Guys don’t know WTF they want. They slut-shame Kim Kardashian for her sex tape and for having “no talent,” but then Google her nudes for their spank bank and search for her doppelgangers out in the wild.
And we’re not just hypothesizing about that, guys really do look for Kim K lookalikes to wife up, just ask Badoo.
What’s Badoo? It’s a dating app that has recently launched a feature to help their users find new baes that look like anyone they lust after – from their favorite model to their high school crush. The app uses facial technology, so even if it’s not a well-known celebrity, Badoo will do their best to find a doppelganger.
So, which celebs are guys most hoping to find a lookalike for? According to the app, these are the top 10 women that dudes search for.
Not sure what guys like more about Beyonce, the fact that she’s hot af, or that there’s a good chance she’ll probably stay with them after they cheat on her.
Zonnique is a woman who wears many hats. Or, in her case, many hairstyles. You might see her slaying some braids while she belts out a song from her latest EP, or perhaps you’ll see her with a pink bob while working on her beauty line. Or, maybe you remember watching her grow up on her T.I. and Tiny’s reality show with black hair and rainbow highlights.
Zonnique’s look is always changing, but her focus stays the same – to “make [herself] happy in every way as an artist” and keep doing the shit that she loves. We talked to the multi-disciplinary babe about her music, growing up on a reality show, and the weird mix-tapes she receives from guys in prison.
The main inspiration behind my EP Love Jones was definitely my personal love story over the past few years. It’s so easy to talk about love when it comes to music because it’s so relatable.
Do you ever ask for your dad’s input on your music, or do you prefer to keep things private?
I actually don’t ask a lot, but every now and then I like to just get his input because he has such a great ear. But I also know some songs I make can be hard for him to listen to, because he see’s me as his baby girl.
What did you learn in your early reality show experience that helps you out now with your own show?
I would say when I was on “Tiny and Toya” and they asked me to sing something and I sung Amazing Grace. I was just so shy back then and not really prepared for what was coming with reality TV, but I think it helped me become comfortable with the whole feel of reality TV.
Have you ever dealt with pushy producers?
In music and television – no, things are pretty chill in the studio. My mom, as the executive producer of my EP, was the only one who would get pushy with me about getting something right.
You grew up in the industry. What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever gotten about your career?
Andre 3000 once told me to always bring something different to the picnic and that’s always stuck with me.
What about the worst?
To do something other than what I believe in.
What does an average day look like for you?
A good lil gym in the morning, Smoothie King, a good shower and hair wash, then either rehearsal or studio. If [it’s a] chill day, [I’ll be] hanging with my boyfriend, friends, or family all day. I love being with my family and friends.
Describe your freakum dress. It can be real or imaginary. It can even be a freakum pantsuit.
Hmm… always fitting the body, spaghetti straps, short, cleavage, black or anything that matches the skin, some type of sparkle.
What high school trend do you most regret?
I loved color and still do to this day, but back then I put so much dye in that I damaged my hair to pieces. After the damage I had to wear colored tracks and the way I placed the clips in my hair was way wrong.
If you were to get arrested, what do you think it would be for?
Being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
What is the weirdest message you have received from a fan?
The ones I get from people in jail sending demo tapes and what not. One guy sent me a video of his song he made where he kept repeating the same line. It was something like “Fetty fetty fetty, getting money,” over and over again. It was crazy. But I must admit, catchy.
What’s your favorite fast food restaurant and why?
Chick-fil-a definitely. Everything is good, plus I love milkshakes and theirs are perfect!
What’s your biggest priority right now?
My biggest priority is in making myself happy in every way as an artist and just as a person. Doing things that I enjoy everyday.
When it comes to luxury goods, let’s just say people have a lot of opinions.
Some people think designer stuff is a necessity, while some think it’s pointless. And brands you think are irrelevant might seem totally swank to someone else!
We want to figure out how our generation really feels about luxury. So tell us: are you bad and boujee? Or do you have a DGAF attitude about the so-called “finer things”?
Selena Gomez could have done anything to celebrate her 25th birthday.
She could have had an underwater tea party. She could have rented out a casino in Vegas and had a celebrity impersonator dance party. She could have even flown to Paris to scale the Eiffel Tower with bear claws.
But instead, Selena Gomez decided to celebrate her birthday in a classy, but slightly boring way. By rounding up her best gal pals and trucking them out to Napa Valley.
You know, that place in California where all the good wine lives.
Although to be fair, Selena’s actual birthday isn’t until next weekend, so this could just be the calm before the storm. Not that she needs to have a crazy birthday party, it’s just that she’s a celebrity and there are certain things we expect of famous folks.
Then again, maybe going buck wild isn’t exactly good for Selena’s brand at the moment, but either way, we only have a week to wait.
Though ¾ of synth-rock band Transviolet is from NYC, the band was formed in Los Angeles. And though lead singer and Malibu Barbie-look-alike, Sarah McTaggart isn’t originally from the West Coast, she seems to be torn between which coast is actually the best coast…
Their newest tune, “The Hamptons,” is about one of the hottest east coast summer vacationing spots. However, instead of singing of wind blowing through your salty beach hair and dreamy trysts in the sand as in Miley’s west-coast-themed single “Malibu,” Transviolet’s tune tells of a more truthful tale of the type of people who hang in these places.
Just like any proper east coast/west coast battle, “The Hamptons” has a little bit of a dark side, as it doesn’t showcase the glamorous vibes that this hotspot is normally associated with.
Ironically, Sarah has never spent a summer in the Hamptons, but after bandmate Jon Garcia jokingly said, “Hamptons: never heard of it” — that’s what sparked the idea for the song, she says.
“[The idea was to] make it about the kind of conversation I’ve had too many times; where someone is trying to impress you by telling you about the all the important people they know, and the houses they own, and the expensive cars sitting in their driveway,” Sarah says. “It’s about those kinds of conversations where you catch yourself zoning out and imagining your life with this vapid person, and, hypothetically, what gun you would buy to put yourself out of your misery.”
The video shows some typical lonely rich ass people getting straight up weird and petting their faux taxidermy animals. But keep watching because it ends in a pretty epic — yet strangely classy — food fight rich folk meltdown.
While the song is dark and has an ironic story, the music itself is vibey and dancey, and will work great for a summer tune no matter which coast is your fave. Check the vid out here, and then peep our Q&A with Sarah, and see which coast actually IS the best coast (at least according to her).
Miley’s “Malibu” seems to have more of a dreamy love story to it’s lyrics — whereas “Hamptons” seems to have some dark parts. What inspired the lyrics and are they based on anything that may have occurred IRL?
We’d been writing for nearly three months, and truthfully, were all pretty fed up. That particular day we were working with a producer named Sam Hollander and his engineer Grant Michaels. We all hit it off right away. Sam had this idea of a song titled “The Hamptons,” and I said, “I’m all out of ideas so let’s go for it.” I love a challenge, and sometimes starting with a random title is really fun for me. The guys, Sam and Grant, got to work on the music, and I was staring at a blank sheet of paper wondering wtf I was gonna write about since I’d never been to The Hamptons. They all came over and asked how it was going, and I said “Listen, I’ve never been to the Hamptons, so I don’t think this is going to work.”
You guys seemed to have started a trend singing about darker times with “Girls Your Age” back in 2015 — do you think Hamptons follows a similar path in pointing out that not all things are glamorous in a glamorous place like the Hamptons?
I love contrasting glamorous backdrops with dark sentiments. [Our single] “LA Love” had a very similar theme as well. I guess it has a lot to do with what I’m surrounded by.
I write from personal experiences, so being in LA leads to a lot of stories about sad rich people trying to buy happiness. The world is full of people trying to fill a void with shiny things. “The Hamptons” video was a humorous way to poke fun at that. I really loved the idea of having these super blue-blooded, buttoned-up characters in this big, ridiculously opulent mansion just completely lose their shit.
You formed originally in Los Angeles — have you ever spent any time in the Hamptons?
Nope. Never heard of it.
What are three things that make the Hamptons cooler than Malibu? (or vice versa?)
You’re more likely to see one of us in Malibu, so that’s four things that make it wayyyyyy cooler.
If you were to plan a Transviolet house party, which coast would you pick to have it on, and what three items would you feature at this party?
