There’s absolutely no way to mention Balmain without also acknowledging creative director Olivier Rousteing, his BFFs the Kardashians and his squad of supermodel friends. The brand drove the point home this season with a show that starred Kendall…
Coffee Break: Taylor Headphones
I got a pair of Frends headphones with BaubleBar credits a while ago, and am surprised by how much I really like them. The sound quality is good, although I’m not terribly picky about that, and in addition to the stylishness and sheer prettiness of the headphones, one of my favorite features is the cord. This is an odd thing to call out, but here’s what I like: it’s fabric. It doesn’t tangle or get kinks in it, and it lays flat and is easy to manage. These “oil slick” headphones are even cooler than the white/rose gold pair I got, and they’re part of the big ShopBop sale: they’re normally $200, but with code SHOPEVENT they come down to 15-25% off, depending on how much you spend. (Arrgh, correction, the 15% discount doesn’t kick in until you spend $250.) FRENDS Taylor Headphones
Here’s our last discussion on the propriety of headphones at the office…
(L-all)
REVIEW: “Clues in Highland Park”
For the past few episodes, we’ve mostly talked about the strengths of Human Revolution, arguably one of the greatest games in human history. But even with a Metacritic score of 90, no game is perfect – and the chapter we review today encapsulates how the game suffers when it strays from the pillars of feminist gaming…
FEMINIST PLAYTHROUGH
“HUMAN REVOLUTION” (2011)
CHAPTER #04
“CLUES IN HIGHLAND PARK”
Hello, and welcome to the fourth episode of this miniseries.
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As you know from prior episodes, we’ve been playing “Human Revolution”.
For the past few episodes, we’ve mostly talked about the game’s positives.
After all, this is a game that revolves around empowering players.
You play Adam Jensen, security chief at biotech firm Sarif Industries.
Some of your scientist co-workers disappeared in a mysterious attack.
Now your job is to find out what became of them, assuming they’re still alive.
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However, this isn’t a game where you solve problems by gunning people down.
Rather, you have a choice in how you do your job.
In fact, the easiest way is usually to not kill people.
You can ask people for information, negotiate for their help, or just avoid them.
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Sounds fantastic, right?
After all, feminist gaming isn’t only about female characters.
It’s about choosing the character you wish to be.
Does a game force you to be a gun-toting sociopath, like James Bond?
Or can you choose a higher path, where you treat others like human beings?
For the most part, “Human Revolution” encourages player choice.
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However, “Human Revolution” isn’t perfect.
And the game suffers when it wanders from its choice-driven foundation.
The biggest example would be the boss fights.
Here, we’re facing the game’s first boss, Lawrence Barrett.
Lawrence is one of the mercenaries who attacked Sarif Industries months ago.
You can see we have no option to talk him down, or sneak by him.
We can only fight him, which contradicts the game’s ethos.
Predictably, these fights were critically reviled upon the game’s release.
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To be fair, the developers did admit those fights were poorly designed.
In 2013, they updated the game to add more freedom to boss fights.
Here, we’re able to hide in an air vent, so we can attack Lawrence from above.
Still, the game requires us to kill him.
This is uncharacteristic of a franchise that revolves around player choice.
Later, fans learned these fights had actually been outsourced.
To save time, the developers had hired an outside company to design the fights.
This explains why the boss fights differ greatly from the rest of the game.
We can only hope future sequels will avoid repeating that mistake.
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The shallowness of the fights points to a deeper issue.
The fights are shallow, because the bosses themselves are shallow characters.
They’re trying to kill you because as mercenaries, it’s their job.
And that’s pretty much it.
The bosses have no real depth to them, aside from generic, cartoony villainy.
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Another problem is the lack of female enemies.
This pertains not only to mercenaries, but all factions in-game.
Sure, the game has female civilians, co-workers and scientists.
But apart from Yelena Fedorova, every enemy with a gun is male.
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This applies even to mercenary military contractors.
