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What's Hot July 17, 2016

My beauty privilege makes me a bad feminist

“He probably just liked what he saw.”

The amount of times I’ve heard my friends and family say this to me after I’ve accomplished something big or small in my life is appalling. Whether it was getting out of a speeding ticket, bagging a new job, or even getting a discount on a new cellphone plan, it’s as if my skills and abilities to function as a member of society is downgraded due to my physical appearance. However, the more experiences I’m gaining as a young adult, the more I’m starting to see that beauty privilege may be an actual thing.

As a feminist, the concept slightly haunts me. Because while I strive for equality and credibility amongst the male gender, I also find myself being inert towards certain projects I take on, knowing that smiling a little brighter and flipping my hair a few extra times will get me the results I’m looking for. And although feminism is defined as the advocacy of women’s rights on the grounds of political, social, and economic equality to men, I just don’t think it’s fair to get to that stance by playing on the opposite gender’s weaknesses. Think about it – have you ever seen Hillary Clinton with smoky eyes and red lipstick? I didn’t think so.

I’m not here to complain about my beauty, nor am I here to brag about it. I’m just here to say that I know my physical appearance aids in helping me getting places a nano-second faster and easier than it would have for an ‘Average Jane’. And if you’re in my position, you should be aware of it as well. It’s become apparent that staying young and attractive certainly seems to be hugely important in today’s society. It’s difficult to imagine anyone bemoaning the fact that they’re beautiful; being physically attractive is considered fortunate, and when beautiful people complain about their beauty, it seems ungrateful almost. While I want to embrace it, I can’t help but feel guilty about taking advantage of it.

So while I accept that I have beauty privilege, I’m also willing to accept that I will not have this privilege forever. The thing about good looks, I suppose, is that they are not permanent. Eventually, even the most well-preserved of females will see their looks fade. And if we don’t know how to fight for equality in sweatpants and a messy bun, how are women to adapt once they are no longer able to rely on their good looks? And while women are perfectly able to conquer the world with our Louboutins, we also need to opt for Uggs once in awhile– just to show society we can succeed in both. And because the foot pain will come back to haunt us.

What are your thoughts on beauty privilege? Let us know in the comments below!

Feminism February 29, 2016

‘You are bold, you are brilliant, and you are beautiful!’

Ashley Graham is a goddess.

Seriously, she is drop-dead gorgeous — anyone who says otherwise is blind.

Graham recently graced the cover of the swimsuit issue of Sports Illustrated. Sporting a purple bikini with yellow-stringed ties, she sits on the beach, allowing the water to gently splash over her skin. You may ask, what’s controversial about that? It seems standard for any swimsuit edition.

The difference is that Graham is a plus-size model, the first of her kind to grace the pages of Sports Illustrated.

Graham has been featured on the covers of Elle Quebec, London Times, Cover Magazine, Style Magazine, The Edit, and the Shape Issues of Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Glamour, and Elle UK. She is also quite the entrepreneur, having collaborated with Canadian brand Additionelle on her own line of lingerie. She even appears in her own television advertisements, dressed in her sexy apparel — confident and absolutely seductive.

Despite all of these accomplishments, Graham was still on the receiving end of many body-shaming comments.

My favourite was made by a Facebook group I followed (used to follow I should say) called Bright Side, that said “you decide to get healthy and then see this.”

Former Sports Illustrated model Cheryl Tiegs said that Graham’s face was beautiful, but the magazine shouldn’t be glamorizing full-figured women because her waist was too large. YouTuber Nicole Arbour, whose “Dear Fat People” videos are too shameful to link to in this article, slammed Graham, saying that if she simply worked out she could lose weight. “I want to eat cookies and still be a Sports Illustrated swimsuit model; what’s next, you can be a midget and a Rockette? What’s wrong with having a physical standard for something?” Arbour said in her video.

It boggled my mind that people didn’t see what I did — a beautiful NORMAL sized woman.

Just because a woman is larger, doesn’t mean that she is unhealthy or inactive. I would be considered a plus-size woman, despite the fact that today I ate a salad for lunch, did some yoga, and walked to work instead of taking the bus. I know a lot of beautiful women that are on the larger side. They go to the gym on a regular basis, eat healthily, and live a full life.

During her Tedx Talk in May 2015, Graham starts by saying: “You are bold, you are brilliant, and you are beautiful! There is no other woman like you. You are capable. Back fat, I see you popping up over my bra strap, but I’m going to choose to love you.”