Well, 3/4 of Transviolet is from NY, so I’m totally outnumbered, we would definitely end up there. At our house party, we would feature:
1 — A sloppy, choreographed dance number (like in a musical, someone would break into song, and we’d all join along and dance and it would be all the fun)
2 — A playlist of the following songs on repeat: Kevin Lyttle’s “Turn Me On”; R. Kelly’s “I Believe I Can Fly”; and Destiny’s Child’s “Say My [Motherfucking] Name.”
3 — A bedtime ghost story told by Jon.
If there could be a Hamptons vs. Malibu remix featuring Miley on your song — would you be into doing it? What do you think the song would sound like?
We love Miley, so sure! It would sound the way you feel after brushing hands with a handsome stranger who has a winning smile, and smells like young love.
Let’s play East Coast (Hamptons) vs. West Coast (Malibu) — which coast has the best beaches?
I’m from Grand Cayman, so they both lose. Grand Cayman has the best beaches by far.
Taylor Swift has done a lot of interesting and not remotely desperate at all things to try and get some good publicity, but would she really let herself get carried out of her apartment in suitcase?
And if she did, would she really let the news leak out to the tabloids?
Today, Splash News published a photo of a two grown men carrying a large suitcase in the direction of a car.
This in it of itself is not entirely remarkable. Grown men carry things all the time. But as Spin 1038 noticed, the caption Splash News used for the photo suggests there’s more going on than meets the eye. It reads:
“Taylor Swift being transported in a huge suitcase from her Tribecca apartment. A fleet of cars including two large Cadillacs and three SUV’s arrive at Tailor Swift’s — misspelling theirs — apartment in Tribecca to move a large suitcase from apartment to truck. Almost a dozen of Taylor Swift security guards were present to move this package carefully as Taylor Swift remains to be unseen for a long time.”
Now, the rational part of me knows there had to be some mistake here.
For one, Taylor Swift is very tall. And her legs are ensured for millions of dollars. $40 million to be exact. If she really wanted to be transported to a car via suitcase, don’t you think she would have chosen a roomier one?
And again, if she did in fact want to be carried in a suitcase, don’t you think she would have kept it a secret?
See, celebrities being transported in suitcases is not an unheard of phenomenon.
In Kevin Dickson and Jack Ketsoyan’s book “Blind Item,” a fictionalized novel made up of stories that actually happened to celebrities, there’s an example of a suitcase exit strategy taking place. An A-list celebrity takes a girl out on a date that’s supposed to be a secret, and after the paparazzi finds them, they make the journey back in shipping crates, so nobody will be able to tell it’s them.
Taylor Swift: So my ex Harry Styles is in town/maybe in my neighborhood but I really need to leave the house.
Security: Say no more, fam. pic.twitter.com/qXYOVNQth1
But then again who cares, because that’s probably not what happened in the first place anyway.
If whoever wrote the caption didn’t notice that they misspelled Taylor’s name before posting it, there’s a good chance that they didn’t mean to say Taylor Swift was being transported in a suitcase.
Then again, maybe I’m wrong.
Coincidentally, today is the one year anniversary for Taylor getting exposed by Kim. Maybe Taylor just didn’t want to show her face but couldn’t reschedule her moving plans.
Anything is possible. Even Taylor Swift getting carried around town in a box.
Update: Splash News takes it all back!
“I literally just put down the phone with someone on Taylor’s camp,” a Splash representative said when contacted by SPIN. “We’re having to actually retract that.”
The Splash representative went on to say that whoever took the photo was, “not really a regular photographer that we use.”
Citing a fan theory from earlier this year that Taylor was reportedly leaving her apartment in a giant box, the Splash representative suggested that when their photographer saw two large men carrying a large box out of Taylor’s apartment, the photographer just assumed that was what happened.
Happens to the best of us, dude. Just you know, not usually on stages this large.
Everyone’s dealt with a friend ditching them for a new boyfriend, and everyone’s probably dealt with a friend who dates a guy you’re not a huge fan of. But when does your friend’s obsessive or annoying relationship turn into something you should actually talk to her about?
After all, there’s a difference between your friend ditching her friends for her new boo on her own accord vs. her ditching her friends because her boyfriend threatens to dump her if she doesn’t.
We talked to relationship expert Dr. Nikki Goldstein, author of Single But Dating, about how to know when you should step into your friend’s toxic relationship, and how to do it the right way.
We’ve all seen friends go MIA when they first get into a new relationship, but sometimes it’s not because they’re “so in love” with their new bae that they’ve forgotten about everyone else in their life. If someone’s relationship doesn’t allow for their friends, or even their family, it’s definitely not a healthy one.
Sometimes, your friend might not even realize she’s doing this, and other times it might be that her partner is telling her to stop seeing her friends and family because he worries they’re going to take her away from him or make her realize he’s no good.
“Sometimes when we’re unhappy in our relationships — you would think we would run away from them — but sometimes we tend to withdraw from the people around us, because we don’t want people to see us unhappy,” explains Nikki.
Make an effort to hang out with your friend. If she keeps dodging you, something’s up.
2. She’s sad more often than she’s happy
When you evaluate your own relationships, you probably take a step back and look at if the person is contributing positively or negatively to your life. A good way to see if your friend’s relationship is good for her is to see how her mood has been since entering the relationship. Is she happier and bouncier and more talkative? Obviously, that’s good. Is she always hiding in bed, sad, or apathetic? Probs not so good.
3. She’s stopped doing the things she loves
This is another one that can happen in relationships where people are unhealthily obsessed with each other – which usually leads to something worse.
“Toxic relationships lead people to wake up one day and say, ‘Hang on a second, I’m not living the life I wanted to live, I’ve morphed into this other person,'” says Nikki.
If her partner cared about her, he would encourage her to do the things she’s passionate about – whether that be painting, volunteering, or posting thotty pics on Instagram. If he lets her drop everything to be with him and adopt his interests, or worse, he’s telling her to stop doing the things she loves for some bogus reasons he’s formulated to justify his possessiveness, there’s a problem.
For the above three signs, there is a bit of speculation involved. But if you see him mistreat her in public, it’s game over and you absolutely have a right to speak out to her.
“Maybe you’re hanging around this couple, and you’re seeing that he’s mistreating her, he’s controlling her, and dominating her — that’s when you really have an opening to step in and say something, because you’ve actually seen the evidence,” says Nikki.
How to do it:
Once you realize your bestie’s boyfriend is controlling her or manipulating her, how do you tell her? You don’t want her to brush it off as jealousy or to agree with what you’re saying and stay with him anyway.
Sure, she’s your friend and you’d think she’d value your opinion, but if you’ve never been in a toxic relationship you probably don’t realize how manipulative someone can be.
Check your assumptions
There’s a difference between knowing your friend is in an unhealthy relationship and simply not liking her boyfriend or the fact that she spends more time with him than she does with you.
You can stop being friends with her if you’re pissed at her for that, but she’s going to think you’re psycho if you tell her you think she’s in a toxic relationship because she’s stopped getting drunk and thotting at the club with you. It definitely is a bummer when your friends start growing up and settling down before you’re ready to, but it doesn’t mean you have a right to tell them you know what’s best for them. And BTW, your friend quitting her habit of blacking out every Friday doesn’t count as her “stopping doing the things she loves.”
Nikki suggests first asking yourself, “Are they happy?”
“If you’re saying, ‘I don’t know if I like the guy, but she’s happy,’ you have to look at that — do you think they’re toxic because you’re on your high horse? Or [are you] jealous? It takes a lot of self-realization,” says Nikki.
Also determine whether it’s worth you getting involved. If she’s just a party friend and she’s not actually being harmed, you might just want to let things play out.
Take a soft approach
You might be pissed that your friend’s boyfriend is being absolutely mental and told her she can’t wear crop tops out of the house anymore, but instead of storming into her apartment and yelling at her for putting up with his shit, Nikki recommends taking a very soft approach.
“If you take the aggressive approach, then your friend might withdraw from you, just on the pure fact that she knows now that you don’t approve of the relationship,” says Nikki.
She also says to remember that your friend’s relationship was probably good at some point, so try to empathize with her for staying rather than acting like she’s an idiot for getting into the relationship in the first place.
