In light of the upcoming Valentine's day, here's a great gift idea with a symbolic meaning.
The TV star insisted her outfits on the show are "presentable and appealing".
We literally need the drama.
“We all have our tender spots, and our instinct is to keep them protected”
“We have to be careful who we believe and where we get our information from.”
Could this mean season 2?
Lizzie Fry’s debut novel takes place in an alternative Earth where misogyny is rampant, writes Olivia Campbell
'We all have our tender spots, and our instinct is to keep them protected'
Despite the famously erratic decision-making making the winners hard to predict, Clarisse Loughrey goes through her predictions and hopes for this year’s ceremony
You can still enjoy a tipple without sabotaging your weight loss goals.
The Golden Globes hasn't had any Black voters for more than two decades.
Nothing about the Golden Globes is going to be normal this year, except for the inevitable upsets and rambling speeches. But even though the show is going bi-coastal with Amy Poehler and Tina Fey tag-teaming hosting duties for the Sunday, Feb. 28 telecast from Beverly Hills and New York City, respectively, one thing remains the same: There are plenty of Golden Globes nominated TV shows that you need to stream. Now. You've still got a few days before the show!Even though the television industry has been impacted by the ongoing pandemic, 2020 was still full of fantastic TV. From Netflix's triumphant fourth season of The Crown to the enjoyable, but ultimately ringarde Emily in Paris, the year was full of highs and lows — and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association nominated a little bit of everything. Some of the nominees are inspired — the love for Lovecraft Country is much appreciated — while others are a bit more baffling. But hey, it wouldn't be the Golden Globes if there weren't a few head-scratchers thrown in for good measure. One thing is certain, there's never a bad time to stay in and marathon a Golden Globe -nominated TV show. And with most of this year's nominees just a few clicks away, you've got no excuse not to watch the joyful Ted Lasso immediately. Lovecraft CountryGolden Globe nominations: 1Categories: Best Drama SeriesWhere to stream it: Sky Atlantic and NOW TVLovecraft Country is a dazzling horror series that tackles America's legacy of racism through the lens of genre storytelling. While the HFPA wisely nominated the series for Best Drama, the show's actors — particularly Jurnee Smollett and Jonathan Majors — deserved noms too. The CrownGolden Globe nominations: 6Categories: Best Drama Series, Best Actress (Olivia Colman, Emma Corrin), Best Actor (Josh O'Connor), and Best Supporting Actress (Gillian Anderson, Helena Bonham Carter)Where to stream it: NetflixSeason 4 of The Crown moved the drama into the '80s and the Princess Diana era of England's royal family. As a result, the Netflix drama was dramatically revitalised thanks to tour de force performances from Corrin as Princess Di and Anderson as the divisive Margaret Thatcher. Small AxeGolden Globe nominations: 2Categories: Best Television Miniseries or Motion Picture, Best Supporting Actor (John Boyega)Where to stream it: BBC iPlayerDirected by Steve McQueen, Small Axe is an anthology series chronicling the experiences of London's West Indian community between 1969-1982. The Mandalorian Golden Globe nominations: 1Categories: Best Drama SeriesWhere to stream it: Disney+The crowd-pleasing Star Wars series only became more adventurous in season 2 as Mando tried to bring Baby Yoda (er... Grogu) home. His quest led to some surprising cameos that tied the show to the larger Star Wars mythos, but it sadly didn't lead to Pedro Pascal earning a Best Actor nomination.OzarkGolden Globe nominations: 4Categories: Best Drama Series, Best Actor (Jason Bateman), Best Actress (Laura Linney), Best Supporting Actress (Julia Garner)Where to stream it: NetflixNow in its third season, Ozark has shaken off comparisons to Breaking Bad to become a quality series in its own right. The latest season raised the stakes even higher as Wendy's (Linney) brother came to town just as the Byrdes' latest money-laundering scheme was starting to get off the ground. RatchedGolden Globe nominations: 3Categories: Best Drama Series, Best Actress (Sarah Paulson), Best Supporting Actress (Cynthia Nixon)Where to stream it: NetflixOnly Ryan Murphy would find inspiration in the villainous nurse from One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Set in 1947, the series chronicles Mildred Ratched's (Paulson) origin story, from her early days as an earnest nurse to her transformation into the dangerous woman from the classic film. Normal PeopleGolden Globe nominations: 2Categories: Best Television Miniseries or Motion Picture, Best Actress (Daisy Edgar-Jones)Where to stream it: BBC iPlayerThe quiet love story of Marianne and Connell captivated viewers in early 2020, but the Emmys caused a stir by only nominating Edgar-Jones' co-star Paul Mescal. It seems the HFPA decided to rectify the situation by giving the up-and-coming star the recognition she deserves. The Queen's GambitGolden Globe nominations: 2Categories: Best Television Miniseries or Motion Picture, Best Actress (Anya Taylor-Joy)Where to stream it: NetflixNetflix's miniseries about fictional chess prodigy Beth Harmon was one of the year's most pleasant surprises. And considering the show briefly made chess the most relevant sport in the world after its premiere, it's only fitting The Queen's Gambit and its star earned nods. UnorthodoxGolden Globe nominations: 2Categories: Best Television Miniseries or Motion Picture, Best Actress (Shira Haas)Where to stream it: NetflixThe stirring Unorthodox follows the journey of Esty, an Orthodox Jewish woman who flees Brooklyn for a new life abroad. The UndoingGolden Globe nominations: 4Categories: Best Television Miniseries or Motion Picture, Best Actress (Nicole Kidman), Best Actor (Hugh Grant), Best Supporting Actor (Donald Sutherland)Where to stream it: Sky Atlantic and NOW TVThere was no season 3 of Big Little Lies this year, but David E. Kelley re-teamed with Kidman for another addictive domestic thriller. This time around Kidman played a woman whose husband (Grant) is accused of a shocking crime. The ending was a bit controversial, but the journey leading up to that is something to behold. Emily in ParisGolden Globe nominations: 2Categories: Best Comedy, Best Actress (Lily Collins)Where to stream it: NetflixEmily in Paris' nominations caused quite the stir, but whether or not you think it deserved to be nominated, the show's frothy charms did spark a few hearty debates when it premiered. For all their issues, Emily's (Collins) low stakes adventures as an American in Paris were a fun distraction from the world at large in 2020. And at the very least, you wouldn't want to be left out of the discourse should this sitcom actually take home the gold, right? The Flight Attendant Golden Globe nominations: 2Categories: Best Comedy, Best Actress (Kaley Cuoco)Where to stream it: HBO MaxCuoco left her role as Penny on The Big Bang Theory firmly behind as she stepped into the shoes of an alcoholic flight attendant who wakes up next to a dead body with no memory of what happened the night before. The GreatGolden Globe nominations: 