Deal Alert: The ShopBop BigEvent Sale
I thought I’d take a quick swing through the ShopBop sale to see what’s good, and there’s a lot to like. Like I’ve mentioned before: this twice-yearly event is when Amazon’s sister site offers up to 25% off almost everything on site, including a ton of great basics like Ferragamo, Stuart Weitzman, Black Halo, Theory, Vince, LK Bennett, Rebecca Minkoff, Tory Burch, Hunter, DvF, Smythe, Rag & Bone, vintage Vuitton, and Michael Michael Kors’ Jet Set collection. (I particularly love their jewelry collection and their denim collection — both are always hip and interesting.) Another pro: it seems like there are a lot less exclusions than in previous years. The sale ends March 5.
In addition to the general suggestions above, here are a few individual picks for work and beyond:
How All the Single Ladies gets at the heart of US history
Jessica Valenti interviews author Rebecca Traister about how she uncovered rich accounts of social progress intertwining with changing marriage patterns – and single women were at the front and center of change
Rebecca Traister, author and writer at large for New York magazine, is one of the foremost feminist writers in the country. Her 2008 book, Big Girls Don’t Cry took an in-depth look at Hillary Clinton’s last presidential run and how it marked a watershed moment in feminism. Her new book, All the Single Ladies: Unmarried Women and the Rise of an Independent Nation, was released this week. She took some time out from her book tour to talk with the Guardian.
Jessica: You wove some of your own personal story of single (and married) life throughout this book – tell me a little bit about how the idea for this book came about and how your own story influenced you.
No Takeout Challenge Week 3: 10 One-Pot Meal Recipes
These recipes are part of the #NoTakeoutChallenge. If you haven’t already, make sure you sign up here to receive all of the tips, tricks, and recipes from the month-long program.
Welcome to week three of the SELF X Food52 No Takeout Challenge!
Each of the incredible Food52 recipes listed below are one-pot (or pan or sheet) wonders. Perfect for busy nights, these no-fuss meals are easy to throw together and even easier to clean up. So here’s your game plan:
1. You know the drill: There are 10 Food52 recipes selected for you below. Choose five of your favorites, then create a calendar of what nights you plan on cooking each meal. Pick up any groceries you may need today and you’re good to go!
2. Share what meals you’re going to cook on Instagram and Twitter. Tag @SelfMagazine and @Food52 to give us a heads up. We’ll be using the hashtags #NoTakeoutChallenge and #TeamSELF, just FYI.
3. And if you’re not into these recipes you can make something else instead. The goal is to cook five dinners this week—however you do it is fine with us!
4. And be on the lookout for five mini challenges coming your way on Wednesday morning!
Get The Recipes 1. Lemon And Spinach Orzo Soup
Photo by Supper With Michelle – Michelle Braxton, Courtesy of Food52
This warm, delicious goodness is the perfect pick-you-up soup. Get the recipe here.
Take This Fun Workout Test To See How Fit You Are
From Well + Good: A fun way to measure all your gains in the gym.
You sprint and squat all over town, but do you ever stop to think about what all of that sweat is actually doing for your body?
While almost all exercise is good for you, understanding your strengths and weaknesses is key if you’re looking to create change and make progress (and avoid injury!), says Refine Method founder Brynn Putnam, a Harvard-educated former pro ballerina who applies the latest exercise science to the smart training offered at her three New York City workout studios.
“While an athlete can measure progress through wins, the average exerciser isn’t training with a clear finish line and they’re also generally using poor tools, like the scale, to gauge success,” she explains. “You have to first clarify what your goal is in a specific and measurable way and then create a plan to get from point A to point B.”
Ready to start? Putnam created this set of nine exercises that addresses all of the important components of fitness (and demo-ed them for us at her West Village studio). “These exercises are things that we feel like the average person should be able to do in order to be a healthy, functional human being,” she says.