Do it in person
It’s easier to have serious convos like these over text in terms of making sure you say everything you want to say, but it can get interpreted as super bitchy or rude. It’s also easy for your friend to simply ignore your text, or get distracted and not fully understand what you’re trying to say. Nikki says even over the phone isn’t a great option and that you should definitely push for talking to your friend in person when they’re not stressed, tired, or too bust.
Nikki recommends saying something like this:
“Listen, I’m nervous about bringing this up, because I don’t want this to come between us, and I don’t know how you’re going to take it, but I’m concerned that your relationship might negatively impacting you.”
She warns against using the word “toxic,” since it’s a bit of a trigger word.
“You don’t want to offend them, you want them to listen to you and hear you out,” she says. “But, if they come around and say, ‘Actually, you’ve got it wrong, I’m very happy,’ then you might have to trust them on that.”
Talk to her family
If you’re seriously concerned for her safety and you know that things have been violent or have the potential to, you should definitely talk to your friend’s family. You might also want to if you tried talking to her and she didn’t take your concern seriously. If you don’t have your friend’s parents contact info, it should be easy enough to get it through Facebook (because all parents have Facebook these days), or you could potentially contact a sibling.
“Even if you think that they will be mad at you, as a friend, you need to look after their safety first,” says Nikki.
Obviously, this is assuming that you’ve checked all the boxes and know that she’s in a dangerous relationship. She might be annoyed initially, but she’ll one day realize you’re doing it because you care about her!
Symon is not just another 25-year-old musician on the rise. Born and raised in Los Angeles, she got her start in the game by being the lead singer in a now-defunct pop/rock band, The New Officials, who previously opened for Demi Lovato.
After parting ways, Symon decided to become a solo artist. Thanks to her raw energy and charisma, it’s no surprise that L.A.-based indie record label Artbeatz added her to their roster.
Although music is her main priority, this Gemini gal doubles as a radio host for Sirius XM’s Hits 1 Hollywood. We chat about her newest single “I Never Do,” her upcoming debut EP, and why pop stars rule.
I’m so stoked for your debut music video “I Never Do.” How does it feel to have full creative control?
Ah thank you so much! I am so excited to finally put this out. I feel very fortunate to work with a label that believes in my vision and trusts me. I was able to meet with many incredible directors and vibe with them. When I sat down with Alex Loucas [a.k.a.] “Grizz” I knew he got me. He understood my creative image and because of that, all my ideas came to fruition.
What are the ultimate signs that a guy is a fuccboi?
My 3 step guide to identifying a fuccboi would be:
1. Texting you at 1am to “hang out”
2. Inviting you to a table at a club with all his friends for date number 2
3. Posting a photo on a yacht that he can’t afford.
You also have “Say,” which is equally catchy and danceable! What made you want to create songs with an upbeat tempo as opposed to a track that’s a bit slower?
I have songs that will be slower on the album which show another side of me. The album that will come out is about all my ups and downs in this crazy yet beautiful time in my life. Your 20’s are hard! Actually, they’re really fucking hard, but beautiful too. So, you will definitely hear some slower tempos as well on the next part of the album, after this debut EP.
You count Madonna and Lady Gaga as your role models and musical influences. How did you discover their music and when did you realize that they made an impact on you?
I grew up being obsessed with pop music. I’ll never forget watching TRL as a kid seeing Britney Spears on there for the first time. My mind was blown from how she was just the ultimate pop princess with so many iconic pop records. I then did my research on who was writing those songs and became obsessed with the songwriters such as Max Martin and Andreas Carlsson.
Growing up, my mom would blast Madonna in our house and I was hooked. She would show me videos and photos of Madonna’s different fashion styles during each single or album, which led me to understand how important image was in being a great artist. She was just so badass and so inspiring. Lady Gaga is the same for me. When I first saw “Bad Romance” and saw what she brought into the record and into that video, I knew I was witnessing an icon being born for my generation. They are both incredibly talented and powerful artists. I strive to be like them.
Apart from being a solo artist, you are the co-host of Hits 1 Hollywood, where you interviewed super rad artists like Little Mix and Steve Aoki. What have you learned from interviewing people who are in the same industry as you?
I’ve learned so much from having the artist to artist perspective on the show. It’s very interesting to be an artist and then have role reversal in an interview. I think what’s so cool for me is that as an artist myself, I know what artists want to be asked and what not. I’ve also learned that I’m not alone. I’m not alone in the sense that the struggles I go through are the same ones that the biggest artists in the world go through. It’s been nothing but an incredible experience for me that I truly feel grateful for.
The last time we met, I remember that you told me that you were more of a tomboy than a girly girl. How did you develop your sense of style?
A big style influence in my life is my mom. She is so fabulous, but her style in the 90s is where I truly pull from! She would wear crop tops, tight light wash jeans, converse heeled kicks, with a Gucci backpack and some vintage frames. She definitely started my fashion palette. Gwen Stefani has had a huge impact on me music-wise and style/image-wise. Gwen has always been so sexy, but more tomboy, which I always tend to pull from. She’ll rock a white tank with some black straps with some dope cargo pants and look sexy as hell. Attitude is key.
If you had to pick one piece of your closet that describes you, what would it be?
My custom black bomber jacket designed by Stacey Joy. It has my name on the back in old English with one of my favorite symbols, an evil eye. Keep bad vibes away!
What advice do you have for girls who want to run the game like you?
I wouldn’t say that I’m running the game. I have a long way to go. But this past year, writing this album has been so therapeutic and has allowed me to discuss true feelings I had been dealing with. Things such as heartbreak, sexual experimentation, [being] scared to live on my own, eating Taco Bell at 3 am…my advice is to be real! Be real as fuck because there is nothing more admirable. I could have given up years ago on this dream to be a recording artist but I keep going and pushing and you have to trust yourself even when it seems lonely. When you start to trust yourself the real beauty begins.
You might recognize Kaylen Zahara from her blog, modeling career, or even the fourth season of the reality TV show “Are You the One?” But what she’s here to talk about today is clarity and beauty regimens.
If you’re not an avid follower of her then you wouldn’t know that at one time, she considered herself a lost soul.
There are years in young adulthood that just seem to mesh together. You find yourself following a crowd and losing your sense of self. Kaylen wanted to put an end to this sense of fogginess so she took a soul searching trip to Maui, HI, and has never looked back.
Along with being a clear-minded and self-loving advocate who shares her journey, she shares her beauty routine and gives some tips on what she’s been incorporating on the reg.
How has you soul searching experience changed your life? And how did you know you found what you needed?
It has changed my life for the better. A lot of people don’t realize how powerful clarity is. Once you know yourself in the present moment, and you get clear about what you want out of life and what your soul purpose is, you begin to manifest your desires and experience serendipity. I can’t imagine where I would be today had I not listened to my intuition at 19 and 20 years old, urging me to become spiritual and try something new. I honestly owe a lot of my success to authors like Jerry and Esther Hicks and Rhonda Byrne. They were my teachers and mentors at the very beginning of my soul searching journey. It’s really amazing at how picking up books can transform your life!
What’s your biggest insecurity and how have you learned to accept it or tried to mask it?
My biggest insecurity has been not having the look of an artificial body. Those perfect hips, large breasts that can fill in those sexy, deep cut v-neck shirts, and that large bubble butt. It’s all you see online now and it’s so appealing that you begin to desire it yourself but realize it’s not even possible unless you’re willing to take out a loan to purchase it.
So then you go, damn, I can’t have that because I’m not willing to pay or go under the knife. Then you end up feeling like your hip dips or small butt isn’t enough for others to accept or double tap online. Over time I have learned to continue to admire others bodies, real or not, as well as admire my own. I even learned how to pose my body to give the illusion of having nice hips and a bit more cuff than I may actually have. Fake it till you feel better about it!
If you could go back in time and change ONE thing that you’ve done, what would be it?
I would go back and remove myself from the relationships where I allowed someone to control me as a woman and make me feel like I wasn’t enough to deserve love that was unconditional and nurturing. Those relationships had such a huge impact on me and made me go through processes of releasing trauma and limiting beliefs later on down the line. I feel that I could have saved myself a lot of pain and resentment had I been strong enough to not allow manipulative men into my life.