3Categories: Best Comedy, Best Actress (Elle Fanning), Best Actor (Nicholas Hoult)Where to stream it: All 4The mostly true story of Catherine the Great's rise to power made for a hilarious, surprisingly relevant 2020 comedy. And the show's Golden Globes recognition definitely deserves a hearty huzzah!Schitt's CreekGolden Globe nominations: 5Categories: Best Comedy Series, Best Actor (Eugene Levy), Best Actress (Catherine O'Hara), Best Supporting Actor (Daniel Levy), Best Supporting Actress (Annie Murphy)Where to stream it: NetflixExpect all eyes to be on Schitt's Creek at the Golden Globes. The hit Canadian comedy swept every major category at the Emmys, and it'll be interesting to see if it can recapture that magic again for the Globes. It also makes a great comfort rewatch if you're hitting that storied pandemic wall. Ted LassoGolden Globe nominations: 2Categories: Best Comedy Series, Best Actor (Jason Sudeikis)Where to stream it: Apple TV+As a show based on a Sports Center sketch, Ted Lasso didn't sound particularly promising. However, this warm-hearted comedy about an American with no knowledge of soccer being hired to coach a English football team turned out to be exactly the kind of wholesome content the world needed last year. Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?The 2021 Globes Will Be Weird17 Movies You Have To Watch For The Golden GlobesThese Are The Best Golden Globes Looks Of All Time
‘Part-time workers have long complained they have to pay the full price for season tickets.’ the then-rail minister said in September 2013
Amber Finney, known as Amber The Alchemist, is steeping a cup of tea when we connect over Google Hangouts. The soft smoke of what is likely sage, incense or palo santo languidly billows from the bottom of her screen. Behind her hangs a tapestry of planets and constellations, as well as a poster illustrating various crystals. Below that sits a table of bottles and oils. Even through a screen, it’s exactly the backdrop you’d expect from someone whose life’s work includes ancestral healing through rituals and magic. “I am from Hackensack, New Jersey,” Finney, a tarot reader and spiritual practitioner, says. “My grandparents are from Georgia and South Carolina, so I’m a product of the Great Migration.” Her great-great-grandfather was likely born into slavery, she shares, and was a root worker and healer in the 1800s; her mother, Jeannell, has been practising divination for decades. Together, Finney and her mother run Brown Girl Alchemy, an online community dedicated to the ascension and healing of Black womanhood. “[My spirituality has] always been within me,” she states with a smile. “The work that I’m doing and the work that my mom is doing is a continuation [of my great-great-grandfather’s work]. We’re bridging the gap and bringing that spiritualism back to our ancestral.” Finney and her mother aren’t the only ones. In the last 10 years, and especially amidst the COVID-19 pandemic when many have turned to divination as a means of solace and self-healing, Black and brown women have pivoted from Christianity and reconnected with spiritual practices rooted in African, Indigenous, and Latinx ancestry. Many of those practices — like tarot, astrology, and crystal healing — have become increasingly popular on social media, making conversation surrounding non-Christian Black and brown spirituality less taboo. In pop culture, superstars like Beyoncé have paid homage to figures like the Yoruba Orisha Oshun, goddess of female sensuality and fertility. Songs like Princess Nokia’s “Brujas” have become anthems for Black and brown witches everywhere. But before the age of Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram, it was rare that you’d find Black and brown women speaking publicly of sacred practices. Until recently, much of the spiritual community represented online featured a more Eurocentric version of divination — “Black and Silver witchcraft,” a term The Hood Witch’s Bri Luna uses to describe the whitewashed “American Horror Story aesthetic” popular on Tumblr years ago — leaving little room for Black and brown women to feel seen or safe in an already stigmatised space. It’s why the spiritual resurgence happening amongst Black and brown women is more than a revival — it’s a reclamation. “My grandmother practiced hoodoo. She’s from Louisiana and she lived in Texas,” Luna says. “I feel like most American Black families with Southern roots, there’s magic there, regardless of if they wanna call it that or not.” When she first launched The Hood Witch around 2014, the Los Angeles native — who is of Black and Mexican descent — was one of the only brujas representing Black and brown women in the online world of mysticism. “I was sharing metaphysical information; I was sharing tarot; I was sharing things that were already in my family, doing this visual storytelling [in my way]. I really think that opened doors for other women of colour to connect back to their roots. This is something that was long overdue and very necessary.” In order to understand where spirituality stands today, we look back at where Black spirituality was born, and how our relationship with it has evolved across generations. The Roots Of Black Diasporic Religion According to the Pew Research Center, Black Americans are more religious than the American public at-large. Because of this, many — particularly those of older generations — shy away from sharing their non-Christian spiritual practices, lest they risk condemnation from the community. Malorine Mathurin, for example, is a Brooklyn-based intuitive and hellenistic astrologer of Haitian descent, and says she kept her work “under wraps” during her early years as a diviner after being shunned by friends. “I had one friend who actually went and told everyone in junior high school that I was a witch,” she says. “It was very disturbing and very upsetting. People wouldn’t talk to me and would be very wary of me.” This type of fear-driven response toward non-Christian spirituality is unfortunately typical from those who adhere to institutional Christianity. But, it didn’t have to be like this. As historical texts show, the word “religion” itself is fraught with a colonialist history. “In fact, the term gained popularity in the sixteenth century and was also imposed on native peoples and their practices during conquest and colonising regimes,” says Khytie Brown, ethnographer and scholar of African diaspora religions and African American studies, and a research fellow at Princeton University. “‘Knowledge of God’ was often the Euro-Christian deployment of the term in which non-European peoples and their humanity were judged against,” she says. “That is, to ‘have religion’ meant that these cultures and peoples conformed to European notions of a belief in a higher power, usually a monotheistic one, with accompanying practices that they could approximate and compare with Christianity.” Although Eurocentric Christianity has often been used as a tool of oppression, Black diasporic religion has long been a beacon in the Black community. Religion is both a spiritual and cultural anchor, as Brown describes, and its many forms offer identity and belonging. “In some sense, these practices predate the rupture caused by the TransAtlantic slave trade,” says Kijan