In the U.S., plus-size is defined as size eight to 16. “Most of the people in this room would be defined as plus-size,” she said. “How does that make you feel – to be labelled?”

Graham has worked hard to rid these labels from the fashion industry (which, admittedly, I have used numerous times in this article). She is also the co-founder of ALDA, a modelling agency that “represents beauty beyond size”. This group of five women have made strides to break down size stereotypes within the fashion industry and prove that beauty is not just skin deep.

I commend Sports Illustrated for having the courage to stand up and tell the truth: activity does not necessarily equate size, and size does not necessarily equate health. There is no need to pressure regularly sized women to lose weight through extreme dieting. There is no need to encourage women to drink juice for eight weeks or take pills from unqualified doctors on television. Sports Illustrated has come forward as a magazine for active individuals — regardless of whether you are a size zero or a size 16 — and that means that people like me may actually read the magazine.

One final thought: take a look at how gorgeous Graham looked at the Oscars. Does that look like an unhealthy person to you? As she said in her Tedx Talk, “the fashion industry may want to label me as plus-size, but I like to think of me as my-size.”

All women should be that confident — and it’s time we stopped shaming them for it.

#VanityFair // Dress custom made by @BaoTranchi // 🙌🏽👑💋 #beautybeyondsize pic.twitter.com/62QdewV0Ez

— Ashley Graham (@theashleygraham) 29 February 2016

What did you think of Sports Illustrated’s decision? Let us know in the comments below.

Entertainment August 17, 2015

WATCH: Do Guys Prefer Makeup or No Makeup?

When guys tell us they prefer the ”no makeup” or ”au naturel” look, do they really mean it? One of Youtube’s many Makeup Gurus, maicangirl, had to know.

The results? Yeah, they lied.

Fear not, ladies! It’s not like we put makeup on for men anyways, right? But seeing as you’re on Tinder to meet someone, it may be a good idea to go for the guys that choose you for your unedited pictures… just a thought to consider.

Good luck!

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Featured June 15, 2015

How To Ace The Belly Button Challenge

While you’re in front of the mirror scrutinizing every inch of your body today, go ahead and wrap your arm around your waist to see if you can touch your belly button. The “Belly Button Challenge”, as social media has deemed it, is the latest trend to take over the internet. The challenge has obtained 130 million hits over the past couple of days as men and women are taking to Twitter and Instagram to post their attempts.

Sorry to break it to you, but according the rules (we don’t know who makes them either), not being able to reach your belly button means you need to need a smaller waist. The challenge has become very popular in China but is quickly making international news with men and women from all over the world catching on to the bizarre trend.

Challenges like this have become very popular nowadays. Whether its sucking on a glass or cup for the Kylie Jenner Challenge or taking drastic measures at the gym to achieve a thigh gap, it’s no secret that women are constantly under pressure to reach the ideal standard of what is considered beautiful.

People are quick to comply to these trends as they jump on the bandwagon to attain the next requirement for the perfect body. As women who can touch their belly button from behind continue to brag about their accomplishments on social media, other women are scrolling through their Instagram feeds and researching the best exercise moves to get a non-existent waist line. The question is, how does one get a butt like Nicki Minaj, thighs like Cara Delevigne, and a stomach like Adrina Lima?

You don’t. Instead, the best way to ace the belly button challenge is to try it, fail it, and move on. And if along the way, you somehow do manage to touch your belly button, give yourself a pat on the back (or stomach). And then move on. Because the perfect body isn’t one that allows you to touch the lintiest part of your body. The perfect body is one you’re comfortable walking around in. One that allows you to spend time with your family and friends, eat your favourite foods, and take the stairs to the second floor without getting too winded.

If you really want a challenge, take yourself to a yoga class. Let’s face it, touching your belly button doesn’t even qualify as a yoga move. What would be truly impressive is seeing these women do the lotus headstand. But even then, why be a pretzel when you can eat one instead?

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Health & Fitness May 23, 2014

How to maintain fabulous skin at any age

Some may say I’m too young to talk about aging, wrinkles, or sun damage, but I’ve always believed in being proactive when it comes to taking care of my skin. As the old adage goes, prevention is always better than cure.

I’m slowly creeping up on my 30s and I’ve started to notice the first signs of aging: bags under my eyes that don’t disappear with a good night’s rest and fine lines on my forehead. I’ve always had a nightly routine of moisturizing my face, neck, hands, and feet – the places I’ve been told that show the signs of aging first – but I realize that I’m going to have to be more diligent when it comes to protecting my skin. I’ve never opted for the expensive skin-care products, but instead stick with more traditional creams, ointments, and homemade remedies.