If you had to choose a life slogan what would it be?
My slogan in response to others response to my character and spirit is “Amazed By Kay.”
The first thing I do in the morning is lay in bed and give gratitude for my health, have another day to accomplish my goals and whatever else I have in my life. Expressing gratitude before I go to bed and when you wake is important to me.
What is the most important aspect of your self care routine?
The most important aspect would be my sage and meditation sessions I have to clear my energy. It’s really essential to everyday life. Internal before external. I always take it back to Lauryn’s lyric, “How you gon’ win if you ain’t right within?” Now if that isn’t facts, I don’t know what is.
What is your biggest guilty pleasure?
I love soul food. I love to eat large YUMMY meals that might put me to sleep even though I know I don’t need that type of treatment in my life.
How do regrets shape your life?
Not sure I have any. Everything I’ve been through has taught me a lot and I accept where I am in life. I do however allow some mistakes I have made to create fear for me and that has hindered some things and created doubt. Walking around with fear and doubt clouds clarity and before you know it, I become really indecisive and distrusting. It’s a mess but when I am aware I do my best to clear myself of that fear and doubt so I can move forward and not block any potential blessings.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever gotten from someone?
The best advice I have received is to honor that “what is for me, won’t miss out on me.” Growing up I always felt like I had to chase what I wanted, or prove myself to obtain what I wanted, and it had such a negative impact on me. I recently was told that piece of advice and it allowed me to learn to accept the timing of things in my life and created a stronger sense of what faith/fate is.
What’s your favorite cheap beauty product?
My favorite cheap beauty product is anything from Elf or NYX. If I need anything that has to do with skincare and makeup, they are my go to beauty and cosmetic line.
I have been using this brand by the name of Cocokind that is an amazing skincare line that is vegan and organic so it makes me feel like I have elevated from my cheaper brands. It def makes me feel super sophisticated and diva-ish.
What’s the most important step to your beauty routine?
The most important step to my beauty routine is clean and clear skin so washing my skin from head to toe making sure it’s smooth and clean is a must. Skin is the body’s largest organ so I can’t imagine not taking care of it and making it a priority. Drink alkaline water kids!
If you’re on Instagram, then you know all about spon con, otherwise known as sponsored content, otherwise known as #ads.
Famous people do it. Sort of famous people do it. And if you know somebody with more than a couple thousand followers, your friends do it too.
When done wrong, the filters in your brain immediately label spon con as spam, but when done right, spon con is basically art.
Maybe not the kind of art that deserves to be mounted in a gilded frame and hung on the walls of a museum — although TBH I’d buy a ticket in a heartbeat — but art nonetheless.
The kind of art that makes you think. The kind of art that makes you actually LOL. The kind of art that makes you rabidly reach for your phone so you can tell all your friends about it.
And it doesn’t get any more iconic than these 11 ads I’ve rounded up for you.
Although if you think there are any I missed, send me an e-mail. The only thing I love more than biting into a nice, juicy spon con post is being proven wrong!
Now without further ado, here they are, in no particular order.
Tavi Gevinson, editor-in-chief at Rookie, fashion world darling and up-and-coming actress, is living proof that you can do anything you set your mind to so long as your name is Tavi Gevinson.
She could probably even run for president next election cycle and the powers that be would be like, “who cares you’re supposed to be at least 35, this girl has moxie.”
And this year Tavi reached a level of spon con infamy that most celebs can only dream of. Doing ads for her own apartment. Not Airbnb. Apartment.
In March, using the hashtag #300AshlandPartner and the location tag 300 Ashland, out of nowhere Tavi began extolling the virtues of her new apartment.
A PR rep for the management company behind 300 Ashland told the The Cut that yes, Tavi was getting compensated for her spon con, but that she was also paying rent, so it wasn’t really a big deal.
The rep also continued to say that, “our influencers,” like Tavi, “will continue to create the same great content while enjoying their new homes and neighborhoods, and will be hosting special experiences open to our residents. We think it’s an exciting addition to our marketing efforts and a terrific amenity for tenants.”
Naomi Campbell and Scott Disick’s copy and paste ads
If you think that celebrities don’t always put a lot of effort into their spon con captions, congratulations, you’re right.
In 2016 Naomi Campbell was caught copy and pasting an Instagram caption sent to her by somebody at Adidas which read:
“Naomi, so nice to see you in good spirits. Could you put something like: Thanks to my friend @gary.aspden and all at adidas – loving these adidas 350 SPZL from adidas Spezial range. @adidasoriginals.”
But instead of putting something like that as her caption, Naomi put exactly that as her caption.
And Scott Disick was caught doing something similar while advertising a giant container of Bootea protein shake.
While you can hardly blame an icon like Naomi for not being bothered to read the caption before copy and pasting it, it’s kind of impossible to think of Scott Disick having anything better to do than to.
Posting spon con and making appearances is his whole job. Sure sometimes he’s on TV, sometimes he looks after his kids, and sometimes he makes out with models, but this is how he makes his money. Which is part of what makes his copy and paste job so memorable. Much like most of Scott Disick’s very public foibles, this didn’t need to happen. And it’s very easy to make fun of.
Kim Kardashian’s original morning sickness ad
Just like the coven of sisters Kim Kardashian shares a franchise with, Kim could post a spon con in her sleep. No really. Even if her assistant didn’t have her Instagram password, Kim could probably make it work.
Bruce Springsteen may have been born to run, Lana Del Rey may have been born to die, but Kim Kardashian was born to spon.
Take this 2015 post for some random morning sickness medication named Diclegis. People got so mad Kim didn’t include any of the potential side effects that the FDA got involved.
First, she tried to add a link to the important information in the caption, but the FDA was like, nah girl, nobody clicks on links if they’re not in bio. You know this. We know this. Stop playing.
So she had to issue a Corrective Ad with one of the longest Instagram captions you’ve ever seen. And she started it with a nonchalant, “I guess you saw the attention my last #morningsickness post received.”
Obviously, Kim’s ad made headlines for multiple days, which all things considered, had to have been a better outcome than Diclegis could have ever even thought possible.
A post shared by Kim Kardashian West (@kimkardashian) on
Kim Kardashian’s updated morning sickness ad
It’s hard to imagine Kim ever finding a way to top her first morning sickness ad for Diclegis, but like we said, Kim Kardashian was born for this game.
Updating the ad to fit her current “it looks shitty, but it’s actually arty,” Instagram aesthetic, Kim set up the photo to look like she was doing a deep dive on her own Instagram feed — very plausible — when she stumbled across her old iconic ad, and then turned out to face the camera as if to say, “is this funny or what? no really, is it funny? Because I only like to laugh when things are really funny and I can’t afford to give myself premature laugh lines for nothing.”
A post shared by Kim Kardashian West (@kimkardashian) on
Kris Jenner’s Detox tea ad
As the most popular member of the Kardashian/Jenner clan — really, look it up — it’s surprising that it took Kris until 2017 to try her hand at spon con.
But it was worth EVERY DARN SECOND of the wait.
When I first saw this ad on my Instagram feed, I immediately assumed it was fake because that’s how good it was. But I was wrong. So very wrong.
Standing in what appears to be a home gym wearing a sports bra and leggings, with her arm on her hip like the sorority president she was in a past life, Kris says, “People always ask me how I stay in shape and looking so good. I detox regularly, especially pre-summer. @flattummytea is my this year’s summer must-have, and uhhh, I feel amazing (go get some today there’s a 20% off sale on!)
Busy Philipps and Lil Jon’s four and a half minute Michaels ad
You might not be following Busy Phillips on Twitter, I know I’m not, but her incredibly long #ad for that crafting supplies black hole otherwise known as Michael’s deserves to go down in history.
“Springtime, ahhh,” Busy exhales at the beginning of the video. “It’s one of my favorite times of year. A time for renewal and for reconnecting with friends, and what better way to reconnect than to engage in a spirited crafting competition?”
And after that wonderful segue, Lil Jon steps out of a tree and breaks the fourth wall to ask us, the invisible audience, “How the hell y’all doing?” while he holds out his arms and moves his chest exactly one time.
Even if you only watch that much, you won’t be disappointed, but if you have the time, you should really watch the whole thing. It doesn’t get better than the cold open, but it never stops being funny.