Bloomfield, Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at Rhodes College. “Black religions also developed as a response to the violence of white supremacy. We often describe Black religion in the West as traditions that emerged in the ‘hush harbours’ or spaces that enslaved Blacks gathered in secret to worship and commune beyond the gaze of their white enslavers. However, Black religion also includes Islam and Judaism — both of which are part of a diverse tapestry of Black religious traditions.” Bloomfield explains that when enslaved Africans were brought to the Americas, they came with their own set of indigenous spiritual and religious practices — including Christianity. As early as 1491, for example, the Kongo Kingdom in Central Africa had adopted Catholicism as its official religion. As a result, some of the people who were enslaved in places like Jamaica and Haiti — where large portions of the enslaved population came from Central Africa, and Kongo specifically — brought with them an African Christian background outside of the Christianity encountered in the new colonies. Conjure and hoodoo (U.S.), vodou (Haiti), and obeah (Jamaica) are all African diasporic religious practices that provided protection and healing. Back in the days of slavery, Black people looked to divination as a salve amid the terror and violence — both physical and psychological — inflicted upon them by entrapment and colonialism. “Divination is part of this method of accessing knowledge and insight,” Bloomfield adds. “Living in an anti-Black world that continues to denigrate Black existence and ways of knowing, divination provides a powerful tool to ‘see’ and discern the answers to individual and communal problems that are personal and systemic.” As for tarot and particularly astrology, which is perhaps the most mainstream and widely understood form of divination, Black women have used the stars as their guide for generations. Bloomfield points out that the old spiritual “Follow the Drinking Gourd” is a nod to Harriet Tubman, who used the North Star (the most prominent star in the Big Dipper constellation) to chart the path of the Underground Railroad. And in Octavia Butler’s Parable of the Sower, Bloomfield adds, the protagonist, a Black teenager named Lauren Olamina, develops a belief system called Earthseed. “The ultimate destination, Lauren argues, is for humans to ‘take root amongst the stars’ — to develop a more liberating framework for community and care. Contemporary astrology, I believe, continues a tradition in which Black people have looked to the universe and it’s wonders to circumvent the kind of Enlightenment logic whose ultimate end led to our enslavement and denigration.” The Seeding Of Stigma Surrounding Non-Christian Spirituality The term occult — which is from the French word occulte and directly from the Latin occultus meaning “hidden, concealed, secret” — often carries with it a negative connotation. In the Black Christian community in particular, the word is typically used to describe something that is evil or “of the devil.” It’s synonymous with the terms “pagan” and “magic,” both of which were and still are looked down upon in Black religious spaces. “I believe this is a common impulse and, in many ways, it is misguided,” says Bloomfield. “Religion practiced by Black people throughout the diaspora is syncretic — it draws on African worldviews about power, the spirit world, and the divine that is always in conversation with Christianity. After all, Christianity was a tool of colonialism which enslaved Africans interpolated with their traditional beliefs.” In Black Magic: Religion and the African American Conjuring Tradition, as Bloomfield notes, author Yvonne Chireau argues that alternative forms of Black religion such as conjure and hoodoo are a complement to African-American Christianity. Bloomfield believes that the suspicion and fear that often shroud divination and occult practices stems from the prominence Christianity achieved within Black diasporic communities, particularly in the U.S. and the Caribbean. “Aligning oneself with Christian values was a strategy to cope with the terror of enslavement and the precarity of Black life, and was also a cloak for more traditional African-derived practices that continued in the New World,” she says. “However, at the apex of the movement for civil rights, Christianity became the primary language to call out the hypocrisy of enslavers and demand justice.” Finney describes herself and her mother as the “black sheep” of their family, sharing that it wasn’t until this past year when Finney began to receive public attention that she felt comfortable sharing her profession with her family, who are members of the church. “They were like, ‘Okay, somehow you’re accredited, so you must be doing something right,’” she says. “But even still, we don’t talk about it because it’s not for them.” Afro-Puerto Rican Tarot reader, espiritista, and Ifa Orisha priestess Tatianna Morales — known as Tatianna Tarot — shares a similar story. Born to a Puerto Rican father and a Black mother, Morales says she was raised predominantly by the Puerto Rican side of her family, which is mostly religious with the exception of her father, who is a spiritual medium. “He has studied so many occult and metaphysical topics and is big on personal development, so he and I are like two peas in a pod. This is where I get my juju from.” Her mother’s side of the family, however, is composed of devout Christians, and is “very, very religious.” “Unfortunately [my mother and I] don’t have a close relationship, but if I were to mention any of this she’d faint and die,” she continues with a laugh. “The irony is that a lot of my gifts come from my Black side of the family. My grandma and my great-great-grandma were practitioners and priestesses in their time in Brooklyn. They did a lot of work for the community [as hairdressers]. So they would essentially mask spiritual workings, spellcasting, and ceremonies that they would do under the guise of them being hairdressers.” Pandemic Revival & The Future Of Black Mysticism As the COVID-19 pandemic continues and many people spend more time indoors, the stigma associated with non-Christian, Black religious practices and belief systems is beginning to fade as Black diasporic traditions become more mainstream online. For some, it’s a homecoming. For others, dispelling the negative stereotypes of divination has become a tool of self-healing during a time of loss and trauma. “The more widespread embrace of Black diasporic traditions I believe is an effort to reclaim ancestral ways of knowing and to assert Black personhood, particularly in the midst of the twin pandemics of COVID-19 and anti-Black racism,” says Bloomfield. Bloomfield’s latest project, Lived Africana Religion in the Time of COVID-19, documents the many ways in which Black communities have sustained their religious practices during this turbulent time in history. “I have learned that communities marginalised by the mainstream Black church — namely Black queer people of faith and practitioners of African traditional religions — have creatively used social media and virtual meeting spaces to reach new audiences and provide opportunities for connection and healing,” Bloomfield says. “I think, outside the pandemic, there was always a search for spirituality and wanting to connect spiritually, but there had to be a medium because that’s what we’re taught in religion,” says Finney. “The medium is to connect to Jesus or to go to church to connect to the divine, but I think because we are physically not able to step outside of ourselves, we literally had to step within ourselves and initiate our own healing.” As accessibility to learning resources increases and the online spiritual community continues to grow, Finney says Black and brown women are realizing they never needed a medium. “We’re getting our spiritual swag back because we’re able to recognise that this is what we do. It’s within us. It’s not something that we ever had to seek.” R29Unbothered continues its look at Black culture’s tangled history of Black identity, beauty, and contributions to the culture. In 2021, we’re giving wings to our roots, learning and unlearning our stories, and celebrating where Black past, present and future meet. Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?A Letter From Unbothered On Black History MonthThe Past, Present and Future of Black CommunitiesThen & Now: Two Activists Talk Black Liberation
With the full moon in Virgo just behind us, it's not unlikely that we’ll still be feeling all those full moon feelings. Full moons have big reputations, and this one was no exception. In fact, in addition to whatever we might think about full moons astrologically, Feb 26 marked the beginning of New Lunar Year or, Tết, the year of the ox. While it’s not especially graceful to map the lessons of the ox onto westernised astrology, it’s useful to recognise how a moon that witnesses celebrations in her name and receives offerings is a spiritually potent celestial body. To understand how a full moon in Virgo might affect you specifically, it’s useful to find out where it lands in your natal chart and what other planets it might aspect. For something a little looser, it’s worth reading for your rising sign in particular! Aries Sun & Aries RisingThe week following the full moon finds you toggling between the obligations you’ve made and the dream projects you just want to get back to. The muddy waters of Pisces season sure don’t help matters much, casting a honeyed light on any dreaming space, whether that be a bed, an easel, or the arms of a lover who hasn’t yet shown you their humanity. Sometimes, the best way to show up for your commitments and the people to whom you made them is to honor your need for dream space. If you’re feeling stressed, then set time aside specifically for imagining — just you and your daydreams right in the middle of the day.Illustration by Stefhany LozanoTaurus Sun & Taurus RisingYou don’t have to earn pleasure, you know, you can simply have it the way some people have water when they’re thirsty. Sure, we all know you have a reputation for leaning heavily towards resplendence and reclining, but you tend to pair indulgences with a heavy dose of impossibly high standards for yourself, like a workhorse with a velvet rein. This week, if you find yourself trying to justify what brings you rest, doing a quick account of your hours and earning power, resist! Trust that you’ve made enough to earn a night on the couch — or even a day! Rather than scrutinising your productivity, focus on what you produce when money isn’t the driving force.Illustration by Stefhany LozanoGemini Sun & Gemini RisingIt’s not bad to want the familiar, to bury yourself in bed with an animal and call it a day. The week following the full moon will have you yearning for creature comforts and familiar places, even if the form they take has less to do with setting and more to do with the people that help you feel at home. These impulses might appear a little counter to your ambitions this month, your plan to put yourself out there and open a few new doors for yourself. In reality, you’ll find that taking a few chances, or even some risks, and putting yourself out there emotionally is a lot less daunting when you’re doing it from a place where you feel secure and supported — even if what you’re doing is writing pitches from your blanket fort!Illustration by Stefhany LozanoCancer Sun & Cancer RisingAlmost no one practices what they preach 100 percent of the time. Especially when they’re feeling vulnerable or when the circumstances encourage everything but. It’s unattainable to feel confident about different parts of yourself when everything around you wants you to believe the opposite — even if you’re part of so-called radical circles. In fact, being part of communities that preach one kind of ethos but rarely exhibit that belief in practice is all the more disorienting. It’s hard to know why we’re uneasy when people around us claim that they’re invested in our ease... and yet. You forgive people you respect, don’t you, for their moments of weakness? Shouldn’t your practice of respect for yourself and your growth include the same kind of grace and relativity? Illustration by Stefhany LozanoLeo Sun & Leo RisingWhen you’re used to extremes it’s hard to make your way out of them. It’s easier to say that you’re tired of the way a situation makes you feel and harder to account for the fact that you keep choosing the situation. What if, this week, instead of figuring out whether you want to jump in the deep end — or never swim again — you take some time to soberly sit with what that kind of decision-making does for you? What draws you to connections or commitments that bring up equal parts self-protective avoidance and self-effacing attachment? You don't need to come to any conclusions and you certainly don't need to run away from them, either. What’s important is trying your best to see your emotional world as a system, and to start recognising that it’s a system of which you’re an active part.Illustration by Stefhany LozanoVirgo Sun & Virgo RisingThe week following the full moon in your sign might find you struggling to keep the balance between what you do for work and what you do to feel like a part of your community — assuming that there’s some separation there. If they’re one and the same, consider the fact that the people who said “do what you love” weren’t expected to be “productive” doing what they claimed to “love” during a world-wide crisis. Of course, you’re bound to keep all the balls in the air — you always find a way — but at what cost? When you’re done juggling and have time to reflect, consider this: While self-satisfaction is a worthy feeling to chase, it’s fleeting. Do a little less, take rests that don’t include other people, open yourself to a quiet day.Illustration by Stefhany LozanoLibra Sun & Libra RisingWhen we feel unsettled or out of sorts, it’s hard to keep things straight. Dates, plans, the contracts we make with others, the fine print starts to blur. An error can be the universe giving you an easy out, or it can be a complete fluke. What’s important is recognising that we make more missteps when we don’t feel steady. And, it’s hard not to feel disappointed. Disappointment is a valid feeling and if you listen to it carefully you can learn a lot about yourself. Disappointment is proof, for instance, that you have expectations and attachments, which are signs of self-love. Disappointment can teach you what you desire for yourself and, if you don’t discount it or push it down, it can teach others