Jan/Feb 2019

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fund her projects

“ALL SHE NEEDS IS A LITTLE SUPPORT”

WHY FUNDHERPROJECTS.COM? • We Understand and Value You • We Are Community Who Cares About Your Success • We Support Your Campaign from Start to Finish

WE EVEN SUPPORT NEEDS THAT HELP YOU SUPPORT THOSE PEOPLE AND IDEALS YOU HOLD DEAR BY OFFERING: • Rewards-Based Crowdfunding • Support for Meaningful Causes • Virtual Baby Showers for Mothers without Means • Back-to-School Gift Registry

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Fund Her Projects (FHP) is an innovative funding platform just for women. FHP is not your typical crowdfunding site, as it allows members to promote a wellintentioned cause and request needed items within the community.

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Editor-in-Chief, Annette Johnson Senior Editor, Elizabeth Nouryeh Associate Editor, Grace Kelley Fashion Editor, Dr. Courtney A. Hammonds Creative Director, Michelle Lynch Design Director, Joey Shepherd Page Layout and Design, Alan Reid Schulz Editorial Assistant, Brooke Allen Style Consultant, Selena Hulett Digital Marketing, Tamara King Social Media Marketing, Mariah Mullen Online Editor, Keith Johnson Marketing Coordinator, Veronique Thomas Editorial Intern, Jessica Baker Contributors: Susie Carder Janine Delaney Susie Frazier Merilee Kern Shalini Madhav Ilana Muhlstein Sonya Okoli Julio Salado Cover Alysia Reiner Customer Service For subscription service or change of address, including email, contact info@hersmagazine.net or write to: P.O. Box 1071, Atlanta, GA 30301 Hers (ISSN 2372-3785) is published six times per year by Allwrite Communications, 3300 Buckeye Road, Suite 264, Atlanta, GA 30341 770-284-8983

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January/February

CONTENTS F E AT U R E S 22 Investigative Reporter Mariana Atencio

A look into Atencio’s most emotional & heartfelt stories

26 Let’s Make a Contract

Signing a contract to love, honor and cherish

12 Is Your Heart Broken?

The ways grief and trauma affect our intimate relationships

13 Detoxing Your Home

How to rid your home of the holiday messes

18 Life-changing Home

Decorating Ideas

Learn how home design affects your wellbeing

16 Gym Motivation After The Holidays

The best tips to keep your New Year resolution in check

40 Struggling With Weight Loss?

Learn how to properly create a weight loss plan made for you 4 HERS Mag azine | D epar tment

62

Designer Winter Fashion Collections hers-magazine.com

10 See the World Through

Nikka's Lens

Famed photographer immortalizes cultures

14 Best Hair Products For Curly Girls

74 Alysia Reiner’s

Relationship with Motherhood

How her new film “Egg” challenges society’s view of mothers

34 Five Best Winter Family Getaways

The best family-friendly vacation spots in Europe

Discover your new favorite products to tame your curls

42 Creative Hobbies to

20 Quick Savory Meals

Craft hobbies for anyone needing a creative outlet

Taste how yummy these timesaving meals can be

43 Winter Fashions 2019 See the latest in chic to grunge

92 Is Vegan Makeup Actually Better?

Learn more about the benefits of strictly vegan products

Keep You Inspired

76 Carly Jibson's Opinions On Body Positivity

How TV & film portrays different body types

79 New Music

The latest albums from top female artists

81 Latest Movies

Discover the newest & highly anticipated films

32 Fun, Futuristic

Gadgets for 2019

From earbuds to phone stickers, these gadgets simplify life

28 Is The Women's March Beneficial To Women?

How encouraging women’s opinions is crucial to provoking change

30 Romola Hodas's Past Traumas

"Princess” of porn transforms her life, you can too

90 Three Communication Basics

How communication builds confidence

83 New TV Shows

Find the most binge-worthy shows to watch all in one day

39 Shocking Truths About

85 Book Review: Kim

Self-made millionaire Susie Carder’s financial advice

A female diplomat’s fight with the war-torn Middle East

88 Finanical Help From

86 Book Review:

Nicole Lapin’s 12-week course breaks down finance questions

Heroine poodle overcomes her disabilities

94 Winter Heriscopes

87 Tinder Hookups: “How to Fall in Love” Finding love

Women & Finances

The Money School

Discover your new horoscope this month

Hester’s “Bête Brune”

"Amazing Margaux"

between Tinder and Cupid

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JUST $9.95

F E AT U R E S • H E A R T • F L AVO R • H E A LT H L E S S O N S • W O R K • P L AY W W W. H E R S - M A G A Z I N E . C O M 6 HERS Mag azine | D epar tment

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Editor’s Letter Here we are in a new year and with greater anticipation about the future. It’s the time of year when we reframe our past challenges and bad habits in a positive, optimistic manner, hoping to overcome or eradicate them. One of the most popular resolutions toward this end is the declaration to lose weight or get fit. Given the popularity of this resolution, we have provided cardio tips for the New Year by fitness expert Julio Salado, along with an article on gym motivation.

