Author: Iskra Banović

When you buy a new beauty product, do you rip off the package and try it out? Or does that makeup stay unused in its case? Be honest: How many lipsticks do you have in your makeup bag that you’ve never used? You may not even realize that they’re in there because they are buried at the bottom, totally forgotten. It may not be lipsticks, but I bet you have some new beauty products in your bag that have never been opened and will remain like that for a while. You’re not alone. I love testing new makeup products, but some of the…

There’s something undeniably sexy about a sultry red lip—especially one that complements skin tone just right. There’s something undeniably sexy about a sultry red lip—especially one that complements skin tone just right. However, we all know that finding the perfect hue can be downright frustrating. Thankfully, L’Oréal Paris has heard your cry and created an exclusive collection of vibrant reds designed for the fairest and darkest complexions. We caught up with L’Oréal Paris Celebrity Makeup Artist Sir John to answer a few of your burning beauty questions—plus offer a few expert tricks along the way. (Related: How To Mattify Your Lipstick,…

This week we’re taking things back to the Middle Ages, the good old days when the Crusades were but a warm-up act for the Black Death to wipe out a third of Europe’s population. There was famine, plague, war, church corruption, civil unrest, and last and certainly least…there was the houppelande. Popular among both men and women in the 15th century, the houppelande was a long, full garment that was fitted at the shoulders but open and free-flowing below. Yes, it’s a robe of sorts, but a very specific type which replaced the more fitted surcoats and overgowns of the…

In this series, I will explore the forgotten past of fashion trends you will probably be grateful you never had to wear. From chopines to houppelandes to hobble skirts, “Extinct Fashion Trends” will be an archaeological dig into fashion’s strange, wondrous, and at times highly impractical past. Today’s topic: chopines. List of things that flourished in Renaissance Italy: philosophy, art, science, platform shoes. Seriously, though. While Michelangelo was painting the Sistine Chapel, women were walking around in another great architectural feat: chopines. As if we Americans weren’t jealous enough of the boundless grace and poise of European women, they actually wore these.…

In the immortal words of Anna Faris, the eyes are the nipples of the face. But what eye cream is best to protect them? “The eyes are the nipples of the face,” said Anna Faris in the immortal work of art that is The House Bunny. Unfortunately, the skin around the eyes is also very thin and fragile and one of the first places to start looking a bit torn up as we get older, or even just as we stay up all night drinking cheap champagne and watching Netflix. So eye cream is a good thing to have to help keep that area moisturized. But which…

Have you ever sat back and thought modern life is tough? You’re not alone! The modern world is full of all kinds of things that can take our attention, and it can feel like you’re always pressed for time. This is why you need to invest in a few tips to assist you in slowing things down and helping your day go smoother. Here are a few tips for you that will allow you to de-stress and make things a whole lot easier while you work from home. Get A Dog! If circumstances allow for it, getting a dog can…

Whether you choose to wax, shave, sugar or use a depilatory cream to get rid of body hair, what is your favorite product? Even if body hair is an aphrodisiac, you may still prefer to de-fuzz before you step outside in a pair of shorts or a sexy one-piece swimsuit. Everyone has different preferences on body hair removal products, just like they have different opinions on the dyed armpit hair trend. If you opt to remove your body hair, do you like to use the same method for your entire body, or do different areas get different treatments? Do you shave your legs but wax…

You can save a lot of money by doing your own waxing, but there are some tips and tricks you should know before you try it. There are some people who like to keep their body hair and sometimes dye it crazy colors, and then there are those who prefer to remove it. If you fall in the latter category, you probably dislike summer because it means you have to shave on a frequent basis or your trips to the salon drastically increase. If you haven’t tried at-home waxing, you should. It can save you a lot of money, the regrowth is…

There are lots of ways to remove body hair including waxing, shaving, depilatory creams, and sugar. Which one is your favorite? It’s finally starting to get warm outside which means we’re shedding all of the extra layers and choosing clothes with higher hemlines. In winter, you might take a laissez-faire approach to hair removal (read: never), but when the nice weather comes, you might bring out your razors and wax along with your sandals and shorts. What’s your favorite way to de-fuzz? Do you use one method over your entire body, or do you use a different method for each body part?…

Grooming expert and salon owner Jodi Shays tells her secrets on how to properly prepare for your first Brazilian wax of the summer. It’s summer, which means that if your chosen method of hair removal is waxing, your crotch is probably shivering in its boots underwear. Not too long ago, I was lucky enough to speak with the grooming expert and owner of the Queen Bee Salon & Spa, Jodi Shays, who has teamed up with Cottonelle to talk all about how women who want to wax can do so in the best way possible. As somebody who goes back and forth all along the waxing/sugaring/shaving spectrum, I was…

What could be more sexy than self-acceptance and a good dose of sweat? I consider myself lucky enough to have a good deal of progressive, feminist friends whom, while not at all always in agreement, are able to talk shop around gender construction and sexism. At a house party last night, I found myself in bed with three women, the conversation centered around body hair. We were all from different backgrounds and cultures (and different generations), which only underscored the potency of what we all believed: the stigma against body hair is ridiculous. I told them how I had experienced…

Which sport has the cutest outfits? Tennis? Dressage? Ice skating? I am in the market for a new sport. I hate exercise, so I figure the best way to sneak some physical activity into my lazy, lazy lifestyle is to hide it under the guise of a fun new hobby. And I know myself well enough to know that I am much, much more likely to stick with a sport if I have a fun outfit to wear. But what sport has the cutest outfits? (Related: Open Thread: How Old Were You When You Started Wearing Makeup?) Most sports have very distinctive uniforms. My…