14 Beauty Lessons We Learned From Sex And The City

PHOTO: COURTESY OF HBO.

Designer labels, crazy outfits, and, well, Manolos: That’s what Sex and the City is known for. Beauty doesn’t typically pop into your head unless you’re thinking Carrie’s Botticelli-esque mane. The ladies may have chatted about everything from funky spunk to shoe fetishes, but makeup was not an oft-discussed topic.

What to Do When You Can’t Get Kylie’s Lip Kits  

You always want what you can’t have — especially when it comes to beauty products. That’s why we’re getting the inside scoop from your favorite retailers on what’s selling out right now, how to sign up for waitlists, and where to go to find the next best thing. Because if everyone’s buying it, you know it’s got to be good. 

Whether she's getting inked or changing her hair color for the umpteenth time, Kylie Jenner has a dynamic beauty history — one that's been well-documented on this site. But nothing has caused more of a frenzy than the social media star's coveted lips — and the shades with which she adorns them. Case in point: Jenner's sold-out Lip Kit and gloss collections. 

When Jenner first launched her line of liquid lipsticks and matching lipliners last November, the entire stock of product sold out immediately, and dozens began to resurface on eBay for more than 10 times their original price. The online explosion occurred once again when Jenner dropped her trio of glosses last week — they retail for $15 each on her website.

We're not at all surprised by the popularity of Jenner's cosmetics debut, not only because of her star power but also because of the quality of the products. The Lip Kit shades — there are now 11 — are trendy but wearable, and the formula is opaque and long-lasting. 

Unfortunately, all of Jenner's shades are still out of stock, but you can follow Kylie Cosmetics' Instagram account to keep tabs on the supply (or hop on her app for first dibs on restock information). If you simply cannot wait to start sporting the hues, however, we've gathered a few alternatives that could pass for the real deal. Check 'em out, ahead. 

However, there are some serious hair and makeup lessons to be learned from our favorite single Manhattanites (and Brooklynites: #NeverForget Miranda, the OG Park Slope mommy). You may not have caught it on the first go-around, but lucky for you, I’ve never turned down a reason to epically binge-watch  revisit the show. Ahead, find the sage foursome’s diamond-in-the-rough pieces of beauty advice.

What Going Paleo Did To My Body

There is no inherently right way to eat. Some people feel their best eating vegan, some naturally incline toward a Mediterranean diet, and others literally hate all fruit. We're all different. And just as all eating styles are valid, they are all equally susceptible to becoming the object of disordered behavior. Summer Innanen's story is a powerful example of how that can happen (and how to recognize when it does). — KM

I was 32 years old and in what seemed to be the best shape of my life. Except: I hadn't had my period in two years, my weight kept creeping up, I was exhausted all the time, and my sexual appetite was nonexistent. I was baffled. As a holistic nutritionist, I knew my diet and fitness were perfect. After all, I had "gone Paleo" four years prior.

I was first introduced to Paleo by a trainer when I was trying to lose weight for my wedding. He said to eat meat, veggies, nuts, seeds and a little fruit. Given my impending nuptials, I decided to give it a go. 

I'd been trying to lose weight since I was a little girl. I thought if I achieved that, I could finally shut off that nasty mean girl in my head and live happily ever after. Paleo seemed like the answer to my prayers.

I was instantly seduced by the promises of "looking better naked" and superhuman health — promises amplified by both scientific claims and glossy gurus. After a few weeks, I felt great! I had more energy, my digestion and mood had improved, and the cherry on top was the fact that I'd lost some weight. Finally, I had found the solution to my lifelong struggle with body hate. 

The more perfectly I adhered to the Paleo diet, the better I felt. This control gave me a sense of pride and achievement, like nothing I had ever experienced. I became totally absorbed in Paleo culture: I read every book, attended every lecture, listened to every podcast, and I started a blog and a pro-Paleo nutrition coaching business. My life and career revolved around this food movement and I preached their message of perfect physical health as the ultimate virtuous goal. 

But inevitably, that high from my newfound control, weight loss, and validation wore off. That's when the old, hateful voice in my head returned with a vengeance. I remember the day I saw a photo of myself and noticed that, for the first time in my life, I could see a hint of muscle definition. Yet, I still felt empty. It was never enough.

The only solution, it seemed, was to dive further down the Paleo rabbit hole. I cut out all fruit and avoided foods like squash because of their carb content. I experimented with intermittent fasting (which, in hindsight, was a way for me to justify starvation). I would only last a few days on these strict regimes, breaking them with a major binge on Paleo baked goods. Spiraling into self-loathing, I'd try to talk myself out of it, thinking: At least the cookies were Paleo.

I grew more and more angry and frustrated at my body, because I thought I was doing everything right, and yet it would not obey. I binge-listened to Paleo podcasts, desperate to find the one missing nutrient or supplement that would help me get my body under control. 

I was in my second year of professional nutrition training when I stopped getting my period. I saw several doctors, but their only solution was for me to go back on the birth control pill, which I refused to do for fear of weight gain.

Another two years passed, and suddenly my weight began to creep back up. Still, I was committed to the diet and obsessed with finding the nutrient that would help me "get lean" like all the other Paleo people out there. I desperately searched Paleo forums and blogs, which were abundant with so-called "experts" telling you ways to "tweak" your food to lose weight.

One day, I finally got offline and into a doctor's office. That's when I discovered my alleged healthy lifestyle was actually the reason I'd lost my period and libido. She instructed me to stop my intense exercise regime and start eating more, immediately.