what you need to feel respected and cared for.Illustration by Stefhany LozanoScorpio Sun & Scorpio RisingHope isn’t something most of us can just drum up. It’s a feeling, yes, but it’s also a practice. You build it up slowly and you try your best to pin it to something that can stand the test of time. Sometimes hope doesn’t look like what you’d expect, so you have to leave space for the possibility that any number of things could nurture hope in you. This week, when you long for that big feeling that there’s something good on the horizon, some benevolent force that can get you from here to there, try to remember what helped you access that feeling as a child. For instance, perhaps you drew a great deal and imagined your future with the images you made. It would serve you well, then, to give the child within you some free drawing time. Whatever comes closest to those first practices of hope is more than good enough for now. Illustration by Stefhany LozanoSagittarius Sun & Sagittarius RisingMaybe, for as long as you can remember, you’ve been in the “fake it 'til you make it” hustle. Even if, truth be told, you faked it very little of the time. In fact, despite your persistent fear of never measuring up, you trained yourself well enough to not only measure up to, but also surpass many of your peers. What is it, then, that holds you back from feeling like you earned your place? Could there be something comforting in continuing to perceive of yourself as somehow less equipped or qualified? This week finds you with plenty of opportunities to step into your full capacity in whatever position you’re in. Take the challenge, Sagittarius. You’ll find that the more you allow yourself to feel like you’re in the right place, the more right that place will feel. Illustration by Stefhany LozanoCapricorn Sun & Capricorn RisingIt appears that what’s worked for you before just isn’t going smoothly these days. Of course, by sheer determination alone, you can and will get to the end of whatever track you’re running on before switching over to a surprisingly similar-looking track. But, aren’t you tired? Don’t you want to find another way to go about things, one that doesn’t ultimately leave you feeling physically and emotionally destroyed? Of course you do! And, I’m sure if you were here you’d say something like: “If I could I would.” Well, what if there were some things you didn’t know you could do? What if, to get better at what’s seemingly familiar, you have to get a little uncomfortable? You’re never too old to learn something new, dear Capricorn, and you’re certainly far from done with your lessons. Illustration by Stefhany LozanoAquarius Sun & Aquarius RisingIt turns out that Ashanti was right: Dreams are real, and all you have to do is just believe. The first step is both the hardest and simplest part — the one where you acknowledge what you want and give yourself permission to want it. Of course there’s magic in it, how could there not be? Even more so if you write it down and give it a name. A name gives something life and repeating it makes it an incantation. This week, when you feel a vision knocking on the door of your mind, let it in. Get to know it and its needs. What would it take for that vision to come to life? Why not now? These days, you’ll find that you have more time than you know what to do with. You can spend it practically, you can spend it wisely, or you can spend it making magic.Illustration by Stefhany LozanoPisces Sun & Pisces RisingI promise you I’m not trying to sound like anyone’s parent but, wouldn’t you feel a little better if you cleaned your room? Well, maybe not your literal room (although it couldn’t hurt), but rather the rooms you call your own, the rooms you make with other people, and the rooms you inhabit when you work and create. Maybe it’s time to sort things out and label them for good measure. Feeling free and unencumbered might have led you down this path, but the feelings you developed along the way are what have kept you here and weighed you down. Why not call it what it is and put things to right? You’ll feel better when you can see the floor beneath you and recognise the shape of things. You’ll feel better when the air has space to flow past you, even if that might mean storing some things away for a different season or giving them away altogether.Illustration by Stefhany LozanoLike what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?Obsessed With Astrology? Thank TikTok — & COVIDWhat Does The Full Moon In Virgo Mean?The Grand Earth Trine Will Change Everything
Boost your happiness hormones with these powerful habits
Stacey Samedi didn’t own many handbags but she was a fan of Telfar so last year she decided to treat herself to a Telfar bag. After two months on the waiting list her bag arrived and she immediately painted dragons around the logo so that it matched her Nike trainers, which she had also personalised. Posing in her customised accessories, she snapped some shots and shared them on Twitter. The post blew up. The artist. The art. pic.twitter.com/kufaqVgQMV— thee customizer (@stayytheartisan) September 5, 2020 One day and 11.9k retweets later, Stacey auctioned her bag on eBay for $800 (its retail price was $202). “Somebody told me I could have sold it for $2,000 if I wanted to because it is artwork, it’s hand-painted. So I’m waiting for the next time one of my designs gets a lot of traction,” she says. With their smooth vegan leather surfaces, Telfar totes are the ideal blank slate. “Because of the way the leather is, it’s just like a canvas,” says Terrell Lomax Russell, who also started painting on Telfar bags last year. He had been painting (on bags and on canvas) for years but Telfar’s popularity caught his attention. He bought four bags, painted them and shared them online. “I decided to gamble on myself,” he says. “The first post did really good, the second did very good, the third one did even better and with the fourth one I knew it was going to do well regardless.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Terrell Lomax Russell (@handpaintedbytlomax) “Customisation is definitely a growing trend and will become more of a movement this year,” says luxury fashion stylist Miranda Holder. She’s noticed that her clients are increasingly looking to have their luxury bags painted on. “Luxury items are becoming more accessible and they’re lacking that exclusivity factor that used to be a large part of buying something high end,” she says. “It’s that uniqueness that makes a handbag covetable. If you can customise your handbag it becomes timeless.” Social media seems to have sparked a backlash against “sameness”, notes Sara Maggioni, head of womenswear at trend forecaster WGSN. “If we think about the past few years, with millennials growing up and the filtered, curated aesthetic of Instagram, there has been a bit of a backlash bubbling up, led by Gen Z, and we are seeing people wanting something different,” she explains. Painting on luxury bags seems to have gained traction during lockdown, too. Laurén Bienvenue, an artist who used to customise leather jackets, noticed over lockdown that far more people were looking to have their designer handbags painted. For her it was mainly vintage Louis Vuitton. “I think during COVID people started cleaning out their closets and going through