In a now-deleted ad, that thanks to the wonders of the world wide web can never truly be forgotten, Bella Hadid proved she was just a girl, standing in front of you with a plate of deviled eggs, asking you to order Postmates.
Here’s the picture she used, which was made about a month earlier by @siduations just to be funny.
And here’s the caption, which you can see in this screenshot I took from Mashable. And if you’re asking me, why would you need to take a screenshot, why can’t you just embed the deleted post, let me remind you, the post got deleted. The caption doesn’t exist anymore because the photo doesn’t exist anymore.
But for a few seconds, because the Internet never forgets anything, you can see the caption pop up in the Instagram post Mashable embedded. But don’t take my word for it, take a look and see what I saw. And then come right back so you can actually read the caption.
“@Postmates is the best! I love ordering food on my way home from work or just for a little snack thanks @sideuations () Everyone should download the app and use my code: BELLA50 for $50 in FREE delivery credits! (Nobody loves delivery more than me..( u think I can use my own code!?!)✨ YES ITS PHOTOSHOPPED GUYS…promise I don’t walk on the street with a plate of deviled eggs”
But did you know that wasn’t even Bella Hadid’s first spon con for Postmates?
Bella has been doing ads for Postmates ads since at least 2015, back when captioning them #ad wasn’t a thing. Nor apparently was doing them on Instagram. Which must explain why Bella posted a variety of Twitter spon con that was trying its best to look like authentic content.
Anwar gets so cranky when he doesn’t have his deviled eggs.
Kylie Jenner’s Bumble ad
Okay in the spirit of honesty, I have to admit this ad isn’t really iconic, but it is a personal favorite. Mostly for reasons I suspect that Kylie did not intend. While most of the time Kylie wearsunremarkableoutfits to spon in, unless the outfit she’s wearing is the thing she’s promoting. Except this time.
In this spon con ad, Kylie wore one of my favorite outfits she’s worn all year. But that’s not what the ad is for. Instead, it’s for a Bumble party Kylie hosted with her sister Kendall at Coachella this year, which was apparently so “cool” that it snowed “in the desert!”
I know I’m not the only one who has looked back on #TBT photos of myself and laughed at how insecure I was about my body back then – and how ridiculous it seems now. Do you remember being super self-conscious about your body back in the day, when in retrospect, you looked great?
It might just be that being super skinny was all the rage in the early 2000s, whereas having curves is hot right now. It could also be that you were in middle school or high school, and super unconfident in everything, including your body. But for me, it was about how often I worked out.
I’ve always stayed generally around the same size range, but there are definitely old photos that I look at with envy as well as old photos that make me cringe a little. The crazy thing is that no matter what my weight was, I was usually working out 5-7 days a week — and I was unhappy with my body at both extremes.
I never had an eating disorder or any sort of serious body dysmorphia, but like most girls I spent time in the mirror mentally noting what I would change if I could. Those mental notes would turn into workout plans. Hoping for a bigger butt? I’d start doing leg days twice a week instead of one. Wanting to rid myself of my flabby triceps that made me revert to the skinny-arm in all my photos? Better go harder on the pull-downs.
I was raised in an exercise and diet-obsessed household, and what initially were forced workouts turned to a hobby I enjoyed. On summer mornings my dad, who’s a doctor, would walk into my room, wake me up, and give me the choice between taking a bike ride, rollerblading, or going on a run. My choice as a kid was always one of the first two (running was hard!), unless I decided to pretend I wasn’t feeling well. Thankfully, once I got a bit older, my dad would let my sister and me go out “running” on our own, and we’d hide in our building’s stairwell eating donuts from the deli downstairs.
Once I got older and realized working out could actually make me look better, I didn’t mind doing it. After all, running became sort of therapeutic. Starting sophomore year of high school, I worked out more or less every day, which continued until about senior year of college. Once I graduated and moved to New York, my schedule got crazier, I was too tired to work out in the mornings, and my gym membership became a waste of money. At most I was working out three days a week, but more often it was closer to once a week or not at all.
The crazy thing? Since quitting a constant workout schedule, I never look in the mirror and mentally note what I wish I could change anymore. I very rarely do the thing where I’m trying to find something to wear and I give up because I look “fat” in everything. I no longer dwell on badly angled photos of myself and tell myself I need to chill on the chocolate chip cookies.
I was never overweight. But I was insecure. And somehow, working out less has alleviated so many of the body insecurities that I used to have.
I attribute part of it to accepting my body rather than trying to change it with a new exercise routine. When I was working out every day, I was hyper-focused on results. This would lead me to analyze my body, seeing if my butt looked rounder or if my arms jiggled less. If they didn’t look better, I’d get frustrated and feel bad about myself, even if nobody else saw the stubborn lower belly fat I was worried about.
Now that I don’t work out so intensely, I’m not expecting results. I’m simply expecting (and hoping) my body will stay the way it is. I’m not looking in the mirror to see if my daily ab routine is giving me a flat tummy, because I’m not doing a daily ab routine. Instead, I’m waking up, briefly looking in the mirror, and maybe even noticing how great I look considering I’d eaten out all weekend and hadn’t stepped foot in the gym in weeks. I may not look as fit as I did when I was working out for two hours a day, every day, but as corny as it sounds I actually feel #blessed in my body!
Beeing healthy is still important to me. I love being active, walking everywhere, and originally out of broke-ness I’ve adopted a largely vegan diet during the week which has led to me eating more veggies than ever before. I also do yoga in my bedroom via YouTube a couple times a week for mental health, which is ironic because back in my intense workout days I avoided yoga, thinking it wasn’t a “real workout.”
If working out every day makes you feel good, that’s awesome, and I’m definitely not advocating that people cut back on exercise considering most of us could use more of it. What I am saying is that you shouldn’t turn to exercise as a way to “change” your body into something you’ll be happy with.
Just because your favorite fitness blogger works out every day doesn’t mean you have to. It also doesn’t mean you’ll ever look like her, even if you follow her workout and diet plan to the letter.
Focusing more on being healthy and doing the exercises I feel like doing, when I feel like doing them has made all the difference for me, and it just might work for you too.
On a sunny June day in Cali, we met with our current man crush, rapper PnB Rock, at the famous Chateau Marmont. You could say he’s also our style icon: Rock pulled up in head-to-toe Gucci including tracksuit, slides, and even matching backpack. We immediately fell in love with Rock’s goofy attitude and gorgeous voice. It is mind-blowing that Rock only started singing when he was 20 years old.
Now, Rock is a daddy to his beautiful daughter Milan (even she has a Gucci bag) and his song “Selfish” is certified platinum. We made sure to snatch Rock while he was in LA for an exclusive photoshoot and ask him about the inspirations behind his music and what we would find on his iPhone camera roll.
Sweatsuit, Karl Kani. Sneakers, Air Jordan. Ring, The Gold Gods. Sunglasses, Crap Eyewear.
Tell us about your latest album, GTTM: Goin Thru the Motions. What kind of topics do you cover and what’s the story behind the title?
It’s about going through the motions of everyday life; navigating newfound fame, having a daughter, losing my oldest brother to the streets, exploring different places and traveling. Relationship problems. I put it all into an album and it turned out to be a dope project.
How was touring for this album?
I just finished the GTTM tour, it was crazy. I think I’ll go back on tour with someone, but I’m not sure who it’ll be.
Who’s a dream collaborator?
I like Travis Scott. I think we would make a fire song together.
If we went through your iPhone camera roll what would we find?
A bunch of screenshots of funny shit, photos of me and the gang and me and my daughter. I don’t save nudes!
What does Philly do better than LA?
They make better cheesesteaks than anywhere. And better dancers [laughs].
Are you more of an IG guy or Twitter?
I’m starting to like twitter more because it’s more interactive with my fans. On IG I can’t keep up.
What’s the craziest message you’ve received from a fan?
I get a lot of people saying, “You saved me from killing myself.” Also, “Can I get money?”
Hoodie, Mr. Completely. Overalls, Joyrich. Sneakers, Fila. Ring, The Gold Gods.
Is there a song you love to sing in the shower?
I’ll be singing a whole bunch of different shit!
That’s very true. You’re basically singing throughout the entire day.