I was shocked to learn you didn't need a super skinny body to lose your period. Laura Schoenfeld, MPH, RD later confirmed that, "A low carb diet is a potential stressor in susceptible individuals and can contribute to amenorrhea." My calorie and carbohydrate restriction weren't the only factors either. Years of obsessive self-loathing combined with my restricted, unbalanced diet had dysregulated some of my body's hormonal functions — specifically, its reproductive capabilities.

I burst into tears — not because of my Golden Girls hormones, but because I was downright terrified that I had to stop restricting and exercising. That's when I knew I had a problem. The behaviors I was passing off as "healthy" were actually disordered. I was deficient in calories, carbs, and most importantly, my sanity.

In addition to eating more and exercising less, I needed to work on what was going on inside my head. Disordered eating and psychological stress (in my case chronically obsessing over my body and food) can all contribute to a loss of proper hormone function in females. 

I had to abandon this idea that my life would be better if I lost weight. I needed to accept that the perfect body was the one I was already in. 

It took me a long time to relearn to eat like a normal person and overcome all of my food fears. I had to reset my beliefs about weight and self-worth, too. But as I ate more and introduced formerly forbidden foods back into my diet, I felt so much better. My binges stopped, my dietary obsession faded, and slowly, my hormones started to normalize. 

Today, I eat what I want. I know that I don't feel great when I eat certain foods, but I don't need to follow a rigid eating plan to honor what feels good for me. 

I also know many people who manage chronic illness and thrive eating by eating Paleo, and I do believe food is medicine. But it can become poison when your psychological well-being is taking a beat down. You hear what you want to hear when you're trapped in the diet mentality. When I was in that trap, I ignored the rational Paleo practitioners who were there all along, saying that women actually need adequate amounts of calories and carbs. 

Quality of life is subjective. For me, that means saying yes to spontaneous ice cream dates with my husband, spending my free time at the beach (instead of alone with my Tupperware), and liberating myself from the emotional burden that came with my diet. Breaking up with Paleo helped me find the peace and freedom I had been seeking all along.

Summer Innanen is a body image coach and certified nutritional practitioner. You can find her on her blog and check out her free body image video series, Rock Your Body. 

The Anti-Diet Project is an ongoing series about intuitive eating, sustainable fitness, and body positivity. You can follow Kelsey's journey on Twitter and Instagram at @mskelseymiller, or right here on Facebook. Curious about how it all got started? Check out the whole column, right here.

PHOTO: COURTESY OF TUMBLR.

When your eye makeup starts running, it’s time for a bath and maybe some Netflix, with a side of vino.

14 Hairstyles That Will Accentuate Your Best Features

Contouring. Facial massage. Botox. Even vampire facelifts. These are all things people might do in the hopes of getting more angular cheekbones, lifted eyebrows, and a generally more defined and youthful face. We understand the desire, but this mission (if you're on it) takes work — and heavy cash flow.

But we've got interesting news: something as simple as a haircut or just trying out a new style for a night can have a similar effect. "Hair can be used to soften hard lines or hollowed faces," says stylist Jon Reyman, founder of Spoke & Weal salons. "It can [also] work to draw attention from a drooping chin or aged neck."

All the hairstylists we chatted with for this story agreed. "A haircut can definitely not only affect a person's face, but also enhance a person’s bone structure," says Hansen Liu, a stylist at Marie Robinson Salon. 

So, if you're looking to add a little life or lift to your look, but want something a bit more casual (and non-committal) than full-on Kardashian contouring or even injectables, a hair change may be in your future. Ahead, find 14 hairstyles to consider — but remember, every face is different. It's a good idea to consult with your stylist about which cut will work best to get your desired result.

PHOTO: COURTESY OF TUMBLR.

You can tell a lot about a partner by the hair accessories his ex wore.

Color Changing Makeup? Yes plz.

Anyone who has ever been fascinated by the mercurial hues of oil swirling in a puddle, or mesmerized by a mood ring, knows the power of color-shifting. Shades that seem to change based on the way the light hits them are, predictably, a total makeup slam dunk. Eyeshadows, nail polishes, and even lipsticks are incorporating duo-chrome pigments into their formulations, and the results are some of the coolest colors this side of the Northern Lights.

So what is duo-chrome? In the makeup world, it refers to products that appear to change color when viewed from different angles. The products do not, in fact, change color — they just look like different shades or layered hues depending on where the light hits.

Sound cool? It is. As a self-proclaimed lazy girl, I love anything that makes it look like I put more effort into my look than I actually did. And after extensive road-testing, I've found that duo-chrome is legitimately the easiest and fastest way to make your eyes (and lips, and nails) look rad AF.

Ahead, I've rounded up some of my fave color-shifting makeup picks. Each one is a guaranteed swipe-and-go situation. No brushes, no blotting, no smudging, no complicated crap. Get on it.

PHOTO: COURTESY OF TUMBLR.

Your real friends will be stoked about all of your decisions.

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A hot tool can be much more than a styling aid — it can also be the way to mark your territory.

36 Magical Drugstore Beauty Buys

We all love a good splurge on beauty products. But as excited as we get over luxury foundations, there are just as many (if not more!) instances when we fall head-over-heels in love with something we pick up from the drugstore. Whether it's a nail polish, makeup wipes, or our favorite red lipstick, the under-$20 products seem to be the ones we always have on us.

So forget everything you think you know about the drugstore. Quality products are there — you just have to know where to look. Ahead, our editors spill the intel on the wares they adore that also happen to be easy on their wallets. Just follow our lead, and you'll be shopping like a bargain pro in no time.

PHOTO: COURTESY OF TUMBLR

Your bad hair days could be so much worse. (But, if it’s for love, it’s worth it.)

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