Archive - April 2016

Entertainment

Celebrities Who Get Paid to Do Nothing: How It All Works

by Erin Gillespie

In any discussion you have about modern celebrities who are essentially famous for doing nothing, you cannot get away without mentioning Paris Hilton. Hilton was really the one who started it all, and this week, GQ magazine paid homage to this dubious achievement in a really interesting piece about modern celebrity culture and “appearance fees”. While we all know that celebrities get paid to school for certain products and have endorsement deals and whatnot, I never truly realized the kind of money that is changing-hands to lure these celebs into the commercial fold. It’s really and truly obscene. But we’ll get to that in a minute. Here’s what GQ had to say about that I’m dubbing the “Paris Effect”. Hilton, the one who made it possible to be...

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Fashion

Fashion’s Biggest Night Out, The Met Gala, Is a Documentary!

by Erin Gillespie

Not so long ago, The Oscars was the event that everyone looked to for their aspirational fashion dreams;  everyone who followed fashion (either from the comfort of their own homes via television and magazines or in live attendance at the event itself)  payed close attention to the Oscars red carpet, keeping their fingers crossed that they would not fall afoul of the late, great Joan River’s Worst Dressed List. However, the times, they are a changin’, because over the past several years, there appears to be a new sartorial sheriff in town – The Met Gala. The Met Gala is officially New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Annual Fundraiser for their Costume Institute. Unofficially, it is the social fashion event of the year, and the event that is probably...

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Lifestyle

4 Things To Focus On Weeks Before Your Fitness Photoshoot

by Nicole Sparks

There are few key things to do before your fitness photoshoot. First, eating right is essential. The second is working your body effectively using the right workouts. Here are some tips, tricks, and target zones to get the body you want for your upcoming shoot. 1. Think All over Quite often we are driven to improve a certain area of our body: abs, butt, biceps, back…but, the truth is when we flip through a magazine we want it all. Yes, it’s nice to see a particularly good set of buns, or beautiful definition, but whether you are going for tone, bulk, or sleek muscle, the viewer is looking for the complete package. Think of workouts that target all areas, or find a routine that mixes it up enough to cover lots of ground. Implement exercises like swimming, tennis, or plyometric workouts in...

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Fashion

Who’s Got Red Carpet Game: The 2016 ACM Awards

by Erin Gillespie

The Academy of Country Music (ACM) recently held their annual awards ceremony, and as one would expect, celebrities turned-out in droves for the event. What does one wear to a country music awards ceremony? That’s an excellent question. The attendees seemed to run the gamut this year, from sublime to ridiculous. Here is but a smattering of who wore what. Prepare yourselves. Some of these are real belters. Katy Perry Speaking of belters, nothing says country and western like the battle cry of a giant rhinestone belt buckle. Or pink, cow-print cowgirl boots. Or a pink midriff top paired with a skin-tight blue lamé fringed leather skirt and matching biker jacket (!?). I didn’t think it was possible, but Katy Perry may very well have covered all three categories (good, bad, &...

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Entertainment

Wendi Deng Breaks Own Record For Unscrupulousness, Internet Responds

by Erin Gillespie

In case you’ve been avoiding the news this week, allow me to introduce you to Wendi Deng. You probably already know this, but Deng was married to Rupert Murdoch for the past 14 years until things sort of fell apart two years ago.  As we all know, Murdoch married Jerry Hall last week, so apparently Deng must have felt that it was her turn to bust a move, because bust a move she has. Deng is allegedly dating Vladimir Putin now. To say that Deng has a bit of a reputation for attaching herself, barnacle-like, to powerful men would be the understatement of the century. It would be the understatement that would insult all other understatements with its understatedness. For Deng, this kind of behavior goes way beyond a habit. It’s her modus operandi. And believe me, more than a fair...

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Lifestyle

Eat Right for Your Workout

by Nicole Sparks

Maximize your workout by eating strategically Is it ok to eat before a workout? What about after? You heard carbs are good, so is working out an excuse to gorge on spaghetti and garlic bread? Or should you wait until you’re absolutely starving before you eat something? Are protein shakes only for men? (You don’t want to look like the Hulk!) Navigating the world of nutrition and exercise can be overwhelming and leave you feeling like you need an advanced degree in food science to keep up. Food trends and workout routines that promise a “killer bikini body in 5 minutes a day” can be contradictory and confusing. But when it comes to exercise, most people have the same goal in mind. We want to burn the maximum amount of calories, feel energized and strong, and get the most out of our...

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Entertainment

FYI, Kylie Jenner Has a Lip Gloss Line Now

by Erin Gillespie

Historically, any Kardashian-related fashion or beauty-related business venture has always given me the overwhelming urge to roll my eyes and ignore said product, whatever it may be. I admit that my bias is founded in nothing other than the kind of fatigue that occurs when a popular figure is so over-exposed in the media that you start to feel a bit….I don’t know…saturated. Speaking of media overexposure, Kylie Jenner, the Kardashian who doesn’t go by the name Kardashian, has a lip gloss line that launched the 1st of April. And no, this is not an April fools type of arrangement, in case you were wondering. No, Kylie apparently is going to have a full-on cosmetics line…I think. It’s hard to know, because the lip glosses that have supposedly launched (at...

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Lifestyle

13 Amazing Beauty Uses for Baking Soda

by Nicole Sparks

Maybe you’ve heard that baking soda is a great natural product to use in household cleaning. But you can also use this inexpensive household item for a variety of uses in your beauty regime. Reduce your exposure to harmful chemicals and lighten your monthly expenditures on beauty products with these easy at-home treatments. 1. Teeth Whitener A trip to the cosmetic dentist or home whitening kits are simply not in the budget for a lot of people, and both treatments use a variety of chemicals. You can whiten your teeth naturally by incorporating this treatment into your oral hygiene routine. 2-4 tsp baking soda Lemon juice (enough to form a paste) Baking soda is mildly abrasive; and will gently scrub away at surface stains on teeth. Because it’s alkaline it will also reduce the acidity...

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Entertainment

The Wrong Move Files: How Not to Play the PR Game

by Erin Gillespie

This past week, there was a story that I was sort of thinking I should cover, but I just didn’t have it in me. There was just something about the story that didn’t feel quite right. I just couldn’t bring myself to pull my chair up to the table, so to speak. As it turned out, my instincts were spot-on, because the story was, as they say where I come from, a complete pile of steaming horse doo-doo. The story was this; allegedly, 27 year-old Jessica Lowndes was dating 58 year-old Jon Lovitz. Yes, that Jon Lovits…the “that’s the ticket” guy from SNL in the 90s. The entertainment press was reporting on the fact that the pair were together and engaged, even though they had oddly kept such a very low-profile that even the gossip and entertainment media had...

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