I’m always coming up with different stuff all throughout the day. You will for sure catch me with my phone up to my face mumbling some shit, making melodies, saving voice memos.
Describe your personal style.
I’m big on brands. Who doesn’t like Gucci, Louis, Fendi? Ksubi jeans. Basically anything money can buy [laughs].
Would you rather never wear designer clothes ever again or never smoke weed again?
That’s a given. I would rather never wear designer clothes again. I would walk out naked if I had to!
What is something you want for your daughter Milan that you wish you had?
I would want her to make good friends. When you come across a friend, cherish that friend. A lot of my childhood friends are still my friends because we made that bond. Friendship is hard to come by. I would like my daughter to have the same set of friends from her childhood, that would be cool.
Yeah, sometimes when I have the time I’ll take a girl on a date. Whatever she likes I like.
Where would we find you on a date?
Prime, Nobu, Catch. I love seafood.
Who are some of your musical inspirations?
Mary J. Blige, Nate Dogg, Ol’ Dirty Bastard. I like Tupac. My mom listened to everybody, so growing up, I listened to a lot of different music. Honestly so many things inspired me to make music, even something like an old school nanny song.
Where do you want to be in a couple of years?
I never expected myself to be here right now. I try not to set goals because I’ve already accomplished everything that I wanted to already. I got a lot of materialistic things I wanted and my family is cool. I just want to keep growing and blossoming and make this legacy a hell of a legacy.
Jacket, Alexander McQueen. Trousers, Moschino. Top, Joyrich. Sneakers, Puma.
Pop songstress Allie X released part one of her EP CollXtion back in 2015 — a snappy pop collection of tunes that had people like Katy Perry randomly tweeting to her millions of fans about being “obsessed” with Allie’s song, “Catch.”
Back in 2014, Allie was surprised and appreciative at getting Perry’s support — today, it’s frankly something she’s a bit sick of talking about. And unsurprisingly, Allie def does not want to be Katy.
But, maybe Katy wants to be Allie?
Music bloggers have recently pointed out that Katy Perry’s album art for “Witness” looks strangely similar, if not a straight up copy of some of the imagery from Allie’s video for “Catch.”
It’s doubtful that Allie X cares, or has even noticed the similarity — since frankly she’s focused on the release of her newest EP, part II of CollXtion.
In the making of Part II, Allie realized she wanted to build a new sonic identity, a change from Part I. While she describes part one as “Super pop, layered, and extreme,” part two conjures a different set of words: “Minimal, personal, & boppy.”
Allie has always left personal details as somewhat of a mystery, describing herself as “twenty something” and being somewhat vague as to how she scored her publishing deal. Her only explanation is that of a true mysterious artist, “the content should speak for itself.”
Mystery ain’t a bad thing though, especially if it leads to creating the bops on her new album.
You’ve said you used to hide certain things when you were younger because you felt different — why is that?
I hide things now too. Everyone has stuff they carry shame about and feel that they are alone in. The concept of “X” is a way for us to work towards healing/accepting these pains.
What was your favorite outfit as a kid?
Dresses! I couldn’t get enough of wearing dresses. My mom had to negotiate with me for one “pants day” a week.
How would you describe your style now?
Harajuku Mormon pastel goth? Fashion is a means for me to hide my insecurities and express myself.
If your current life situation were a movie, what movie would it be and why?
I hope that it would be something like When Marnie Was There.
What are your favorite things about this new album “Collxtion II”?
1. The album art
2. That I was so fucking stubborn about finishing the songs. A lot of them had been cast aside by others, but I knew they had potential and I saw them through.
Were there any other artists you listened to inspire these new songs?
Whether you or your friend have been dumped, ghosted, or cheated on, the worst thing is to watch the person who made once made them so happy, make them so unbelievably sad.
The anger and hurt just sits and boils inside as you wonder: “How could they have done that to me?” “How could they have done that to her?” “Why on earth would they do that?”
It sucks because those are questions you are probably never going to know the answer to. Nothing is more exhausting than waiting for an apology you’re never going to receive. You create all these little scenarios in your head, but most of the time, they never happen.
It’s normal to be mad for a little while, but it comes to a point where the person who hurt you isn’t worth wasting your negative energy on anymore. Most of the time, they’ve probably already forgotten about you if they haven’t come running back, and thats the harsh but sad truth.
I remember the first time a guy really hurt me, and a girl I barely knew was like “Want me to beat him up for ya!?” That was the last thing I wanted to hear. You don’t want them to know that you care and you don’t want to give them that satisfaction, so obviously that made me even more frustrated.
Ladies, revenge is sweet, but it’s also really fucking stupid. In the end, nothing is going to change and it’s only going to make things worse. Once someone knocks you down, it’s not about getting back at them. It’s about lifting yourself back up after that person took a little part of you and isn’t going to give it back. The person that hurt you knows your hurt, you don’t need to remind them. The best thing for you to do is be silent, after all, silence is the loudest cry.
I asked my fellow ladies at Galore their experience with breakups and advice on how to basically get the fuck over it, and their responses were pretty great, obviously.
After somebody’s broken your heart, what do you wanna hear?
Maria Pasquini (@mlpasquini) wants to hear: “What food can I get you?”
“I just want someone to hear me out but just watch TV and eat with me…and let me take a walk if I need to,” she said.
Ummm, this is 100 percent true and super important. When your girl is having a hard time, go to your local Chinese food restaurant and get her some fucking dumplings. And then get her ice cream. Then, let her cry her heart out to you while you listen, then comfort her and watch The Notebook with her.
Also, breakups aren’t sad for everyone. Galore’s senior editor Molly Mulshine (@finerthingsclub) at least feels that way. She hates it when people say “I’m so sorry!” because it assumes breakups are inherently sad, when maybe it was a good riddance! Never assume if you don’t know the facts.
Ashley Uzer (@ashleyuzer) hates it when people say, “You were way too good for him, he was so ugly.” Like I’m sorry, but I don’t wanna hear that you thought my boyfriend was ugly and that I was too good for him. That’s not going to make anyone feel better.
Maria, Molly and Ashley all agree that revenge is pathetic.
“I think revenge makes you look pathetic and embarrassing because it always looks like you’re out to get revenge if you do anything besides live your life,” says Ashley.
“The best revenge is living better” says Maria.
“The only good revenge is if it’s a byproduct of you doing shit you want to do,” says Molly.
So, how DO you lift your girl up after a fuckboy knocks her down?
“You have to make an effort to spend time by yourself,” Maria says. After a breakup, you are left with a void, and you need to learn how to be comfortable alone again. Of course quality time with your girls is a given, but you need to learn what its like to be alone with yourself.
“Don’t turn so hard to alcohol,” Ashley says. If you drink in hopes of feeling less empty, you’re only going to blackout and feel even worse. It doesn’t help. Maybe a bottle of wine on a night where you stay in.
You need to do things that are healthy for you, drinking is not one of them. Go for a run, go watch the sunset, make the healthiest pizza you’ve ever made, go boxing and pretend the punching bag is your ex’s face. Make your girl a playlist of her favorite songs, go on a road trip, deactivate your Instagram for a week. Its about YOU, not him. His quick rebound is only going to be a downgrade from you, its like that 75% of the time.
Don’t you ever wish that your mom didn’t bar you from spending so much time on the internet when you were younger? Maybe you could’ve been an influencer by now.
Or maybe you wished she would’ve chosen to raise you somewhere besides bumfuck Virginia so that you could’ve made friends with important people or at least learned how to ride the subway before your adult years.
Well, Jill Smith and her husband decided to move to Kaui, Hawaii, and both their sons ended up being (hot) professional surfers who now have thousands of Instagram followers – making them athletes and influencers! Goals.
But now that her tots are all grown up, Jill is crafting full time and has launched her all-natural, eco-friendly designs under the label Ali Dakota. We talked with Jill about moving to Hawaii from Michigan out of nowhere, how she got into designing, and natural fabric dying.
Can you walk me through your background and how you got into the fashion business?
I have three sons, and two of them are professional surfers and one models and lives in NYC. I was [solely] a mom throughout the entire time they were being raised. I homeschooled them and traveled with them an awful lot. I’ve always done art and a bunch of different projects and I was definitely the art teacher at homeschool [laughing].