Take this fitness test at home to see where you’re starting from, and then combine them into a workout to keep improving your skills, strength, and fitness rockstar status.
Instructions
If performing as an assessment, complete exercises 1-9 in order, following the designated reps/time below. If performing as a workout, do exercise 1 and exercise 2 as part of your warm-up and then do exercises 3-8 for 2-3 rounds as a circuit, omitting exercise 9.
1. Sitting and Rising Test (SRT): Assess Lower-Body Mobility and Balance
How To: Complete the test once. The goal of the Sitting Rising Test is to get down and up from a seated cross-legged position with minimal support. To get a perfect score on the SRT (10 points total!); cross your feet and lower down to a seated position, then stand back up without losing your balance or touching the ground for support. Each time you touch the ground with your hand, arm, knee, or side of the leg you lose one point. You also lose one point each time you put your hand on your thigh for support. If you lose your balance, either on the way down or on the way up, subtract a half-point. Complete the SRT and total your score.
Goal: Final score of 8 or more points.
2. Vertical Jump: Assess Lower-Body Power
How To: Complete 10 reps then take a brief rest. Repeat 3 times. Start with your feet slightly wider than your hips. Send your hips back, and bend your knees. Jump straight up, then land in the same position that you started in. (Make sure your knees do not collapse inside of your sneakers when you land.)
Goal: Average woman: Jump around 15 inches off of the ground.
How To Actually Remove Gel Nail Polish Without Destroying Your Nails
Ripping your gel manicure off might be a fast and convenient removal technique, but the swift process can actually cause more harm than good. Everything might appear to be OK to the naked eye, but the delicate layers of the nail plate are actually stripped with every tear, potentially causing permanent damage.
“The gel attaches to layers of your nail plate so it could take months and months for that to grow out again,” celebrity manicurist Patricia Yankee tells SELF. Her professional advice to ensure the health of your nails is to head back to your salon for proper removal. But if you can’t make it in, there are a few easy-to-follow steps to get similar results at home.
First things first: Protect your cuticles.
Acetone can wreak havoc on the skin around your nails. “Before you soak protect the surrounding areas with a cuticle oil,” Yankee explains. A quick home remedy is the tried-and-true Vaseline. The petroleum jelly will create a barrier to minimize damage that the liquid can cause.
Related: Here’s The Nail Painting Hack You’ve Been Waiting For Your Whole Life
Be sure to loosen up the top layer.
“Before soaking you should take a coarse nail file and go over the top surface of all of your nails,” Yankee says. The gel top coat is a tough nearly impermeable layer that seals the color in place—that’s why gel manicures are able to last for weeks instead of days. So scratching the surface will help the acetone to penetrate without a hitch. “When filing apply a light and parallel pressure,” Yankee says, to avoid scratching the nail plate underneath.
Take your time and let them soak.
Here’s how to soak your nails: Apply acetone-drenched cotton balls to each nail (acetone is stronger and more effective than nail polish remover, FYI). Next, wrap each finger with aluminum foil to generate more heat to help the particles breakdown faster. If that method sounds like too much work, you can also pick up less cumbersome ready-to-go wraps by Graham Professional Beauty from Sally’s for under $3 (sallybeauty.com).
Gel polish formulas vary in strength, so the wait time can be anywhere between 10 and 20 minutes. Yankee’s expert tip: “Sometimes it’s best to do one hand at a time at home. I like to start with the dominant hand to get the toughest part out of the way.” So if you’re a lefty, begin soaking the nails on your left-hand side, and then your right hand will be a breeze. “It’s a small change, but it makes a huge difference,” the pro reveals.
Soak again and gently scrape.
Once you give the acetone time to work its magic, grab the file (or a wooden orange stick) again and continue to gently scrape the layers to safely remove the gel polish. You’ll notice the first few coats begin to peel off easily. If you encounter more resistant layers you’ll need to loosen them up with another acetone soaki. Repeat the soaking and scraping method until you’ve safely removed all.