their stuff,” she explains. “So many women have asked me to revive bags that they’ve had for, like, 20 years. There are those who want a new look for that classic monogram bag or people who have just really used and abused their bags and they need to cover up what’s happened.” This subversive approach can be traced back to the 1970s. Pioneered by Vivienne Westwood, music’s punk scene inspired people to leave their mark on their look, via bleached denim, studded leather and graffitied tees. In the ’90s, Alexander McQueen took the catwalk show to new heights with the live customisation of Shalom Harlow’s gown, while 2001 saw Stephen Sprouse scrawl all over Louis Vuitton bags. Far from being precious about their products, luxury houses have encouraged this DIY spirit over the last few years. Gucci has given consumers the option to decorate their own jackets and trainers, allowing people to choose their favourite printed inner linings and, in true maximalist spirit, a range of appliqué options for the outer leather. Balenciaga has opened the Balenciaga Copyshop, where customers can pick from an archive of graphics and decide how to place them on T-shirts, while Off-White hosted customisation pop-ups in Tokyo. View this post on Instagram A post shared by ONCE UPON A LAURÉN (@onceuponalauren) Luxury brands have long offered consumers the option to personalise their products but it was an add-on – a paid-for extra reserved for a privileged few. Now, though, thanks to social media democratising luxury fashion, the chance to influence the design of your favourite item has become readily available to anyone with a social media account and a flair for creativity. “With self-customisation online, things are a little different to how they were in the past because when you’re making decisions online, you’re not working with the designer, you’re adapting the designer’s work,” says Dr Martin Schreier, who wrote a 2020 paper on customisation in luxury brands. “There’s a trade-off between saving the essence of the designer and making your own mark on the product.” Schreier has also noticed a shift in the way Gen Z views designer labels. “Nowadays younger generations aren’t looking up to the designers in the same way. This generation thinks, I’m confident, I can judge taste and I know what I like, I can co-create.” Perhaps this is why taste-makers aren’t afraid to add bold, imaginative designs to their luxury handbags. Terrell has noticed that his younger customers tend to allow him more creative freedom when painting on their bags. “Older people like more monograms or maybe a little initial or a stripe but the younger the customer is, the wilder the design is. I could do anything from anime bags or flower bags to something with feathers and everything on it,” he says. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Terrell Lomax Russell (@handpaintedbytlomax) We can assume that Telfar is happy to see these elaborate designs on their bags: the official Telfar Instagram account has liked both Stacey and Terrell’s posts featuring their customised Telfars. It’s not surprising that the Brooklyn-based, Black-owned brand has endorsed their artwork; after all, it set out to redefine the meaning of luxury with its inclusive tagline, “Not for you – for everyone”. Telfar’s goal is to democratise fashion by providing luxury handbags for anyone who wants them at an affordable price. It’s a philosophy which chimes with the shift away from deifying gate-keeping heritage houses. People may not hero-worship luxury brands like they used to but Telfar is widely adored for what it represents. It’s a brand which has made space for – and given a platform to – creatives, the LGBTQI+ community and people of colour. “I was able to contribute to this online culture,” Stacey says, explaining that there was something special about putting her own artwork on a Telfar piece. “My bag went viral so it felt like I made a print on it.” The time and space provided by lockdown has helped people breathe new life into old accessories. But more than that, people are putting their own twist on the designs they loved enough to buy, participating in fashion in a communal and collaborative way. Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?The Pandemic Has Us Dressing In All BlackTelfar's Tote Is The Most Important Bag Of 20207 Of The Best Fashion Brands Based Outside London
Thinking back to life before coronavirus, there are countless things I miss, such as weekly catch-ups with friends and after-work drinks. But the one experience I’m pining for the most is a trip to my favourite afro hair salon. My hair would be washed and braided while I leaned into the chatter among hairstylists and clients. No one could have predicted that almost a year since entering our first lockdown, we’d be well into our third. It has been difficult for everyone and especially hard for beauty businesses, in particular hair salons. The National Hair & Beauty Federation (NHBF) has warned that the government may have placed the final nail in the coffin of an already struggling industry, with countless beauty businesses left without financial support and continuing to pay high taxes despite being closed. The NHBF estimates that of the 40,000 salons in the UK, around 5,000 have closed for good. Hairdressers Journal suggests that number could reach 8,000 by the end of 2021, as salon owners struggle to keep up with rent and fall into debt. And Black British hairdressers may have been hit the hardest. Prior to the pandemic, afro hair salons were few and far between on UK high streets, dwarfed by salons catering mostly to Caucasian hair types. Despite L’Oréal estimating that Black women spend six times more on hair than Caucasian women, having no clients through the door has been catastrophic for Black hair salons and freelance stylists. Molecia Seasay from High Wycombe has been a professional hairdresser for four years and tells Refinery29 that it has been a real challenge to keep her business afloat. “Numerous lockdowns have affected me massively,” Molecia says. “If I can’t work, I can’t earn, and I feel as though my industry is falling through the cracks. There’s a constant lingering of uncertainty around our business and we’re having to figure things out on our own.” Naturally, hairdressers are incredibly frustrated, and clients are floundering, too. Black women in particular have had to adapt to new hair routines without the guidance of trusted hair professionals, and everything from styling to treating hair has become a DIY process. Many have got to grips with their new at-home routines but for some it has proven difficult to keep up with the maintenance. “For the past few years, I’ve put my hair into the hands of someone who knows exactly what they’re doing but that has all changed,” says Morgan Smith from Bromley, who finds her new haircare routine an effort. “I’ve been a regular at Elite Hair Lounge for as long as I can remember and have the same trusty hairstylist each time,” she continues. Prior to COVID-19, Morgan would relax her hair every eight to 10 weeks but bad past experiences mean she is reluctant to try it herself and this has made her self-conscious. “I feel as though I don’t look like myself,” she says. “As someone who has struggled with body dysmorphia, I have less control over my physicality. With