasonline

One of our favourite faces of the minute, Rina's a big fan of Vaseline on the eye-lids and OTT powder highlighter everywhere else for a sci-fi gleam.

Photo: via @rinasonline.

@rosiehw

No one does glow quite like Rosie. Or rather, no one like her go-to makeup artist, Hung Vanngo. We're loving the inner eyes pearly glow, and the clever line of iridescent powder down the centre of her lids that's making her eyes pop. Get the Rosie glow with her very own Insta Glow Blush.

Photo: via @rosiehw.

@gabriette

Gabriella Bechtel is the Cali model and Instagram star who stole the show in Petra Collins' latest adidas campaign. While her glow looks 99% natural we're betting some Vaseline has been added in key areas: the lips, cupids bow and the bridge of the nose.

Photo: via @gabbriette.

@biancavenerayan

Bianca's studio-light glow comes down to some well smoothed illuminator on her cheekbones and the inner corner of her eyes. Try a light powder like Bobbi Brown's cult brick palettes and swish in circular movements with a large brush.

@erikabowes

Style guru, Erika has focused on the bridge of her nose and under her brows. Dewy or what?

@leomieanderson

Model Leomie, has subtly applied highlighter to her cupid's bow and it's ensured her natural look is extra #flawless.

@makeupvincent

Bella Hadid's make up for the Met Ball was a masterclass in lighting. Her expertly placed highlighter (on her décolletage too) makes her appear as though she's glowing from head to toe.

@malaikafirth

Malaika complements her 90s mulberry lipstick and shadow with some pearl highlighter. Try Benefit's iconic High Beam, it's liquid formula means it's fool-proof.

@neelamkg

Neelam has balanced her light-touch contouring with spotlights on her cheekbones and temples, and we're copying, now.

@ohlydiagraham

Model Lydia Graham's lightly-lightly done highlighter on the bridge of her nose and cupid's bow just draws attention to her natural beauty.

@palomija

Paloma Elsesser's skin is so dewy she looks like she's fresh from the gym changing rooms. Don't be shy, make like Paloma and skirt your lip line and the bridge of your nose, just add a transluscent powder to your T-zone to prevent a sweaty finish.

@phoebelovatt

Phoebe's glow enhances her olive skin tone. Try something with a golden base, like Charlotte Tilbury's Bar Of Gold compact.

@shamaanwar

DJ and model Shama has accentuated her natural finish makeup with some sheen on her lids for a sexy result.

@venedaanastasia

Veneda Bundy's no makeup makeup is textbook. The addition of some lightness around her eyes and nose makes her skin look airbrushed.

@cocobaudelle

Model Coco Baudelle's near-perfect complexion is made angelic with the addition of some illuminator on her cheek and brow bones. Heavenly.

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Blush Is A New Play About Revenge Porn

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“Be aware before you share.” Thus read the slogan for the government’s awareness campaign around the “revenge porn” law that was introduced in April 2015. It was brought in to tackle the increasingly widespread problem of people forwarding on naked photos they’d received, or videoing sex and uploading it, sometimes in order to profit or publicly shame the person depicted. The law was put in place to criminalise anyone sharing images of a sexual nature whereby the subject did not consent, by giving the perpetrator up to two years’ jail time.

The revenge porn law acted as the impetus for writer and actor Charlotte Josephine to produce Blush, a theatre-piece based on sex, the internet, and the shame we suffer when the private turns public. I went to see it at Edinburgh Festival earlier this month, and what I found was a clever show that melds together not just one story about revenge porn, but five. In the space of an hour, and with a lot of shouting and swearing, Charlotte and co-actor Daniel Foxsmith take on the topic of revenge porn from the perspective of multiple characters, including a guilty dad with a bad porn habit, and a scorned woman who leaks dickpics online.

To find out more about what Charlotte learnt while researching and writing Blush, we caught up with her in Edinburgh.

Hi Charlotte. Firstly, a bit about you... how did you get into acting?

Well I had a speech impediment when I was little and as part of my speech therapy it was suggested I went to drama classes. I loved it, but it was years before I started to believe I could actually do it.

Where did the idea for Blush come from?

I think the play had been brewing for a while. I’d been researching shame, reading a lot of Brené Brown, Elizabeth Gilbert and Jon Ronson. Then I heard about revenge pornography and it felt to me like a clear catalyst for a piece that could explore the shame we feel at not measuring up to our gender-related responsibility, or at least what we perceive it to be.

How did you go about researching revenge porn?

I read a lot. I spoke to a lot of lovely men who were brave enough to share their hidden fears about what it means to be a man. I studied the brain, the effects of pornography on the brain, and what happens to us physiologically when we are behaving compulsively. I also visited a few ‘revenge porn’ websites, which was fucking horrendous, but necessary...

I can’t imagine. How did you land on the three characters you play, and can you tell us a bit about who each of them are?