Fight sun exposure

I’m usually extra careful when it comes to being exposed to the sun for too long, and with summer fast approaching, it’s vital to be as vigilant as possible. As much as you need a dose of vitamin D, overexposing yourself to get an enviable golden tan causes the skin’s natural elastin to break down, causing wrinkles, sun spots, and even cancer.

Finding the right sunscreen is important. The key is not necessarily finding the highest SPF, but it’s important to look for a sunscreen that has multi-spectrum protection, including UVA and UVB. Once you’ve found it, use it and use it often, even in the winter when the UV ray index can still be high.
It’s easy to feel inundated with the number of options available to slow down the appearance of aging and revitalize your skin. Finding the right products or procedures for you is based on very individual criteria. However, there are certain things that are applicable to everyone at any age, such as regular facials, which can be performed at home if you don’t have time for a trip to the spa.

Diminish fine lines and wrinkles

If you’d like to pursue more aggressive options to curb the appearance of aging, then injections can be a great choice, instead of going the more invasive route. The most popular injectable is still Botox Cosmetic, which is a purified protein comprised of botulinum toxin type A; it relaxes contractions in certain facial muscles to diminish wrinkles and fine lines. However, many women dislike the severe effects of this product, which leaves some faces looking unnaturally smooth, taut, and, ultimately, expressionless.

For this reason, other injectables have become increasingly popular. One such product is Restylane, a natural filler that restores hyaluronic acid in the skin, which is similar to our body’s own naturally occurring hyaluronic acid. It can be used to decrease the look of wrinkles, create fuller lips, or rejuvenate the skin to keep your face looking refreshed, but not frozen. While they’re not permanent, injectable results can last for up to one year.

The power of makeup

Finally, when it comes to makeup, less will usually give you a more youthful appearance. As you age, start using oil-based cosmetics, as the powered options can settle rather than gliding over your face, which emphasizes lines and wrinkles rather than disguising them.

It’s inevitable that my skin will change as I grow older. However, by taking steps to prevent further damage, using specialized products that curb visible signs of aging, and choosing the right cosmetics for my skin, I know that these changes won’t stop me from looking fabulous.

Follow Tashika on Twitter at @tashikagomes.

Follow Women’s Post on Twitter at @womenspost.

Uncategorized May 13, 2013

An open letter to Mike Jeffries

Dear Mr. Jeffries,

My name is Andreea Hluscu, and it is fair to say we will never meet. I am writing to you because your latest comments about overweight, unattractive and not-so-cool kids affect me, and if you’re going to publically state that you look down on this group of individuals and refuse to sell your company’s clothing to them, I feel like I need to introduce myself.

I’m not really a cool or attractive kid by your definitions. I have a dry sense of humour, my eyebrows are usually uneven, I have a chipped front tooth that I’m too scared to get fixed, and I have a nervous habit of biting my nails. When I sit down, my thighs expand and I have a few rolls on my stomach that no amount of sit-ups can seem to fix. That being said, I also have a lot of really great qualities. I am educated, I am a kind person, I am loving and I am fortunate to be very loved in my life. I like my sense of humour and my ability to connect with others, and I work very hard because I have a lot of big dreams that I know I will accomplish. Unfortunately, Mr. Jeffries, I am not a size 4 and I probably will never be a size 4, but guess what? I’m still a good person.

Those people you’re putting down, the “not-so-cool” kids? Those happen to be some of the most interesting people I have ever met. They are the people with stories to tell. They are the ones who embrace their differences and are a better person because of all the struggles they have faced in their past. They are the ones with hearts as big as their brains, and if I were you I would be lucky to have those types of individuals wearing your brand.

Mike (I hope you don’t mind I’m calling you Mike!), I did a little bit of research on you and I discovered that you don’t have a child. I can’t say that surprised me. Maybe your comments wouldn’t be as harsh if you saw your own child cry to you after he/she got bullied for not being cool enough or attractive enough. Maybe you would be more accepting if you saw the struggles that young men and women face every day, or if you were aware of the rising rates of depression and eating disorders amongst youth. Maybe you would think twice about making hurtful comments towards human beings and let them decide whether or not they even want to wear your company’s clothing.

By the way, Mike, I own one thing from Abercrombie & Fitch and that’s a pair of sweatpants. In honour of you, I’m going to put them on and eat as much pizza in one sitting as I can.