relaxed hair it’s also really important to go for regular touch-ups. Leaving it too long between appointments can potentially cause breakage and make hair much harder to maintain.” Marian Kwei from London is in the same boat as Morgan. “I’ve always seen getting my hair done as a form of self-care,” she tells R29. “I like wearing wigs but I always make sure to maintain my natural hair with a weekly deep condition at the salon before getting it plaited into cornrows to sit underneath. I’ve gone from regular salon visits, where I’d feel really empowered, to feeling overwhelmed by not being able to maintain my hair properly myself.” Prior to the pandemic, afro hair salons were few and far between on UK high streets, dwarfed by salons catering mostly to Caucasian hair types. Having no clients through the door has been catastrophic. Marian says that while it has been difficult to adapt to a DIY hair routine, the pandemic has forced others to be self-sufficient. Black women are learning more about their hair in regard to styling and maintenance. In fact, lockdown has encouraged many women to see their natural hair in a different light. Kirah from Birmingham has turned her hand to braiding at home and welcomes the DIY approach as saving her money during this difficult time. “I’ve been trying lots of different cornrows and I’m currently doing the LOC method (treating hair to leave-in conditioner, oil and styling cream),” she tells R29. Pre-COVID, Kirah says she frequented the salon numerous times a year but is now making do without. “I’m using the hair products that I already own,” she says, pinpointing TikTok favourite Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay as a transformative homemade cleanser. Kirah isn’t alone. More Black women are using this time to practise protective styles and hairstylists are harnessing their expertise to set up savvy digital hair ventures. Molecia recently launched Zoom classes to meet demand from clients who want to braid and style their hair in the comfort of their own homes. TikTok has also been something of a saviour for at-home haircare and inspiration. Alicia from London says she would always get her hair professionally styled but that the popular video-sharing app is now her font of knowledge. Alicia has learned to install crochet twists thanks to TikTok’s numerous Black hair tutorials. “I’ve found their hair techniques to be really easy to follow at home,” she says, “and I’ve been able to order supplies online quickly, too. I’m no expert but practice makes perfect.” More Black women are using this time to practise protective styles and hairstylists are harnessing their expertise to set up savvy digital hair ventures, such as virtual hairstyling classes. Aside from protective styles, lots of Black women are attempting the big chop and documenting the results online. Refinery29’s staff writer Jessica Morgan recently did so, with no regrets. “It wasn’t meant to happen this way,” said Jessica. “Pre-coronavirus, I had booked an appointment to have my hair cut at the Aveda salon in London. I had specifically asked for a hairstylist who had experience with afro curly hair and I was excited to have the professional salon treatment, taking with me my list of Instagram baddies (Zoë Kravitz and Solange) as inspiration.” Then lockdown took hold. “At 8am one morning, before starting work, I picked up my scissors, walked into my bathroom and, with India Arie’s ‘I Am Not My Hair’ playing through my AirPods, chopped it all off,” said Jessica. “I watched in slow motion as each strand of hair fell to my feet. It felt like taking off tight shoes. It wasn’t the big emotional moment I had prepared myself for. I didn’t cry and I didn’t panic. I felt a sudden sense of relief. It’s over, I thought, I’m free. It was empowering. I had finally let myself break free from the bondage of whiteness.” Embracing natural hair is big on TikTok, too, with hundreds of natural, at-home hair tutorials uploaded to the app daily. The comments show that these tutorials provide a sense of solidarity among women who are forgoing relaxer and letting their natural hair bloom. For journalist Fedora Abu, lockdown meant facing the hair she had spent years hiding. “When it comes to hair, I’m anti-DIY; I believe that most things are best left to experts,” Fedora recently wrote. “But in the age of social distancing, this approach has left me ill-prepared.” Fedora continued: “When my scalp started crying for attention, I finally took out my braids and the process I’d been putting off began. Six weeks into lockdown, I thought about how little time I’d spent running my fingers through my hair and how finally sitting down to style it myself began to feel like an act of self-care.” Beyond TikTok, the online hair space has facilitated the launch of new websites and apps which have helped Black women become their own hair experts during the pandemic. Founded by hair pro Winnie Awa, Carra is a digital natural hair concept aimed at providing everything from professional one-to-one advice via video to product recommendations and hair routines for people with textured hair. The platform has proven so popular, it already has big fans in influencers and beauty journalists. Hair website Blaqbase is also making waves. It gives visibility to Black-owned beauty brands and was dreamed up in response to limited local access to Black hair salons on the high street. On site you’ll find much-loved hair brands such as Flora & Curl and Equi Botanics. YUTYBAZAR, a Black-owned online beauty destination, has also surged in popularity over lockdown and boasts brands like AIRFRO and The Afro Hair & Skin Co, which can be delivered to your door. Apps and websites like these have been something of a lifeline for Black women struggling with interruptions to their normal hair routines. While Black women have adapted, the burning issue of dwindling salons can’t be ignored. With the industry in crisis, campaigns such as Save Our Salons and #BeautyOnTheBrink on social media are calling on the government for urgent financial support for hairdressers, beauty salons and mobile traders until salons reopen on 12th April. There are a number of ways in which you can support afro hair businesses right now, too, from leaving Google reviews to purchasing gift cards. Beautystack, for instance, allows users to buy a voucher, valid for up to 12 months, for beauty treatments with a range of professionals. It’s also worth checking in with your local salons and favourite hairstylists, as plenty are selling hair products online (delivered directly to your door, contact-free) or via a click and collect service. The pandemic will never erase the love and appreciation that Black women have for afro hair salons but, for many, at-home haircare has been empowering. Time will tell what the future holds for Black hair businesses but we’ll no doubt book appointments in our droves when they reopen in the spring. For now, though, haircare is in our hands and like Jessica and Kirah prove, making do might not be so bad. Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?What These 12 Natural Oils Do For Black Hair8 Hair Products Black Beauty Editors Always BuyWhy I Gave Myself The Big Chop In Lockdown
William warned people to be careful who they believe and where they get their information from.