Now they’re kind of just off on their own and they’re more independent, so I just jumped into creating things. I guess how it really started was they had a whole bunch of T-shirts from contests. Eventually I just had a bunch of white fabric leftover and I started dyeing them, but I got to a place where I didn’t feel good about using the synthetic dyes, so I started learning about natural dyes and when Travis [her son] was out in NYC I actually came out and took some classes on that type of dyeing. Then I came across eco-print and that’s what I’m doing now. It’s when you take a fabric and bundle it up with leaves and then you steam it and the tannins and the pigments from the leaves come out onto the fabric.
We are still a really close family and we’re always traveling… everywhere we go I bring my bundle and a pot and I can explore the different leaves of that region. So that’s kind of what I started doing, I started little collections from different areas. So it’s kind of fun because I can do it wherever I go. So that’s kind of my background on how I really got into all of this. And the bundling is cool because you never know how they’ll turn out, no two will ever come out the same.
Do you find it hard to kind of not have control over that, as someone who’s a perfectionist I feel like it would be hard to let go of something and just let it take its course?
You mean to not know what the fabric will come out like?
Yeah.
Yeah, well I mean there are some that are just total flops. Like the boys go to Coachella every year, so I was like, “Oh, I’ll make you guys shirts.” I had these silk shirts, so I roll them up, and I was still in the experimental stage at this point, I didn’t really know how to get the print. So I do it and I sent it to them and they go, “Mom I don’t wanna hurt your feelings but this looks like a bunch of stains.”
And I said, “Oh, it’s fine,” like I wasn’t hurt about them at all. It’s interesting because you never know what you’re going to get, but that’s okay. I’d say 75% of the time now I get something that’s really usable, and the ones that don’t come out great at first you can just rebundle it and try something new.
So I read online that the bags are made from recycled airplane leather seats?
Yeah, I have a sister-in-law that works for one of the companies that does the reupholstering for all the private airplanes. She knew I was creative, so at one point she just sent me a box of leather and said I’d probably be able to figure out something to do with it. That was the point where my printing was really coming together, and I was like, “I should just make purses.” So that’s what we ended up with! It’s nice because that leather is repurposed.
So how long have you been selling the bags for?
Well I just launched last December, I wanted to launch before Christmas. It did really well, I almost sold out. The bags that are left right now are in two different stores in Kaui. And I have one bunch coming in every week, so I’ll be able to put more on my website that are fresh.
What lessons have you learned about building a website and branding yourself?
The branding is all really new to me. I have a gal I’m working with in LA that helps with that. I send her all my prints and leather, and she takes it all to the man who’s sewing them. I’m just taking it one step at a time, I don’t have a huge funding behind it, I’m trying to just grow organically.
The whole social media is just expanding and getting on Instagram and things like that, it’s all a learning experience to me right now. The marketing is new to me, I’ve always been more of an artist rather than putting myself out there and selling my things. I’ve never been that person. So I have a gal in LA that’s kind of guiding me and helping me through all of that. Along with being in different stores, I do want to grow the online stores, but then I’ll probably start doing more of the higher end. She actually has a few lined up in LA that she think will be good ones, to get the name out there.
So where are you from originally?
Originally I’m from Michigan. My oldest son who’s 26 now was born in December in Michigan. My husband said, “After this baby is born, why don’t we go somewhere warm?” The only thing he said was [the place] had to have good golf. So I ended up saying, “why don’t we go to Hawaii?”And so we did, and we were here for about three weeks. When it was time to head home, I was like, “Do we really have to live in Michigan?” He was just at this point in his career where he wanted to separate from what he was doing. So we were like, “Why don’t we see what we can do?” He had a few interviews before we even left the island, and things were looking good for him. So we went home and put our house up for sale and came back.
Cool! Yeah I feel like so many more people are kind of doing that when they’re just like, “Why do we have to live somewhere shitty?” Do you think it’s as glamorous as it sounds? People make it sound so amazing, but you’ve actually done it.
Yeah, each island is completely different, it is real glamorous but there is a lot of rain, so you have to be the kind of person who doesn’t mind rain. But the rain is warm, so you can still play. It’s absolutely gorgeous, I think if you’re someone who relates with nature, that’s pretty much what it’s all about. There’s a lot of really active people there who hike and surf and boat. I think the athletic people, the people who enjoy nature are the ones that really thrive in the islands, especially Kaui because there’s not much there. There’s really no night life.
That’s funny.
Yeah, so it is pretty incredible. People end up getting a little crazy with island fever and they need something new, but fortunately we were able to travel quite a bit. After the boys started surfing we did contests here and there and everywhere. We’d spend most of the month of June in California, and there are contests in New Zealand and Australia. So we were always able to leave and come back and fly home with the destination being Kaui HI which was always so wonderful.
Sydney Park used to be a sweet and innocent Disney star, and now she’s a total horror film buff.
She’s currently promoting her newest movie, Wish Upon. We caught up with her to get the deets on her fears, standup comedy, Raven Symone, and Miley Cyrus.
We’re used to seeing you play comedic roles. Did branching into the horror genre push you out of your comfort zone at all?
I always wanted to do it since I was a little girl. My birthday is on Halloween, so people always think I love horror. But growing up, horror movies used to scare me. I’ve started to appreciate the filmmaking behind horror movies and the horror genre in general. Making that transition from comedy to horror was kind of inevitable for me. It was interesting playing a character like Meredith from Wish Upon, she’s the comic relief, but she also has the scary scenes. It was an opportunity for me to show my comedic skills and have a chance to be in a really cool horror movie.
Have you gotten over your fear of horror movies? Do you have a favorite?
I thought, “Wait a minute, Sydney. You’re in the industry, you know that this stuff isn’t real. Just look at it as [if] you’re kind of studying it.” Because there’s a real science behind making horror movies. One of my favorite movies of all time, horror genre aside, is TheShining.
Wish Upon sounds like a fairy tale, but it’s far from it, right?
It’s definitely far from it. The lead character, Claire, played by Joey King, finds this ancient Chinese wish box, and you find out later that you can make seven wishes, but a blood price will be made. So there are consequences to this and it’s not just a coincidence that all of these horrible, tragic things are happening as she’s making these wishes.
My character, Meredith, and another character, June, who’s played by Shannon Percer, we’re all best friends and I’m seeing that my friend is kind of going down this spiral and she’s looking control of herself and changing a lot. So you’ll see my character Meredith kind of tell Claire off a couple times and be honest about what she’s thinking, because she’s very brutally honest in that way. It’s a trippy movie.
Could you go more in depth about your role as the best friend in the film?
Meredith is the sassy friend that you really want in your circle, because she is such a loyal friend, but she’s not afraid to tell you what she’s thinking. Sometimes her big mouth gets her into trouble, but she is kind of the “truth” in this movie as the director, John, likes to say. And that’s something we discussed when I was auditioning for it, he was saying, y’know, “I love how you portrayed her as not being super bitchy, she’s not mean in that way. She’s just really honest, she speaks the truth, she’s hilarious! She says some crazy stuff and I think people will get a kick out of her as much as I did.
If you were granted one consequence-free wish, what would it be?
That cancer never existed.
What’s the most irrational fear you have?
I’m afraid of finding a shark in a swimming pool. I can’t really swim alone in a swimming pool because I have this fear that a shark is gonna just pop up! I actually told someone that, and the next day, she says that she read an article that in Sydney, Australia, they found a small tiger shark in a public pool! And I’m like, “See! It’s not an irrational fear!”
Would you ever venture back into the world of standup comedy?
Yes! I’m actually writing a set right now. I definitely miss my stand-up comedy roots. I think it takes a lot of courage to get up on a stage and try to make people laugh, y’know? I think it’s just an art form. And watching all these comedians that I grew up with as a little girl and seeing how successful they are inspired me a lot. My comedian friends are like, “Syd, you thought it was cool for you back then, just watch how different it’ll be for you.” So, I’m excited to get back into it.
Do you remember a specific moment when you realized you were funny?