I wanted to write characters that sounded like real people, so they all start from a personal place. Basically all five characters are bits of me, but are exaggerated or removed enough so I’m safe to perform them each night. If I’ve done my job well then the audience should relate to each character in some way, even if they don’t really want to admit it.

Do you think the 2015 laws around revenge porn have done or will do much to stop it happening to people?

I think the new law is a step in the right direction but it’s currently not good enough. Even the term "revenge porn" is extremely problematic. There’s a Professor called Clare McGlynn who is doing some fantastic work to change the terminology to "Image Based Sexual Abuse", which feels much more appropriate. I’m not an expert, so I don’t understand why it’s taking so long to make the vital changes. I feel extremely frustrated at our legal system, which seems murderously slow at changing laws which might protect women.

Should we take more responsibility for what we share and send to people online?

I’m not interested in telling anyone how to behave online. I think "revenge porn" is a modern manifestation of misogyny. I don’t know how to solve gender imbalance, but I do know we have to do it together, we have to reconnect honestly. I think we desperately need to change our sex education system in schools to include lessons on gender balance, respect, consent, homosexuality, pleasure and honest communication.

What else did you learn from creating Blush ?

I’m still learning lots from doing Blush, both personally and professionally. But I think the biggest lesson I’d like to share is from Brené Brown, she says that “shame grows in secrecy and in silence, and the only way to kill it is with empathy.” Shame is a killer, we have to learn to talk about our mental health.

What’s next for Blush – will it come to London/ elsewhere?

Blush will be at Camden People’s Theatre in September for a few nights. We are currently planning a national tour and a longer London run, so stay tuned for news of dates and venues.

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The 10,000th Syrian Refugee Has Arrived In The United States

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The 10,000th Syrian refugee will arrive in the United States today, NBC News reported.

The announcement came after the U.S. ambassador to Jordan, Alice Wells, told The Associated Press that several hundred Syrians would be departing from Jordan after Sunday.

Last September, President Obama promised to take in 10,000 Syrian refugees before the end of the 2016 fiscal year. With this arrival, the administration has met its goal one month in advance.

"The president understood the important message this decision would send, not just to the Syrian people, but to the broader international community," National Security Advisor Susan Rice said in a statement, according to NBC News. "Millions have been displaced by the violence in the region, but this decision still represented a sixfold increase from the prior year, and was a meaningful step that we hope to build upon."

Rice didn't mention the name of the refugee, or where he or she will be relocated.

Since the civil war started five years ago, more than 4.8 million Syrians have fled the country. However, less than 2% have relocated to the U.S., NBC News reported.

The screening process for refugees entering the United States is extremely rigorous and can take from 18 to 24 months — sometimes even longer.

Back in April, halfway through the fiscal year, the U.S. had only taken in 1,285 new refugees — about 13% of the Obama administration's goal.

Though 10,000 may seem low when compared to the amount other countries have been taking in, it's still more than the 8,000 Afghan refugees who have received visas in the last two years through a State Department program. The initiative provides support to interpreters who helped U.S. troops and are now facing an "ongoing" threat. Roughly 12,000 Afghan interpreters are still in immigration limbo due to a political gridlock that has yet to be resolved.

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Woman Falls Asleep In Uber, Wakes Up To Nasty Surprise

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There's taking the Mickey, and then there's this shameless Uber driver.

A woman was charged £84.95 for a journey that was meant to take five minutes, after she fell asleep in the back of a cab.

Comedian Hannah Warmen had been at a friend's party in Stoke Newington on Sunday evening and took the cab to take her the short journey home, which was just a five-minute walk away.

Unluckily, Warmen fell asleep in the car. The driver then decided to test the limits of human decency, taking her on a 35-mile detour around London, which lasted 90 minutes.

After the journey, Warmen shared a screengrab of route the driver took, which is made available via the Uber app, on Twitter.

Instead of just taking her straight home from Stoke Newington, the driver – shown to be a man called Mohamed – headed west all the way to Wembley before heading back through north London and finally dropping her off at her east London destination.

“I must've fallen asleep in the car. I woke up a couple of times and said ‘Why is this taking so long?’," Warmen told the Evening Standard. “I think I assumed he'd got a bit lost or something but I had no idea it'd been an hour and a half.

“I fell back asleep. I went straight to bed once I'd got home and I only realised what had happened the next day when I got an email receipt for my £85 Uber journey.”

After she emailed Uber to query the extortionate fee, Warmen said the company refunded her most of the money.

However, she said she doesn't trust the company anymore. She said she wanted reassurance "that the driver was penalised or dismissed" and a proper explanation.

An Uber spokesman said: “We are speaking to the licensed driver and the rider to establish exactly what happened and have given the rider a full refund," the Evening Standard reported.

“Unlike other transport options Uber's technology records every trip and sends riders a receipt with a map of the route taken."

They added that "this transparency and accountability" means issues like these can be "quickly resolved".

Which makes it all the more shocking that Mohamed thought he'd get away with it.

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