Baby name trends often reflect what’s going on in the world right now, which means predictions are generally quite short-term. In recent months we’ve seen cottagecore-inspired names and Bridgerton-themed names tipped for popularity in 2021. It’s a lot more unusual to see baby names tipped for longer-term popularity. However, baby naming website Bounty has really pushed the boat out and compiled a list of baby names it expects to trend for the next 10 years. Nellie, Elodie and Anastasia lead its list of girls’ names predicted to enjoy a decade of popularity, while Chester, Levi and Hudson head up the list of boys’ names expected to last the distance. The names Margot and Idris make the list too, presumably reflecting the popularity of two of the world’s most famous actors. A representative for Bounty said of its bold predictions: “Having assessed over 300,000 names for the stand-out highest climbers over the last 12 months, we can predict which exactly which name trends are set to take off. “This is because, outside of official birth registration lists (which are published 18 months behind) ours is the largest, most up-to-date baby names list in the UK – making it guaranteed to bring you the latest trends in baby names.” We’ll have to wait a few years to find how whether the predictions are accurate or not, but either way, they’re definitely packed full of naming inspiration. It’s also interesting to cross-reference them with the UK’s most popular baby names of 2020, which includes familiar favourites such as Amelia, Isla, Ethan, Muhammad and Oliver. Girls’ names predicted to be popular for the next decade: NellieElodieAnastasiaMargotAubreyAyda Remi Alayna Aurelia Winnie Dorothy Kyla Maeve Dottie Liyana AddisonBlossom Adeline AveryNola Boys’ names predicted to be popular for the next decade: ChesterLevi HudsonEddieMylesRioVincentOtisAbelCobyTravis Robbie Idris MontyRomeo Raphael Barney OsianDante Troy Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?A Photo Story Of Two Girls Growing Up TogetherThese Cottagecore Baby Names Will Be Big In 2021Black British Motherhood & Me
During the nearly two and a half hours of Billie Eilish’s new documentary, Apple TV+’s Billie Eilish: The World’s A Little Blurry, we learn a lot about the 19-year-old star. There are some things longtime Eilish fans will likely already know: her favourite car, how close she is with her family, how much honesty she pours into her music, and how devoted she is to her fans. Other things, like her genuine hate for the songwriting process (she leaves that to her brother, Finneas), the bittersweet relationship that occupied much of her thoughts while on tour, and intimate details about her history of depression and self-harm. The first half of the film focuses on Eilish’s life before she released her Grammy-winning debut album, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?, and the second (post-intermission — yes, there’s an intermission) is basically her continued upward trajectory after. There’s not much of a plot, per-se, nor do the filmmakers seem like they’re trying to beat the audience over the head with an agenda. In fact, The World’s A Little Blurry feels more slice-of-life film than Celebrity Documentary. But there are a few particular moments — intimate habits caught as if by accident, bits of off-handed conversation — that reveal Eilish’s ethos in surprisingly clear ways. One of these is an exchange between Eilish’s mother, Maggie Baird, during the latter half of the film. Eilish used to be a serious dancer, but suffered a hip injury when she was 13 that prevented her from continuing. “Everything I’ve ever loved, I’ve had to give up,” Eilish says. The injury however continues to flare up, and is especially exacerbated by the singer’s constant on-the-go lifestyle and penchant for jumping up-and-down at her shows. During a show in Milan in 2019, she twists her ankle during the first song and has to wear a boot for the rest of the performance. Backstage, her mum chastises her for not keeping up her physical therapy and encourages her to try to mend her body. “I gave you the exercises to do it but you actually do have to do it. Every day,” Baird says. “And the days when you don’t have a show, you have to almost do more because you have to work out. We’re trying to make it so you don’t get injured anymore, we’re trying to heal your body so you don’t go on interviews and say, ‘my body is broken.’ We’re going to heal your body.” Eilish’s face, at this point, looks incredibly sombre and frustrated. “My body is always going to be broken, even if I heal it,” she says adamantly. “It will have been broken a million times.” “But it can be healed!” her mum interjects. “If something breaks a bunch of times it’s broken,” Eilish replies. “Even if you fix it, it’s still been broken.” It’s a disheartening thing to hear from a teenager — to so clearly see that she’s not just talking about her legs. This outlook is further underscored in a scene in which we see the notes and thoughts scribbled on her bedroom wall. One line reads: “No matter what happens, I will always love be broken” While it does suggest a rather pessimistic perspective — that Eilish doesn’t feel like she’s whole, and has a hard time moving beyond the sad or difficult things that try to hold her back, you could also say that, in some ways, it’s also very realistic. It’s true that in many cases, things change once they are broken: replaced bones and healed muscles are technically not the same as before they were hurt, even after they do get “fixed.” Traumatic events still colour a person’s life, for better or worse. Following this exchange, Eilish eventually goes to physical therapy more regularly and makes an effort to take care of her injury. But it likely isn’t because she suddenly has a change of heart — as you learn in the film, despite being a superstar, Eilish is still very much your classic stubborn-yet-somehow-charming teenager. It’s because the only thing stronger than her own convictions is her love for her fans, and her determination to always give them the best show she possibly can. Theirs is one bond, at least, that will never be broken. If you or someone you know is considering self-harm, please get help. Call the Samaritans on 116 123. Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?The Billie Eilish We Don’t See Takes Center StageBillie Eilish Opens Up About Her "Identity Crisis"The $13 Coconut Lip Gloss Billie Eilish Swears By
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