Uhh, when I came out the womb… [laughs]. It was probably just the continuous performances I would make my family watch as a kid. Seriously, I was two years old, and we were living in San Francisco at the time, and they put me in this ballet class. So I had my recitals, but I would come home, and a family friend of ours was coming over and I put on my tutu and I ran out, would chant, “You’re a loser.” In my tutu. And that’s when I was like, “Wow, Sydney, you’re ridiculous. You’re crazy.” I was like I have to do this, I have to be on TV. I told my mom, “Mom, I gotta be on that TV.”
What TV shows on right now make you laugh the hardest?
I would say Orange Is The New Black will make me laugh my ass off but also cry my eyes out. Bob’s Burgers. And sometimes even This Is Us will make me laugh, but I bawled my eyes out as this episode I watched last night. It was pretty intense. Those are definitely my top three right now.
Tell us about your new YouTube Red series with The Rock called Lifeline.
Lifeline is an action/sci-fi thriller, it’s kind of depicted in the future, it’s more of like a bleak, sort of setting, we’re in this city, it seems like Los Angeles, and it’s set in the future, where time travel exists. So it’s not too far-fetched from where we are now, but it also is in a way.
My character, Nora, is pretty punk rock and kick-ass, so I think it’ll be a chance for my fans to see me in a different light and to see me in a role I’ve never played before. So me and Zach Gilford are the stars of the show, and it’s just really cool. The Rock makes a cameo. We’re doing promos with him this summer. He’s gunna put a lot into it, he’s putting a lot of advertising into it. It’s gonna be dope.
What comes to mind when you hear the word “hilarious”?
Like, you laugh until you pee — I’ve peed on myself laughing! I’ve laughed so hard that I’m like, this is an ab workout in itself. I always think of people and their “happy sound.”
From your child acting days, who would you say was a cooler co-star: Miley Cyrus or Raven Symone?
Aww. That’s hard. Miley was so nice to me. She was amazing. I remember we were rehearsing, and we were sitting there and she like wrote me this letter. It was beautiful and I still have it. She was just so incredibly nice. I wish I had gotten to work with her more.
But, Raven was definitely the one to really show me the ropes at my first professional job as an actress on That’s So Raven. She was talking to me about remembering lines, blocking, the whole process of it, so I definitely say Ray was a great actress to be attached to starting out so young. She really just protected me and made me feel safe. I gotta call her up, though, and just bombard her and be like, “You gotta get Syd on the reboot, like, what’s up?”
What’s the craziest thing that’s happened to you on a Disney set?
I remember I was on set of That’s So Raven and the director said, “You know what, Syd? Go for it, run with it. Say anything you want” — and this is crazy because I was literally seven years old. I was like, “Okay, what’s up with Disney and all these corny white girls?” And Raven picks me up off the stage and was like, “No! Sydney! They sign our checks!” It was hilarious. They thought it was so funny, that at the wrap party, the footage made it to the blooper reel.
You seem to be a proud Scorpio, what trait do you identify with the most?
Our fearlessness. I love being a scorpio. Scorpio women are definitely really fearless, and independent.
Kylie Jenner is so nice, the good folks at Madame Tussaud’s decided the world needed the pleasure of seeing her twice.
After six months, they finally finished Kylie’s wax figure and Kylie says the resemblance is so twinsy that her own family couldn’t tell the difference between them.
Yaris Sanchez is getting ready to take on the film and video world and nothing can stop her.
Born in the Dominican Republic, Sanchez moved to New York city at the age of three, and has without a doubt made a name for herself. Breaking out onto the scene as the showstopper in A-list rappers music videos, Sanchez has experienced what it’s like to be in front of and behind the camera. She’s taken everything she’s learned and channeled it into positive outlets, creating her own artistic career that is taking off.
Sanchez has defied all expectations. She likes to express herself through her personal style and is continuing to pursue her passion for acting and film each and every day.
What are some of the things that make you feel empowered?
Clothing makes me feel empowered, it’s how I express myself everyday. It represents a mood, a thought, a story that I’m carrying. Also, tools such as social media for expression, and a camera to capture moment and selfies that also tell a story. Music and traveling also make me feel empowered.
From personal interests to fashion sense, how did you start comfortably owning who you are?
It all began with me taking ownership of my mind and body. I decided to listen to myself, and always follow my highest excitements because that always leads to happiness and that was always the goal for me. Once I started making myself happy, which believe me, it’s a work in progress as every day you grow and learn, but that led to self love which in turn led to confidence.
In what ways has social served as a platform to express yourself?
Social media has served as a platform in my journey to self-expression in so many ways. Each platform is my own space and has given me the ability to find people that share my interests and that really fuck with me for what I have to say or even for simply being me which is a blessing. It’s very liberating, and although at times there’s people that aren’t so nice with their opinions, it gives me an opportunity to accept, be open and compassionate towards others as well. We all deserve to be heard.
What are some of your favorite places to shop?
I love thrifting, it’s honestly how I find all my unique pieces. Thrift stores such as Salvation Army, Beacon’s Closet, and every time I travel out the state or country I shop at thrift stores and come back home with so many amazing gems.
Being sexy to me is a state of mind, a feeling. It’s the amount of love you have for yourself and the world. It’s being kind, warm, and charming all of that to me translates into pure sexiness. Topping all that off with a cute outfit is extra sexy points lol.
Where do you draw inspiration from?
I draw inspiration from firstly, myself, my story, my culture, and my background. Latinas have a lot of sass, flare and personality. Movies such as Mulholland Drive, Gummo, Girl Interrupted, and Clockwork Orange are all aesthetically pleasing. Carrie Bradshaw, Gwen Stefani, and Bettie Page will forever be style inspirations.
What’s one essential item in your closet that every girl should also have?
Lots and lots of cute purses. You can’t ever have just one, a good purse to match every look you want to nail will complete it.
If you had to choose an era of style to wear for the rest of your life which one would it be?
This is tough because I love mixing eras together when I dress up at times. But honestly I think late 90’s and early 2000’s would be my pick.
What projects should we be on the look out for the upcoming year?
I’m still working on my short films as I continue studying acting and film. I’d like to put out film content regularly to show everyone my range. I recently started writing and will launch a blog very soon sharing my thoughts on certain relatable topics. I’m still working on my photo book along with photographer and BFF Cheril Sanchez, we have been collecting photos for a few years now, so I’m excited to put it together when the moment feels right. Lastly, working on an online store, but I’ll have more info on that once it’s developed more.
Balmain has been putting a lot more focus into the more affordable merchandising these days — evidenced by the fact that Balmain’s link in bio goes straight to their accessories page — and their new partnership with Beats by Dre represents their next chapter.
The era of golden headphones and earbuds.
“It wasn’t always easy,” Balmain designer Olivier Rousteing told Highsnobiety. “Matching the gold to the tone that I’m accustomed to use on the runway was such a challenge — but the Beats team was so patient and smart — they let me play and experiment until we all agreed that we had the best gold tone possible. Seeing how well that turned out and knowing all the work that went into that one element makes me proud.“
Aren’t you glad they figured that one out?
Kylie Jenner is!
Just look at how into her headphones she looks in this short ad.
Buy your pair today. Or at least drop some hints to your parents that you’ve got a birthday coming up. Even if it’s not actually coming up for another 11 months. Time is relative.
*They will not. But they will make you look bad & boujee though. Specifically boujee since there’s a good chance everybody will know how much you spent on them.
Assuming you haven’t been living under a rock for your entire life or aren’t a robot who only recently became sentient, then you know about one of the greatest mysteries that’s ever eluded humanity.
Where to buy makeout-proof makeup that actually works.
But makeup-artist Gina Modica, who’s worked on The Bachelorette since season 1, says the joke’s been on you the whole time. There is no magical product that will solve all your kissing problems.
Check out their page to see how you can win one. They’re also giving my followers a discount at LuMee.com this weekend. Use code “BEAUTY” for 20% off the LuMee Destination Collection which includes my blush case! #lumeecollab
” – Elyse Roberson on Instagram. 
” – Marissa Marino on Instagram. 
(@Arpwel) 
: @meech213 Kimono: @sheinofficial Bodysuit: @forever21 Heels: @stevemadden #fashion #melanin #wildthoughts #style #forever21 #shein #kimono
#adamfrankinc #300AshlandPartner
”
go visit my girl tomorrow in Hollywood and see the actual dress I wore to the Met Gala last year!