While on our journey to becoming better people or simply more aware, we have included advice for building your confidence through communication. As most are aware, communication is the key to improving most relationships – even with yourself. This includes positive self-talk.

January has also ushered in the momentous, third annual women’s march. What began after the 2016 U.S. presidential election in protest of Donald Trump’s conservative social policies, alleged sexual harassment, and perceived attack on women’s reproductive rights has morphed into a movement to coalesce and embolden women across the world. The question we asked in this issue is where are we, as women, headed with

the 2019 march? What would represent a victory for women as a result of the march? Read our editorial, written by associate editor Grace Kelley, to find out what we think…

In raising women’s concerns, we feature award-winning journalist Marianna Atencio. Her career has been dedicated to uncovering social injustice in Hispanic America and, most recently, with immigrant women and children at the U.S. border. She discusses her most heart-wrenching stories.

Making a social statement through entertainment, actress Alysia Reiner gives us an unconventional look at motherhood in her new movie, “Egg.” This role is a departure from playing the warden (Fig) on “Orange is the New Black,” as it focuses on women’s freedoms rather than limitations. We also talk to actress Carly Jibson about body positivity and how it affects women in entertainment.

As always, we include travel, hobbies, food, and fashion.

The best winter family getaways are especially interesting and informative. Check out the latest movie and music releases along with your HERISCOPE! Enjoy,

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+ CONTRIBUTORS

SUS I E CA R D E R Profit coach Susie Carder is truly a selfmade millionaire. She started with one salon and health spa and built it into one of the most successful businesses in the country.

She then founded and sold three profitable companies, the last of which sold for eight figures to Cengage. In her popular program, the Predictable Success Method™, Susie has guided hundreds of companies to develop personalized operation systems in finance, sales and marketing. Her spit-fire personality, sharp wit and heart-warming stories are beautifully woven in with her decades of business knowledge to educate and compel audiences toward financial freedom.

SUZ I E F RA Z E R Susie Frazier is a 2018 Emmy® award-winning producer and on-air personality for her lifestyle show “Movers & Makers with Susie Frazier,” which aired on NBC affiliate station WKYC TV3 in 2017. For over two years, she has been the brand ambassador to Mont Surfaces, one of America’s leading suppliers of natural stone, engineered quartz and porcelain slabs for the building industry. She regularly speaks publicly at special events, writes articles for media publications and appears on TV, inspiring colleagues and consumers about anxiety-reducing design choices that any of us can make.

S H A L I N I M A D H AV Shalini Madhav is a graduate in Fashion Technology, and a writer at heart. Writing for her is an expression of her true self. After a short stint as a textile expert, she decided to take up writing fulltime. She is a mother to a tiny tot, and she uses her personal website and blog to explain the subtle yet perplexing aspects of parenting and motherhood.

When she's not writing, she is either pursing her passion of exploring the latest tech innovations or crooning to her favorite music.

SO N YA O KO L I Sonya Okoli is a wife and mother of three who resides in the eastern suburbs of Atlanta. Her professional life consists of working as a college lecturer. She’s also a published author, education commentator and motivational speaker. She loves publishing content about her parenting life or sharing her best preschool and college tips and resources. In her spare time, she enjoys reading to her children, traveling to local eateries with her husband and planning dreamy summer family vacations.

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JANINE DELANEY Hailed the “Jump Rope Queen,” Janine is a Doctor of Psychology, a former professional ballerina and an exercise and nutrition specialist.

She also holds multiple competitive titles. Her passion is to help others realize that being fit is not just about the way you look, but also about being healthy in mind, body and soul.

At 48 years old Janine is proof that age is just a number. She encourages and inspires her 1.5 million social media fans through her daily exercise routines, unique jump rope style and motivational posts on her social media.

MERILEE KERN As the executive editor and producer of “The Luxe List,” Merilee Kern is an internationallyregarded consumer product trends expert and hospitality industry voice of authority. She is a travel, dining, leisure and lifestyle expert who spotlights noteworthy marketplace innovations, change makers, movers and shakers. She reports on exemplary travel destinations and experiences, extraordinary events and newsworthy products, and also services across all categories.

I L A N A M U H L ST E I N Ilana Muhlstein is a registered dietitian. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Nutrition and Dietetics from the University of Maryland.

She sits on the Executive Leadership Team for the American Heart Association and leads the Bruin Health Improvement Program at UCLA. Ilana acts as a nutrition consultant for several companies, including Beachbody and Whole Foods Market.

She’s also a contributing writer for publications such as SELF, The Huffington Post and The Journal of Obesity.

J U L I O SA L A D O Julio Salado, a native of Boston, is the founder of Fitness Foundry, which is a leading online resource for health and fitness. For more than a decade he has been helping individuals achieve their body sculpting and personal training goals. He was recently voted Boston’s No. 2 Best Personal Trainer by Boston A-List. He is also the author of “Break out of Breaking Even: 3-Step Method for Proven Long-Term Weight Loss.”

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+ H E R FAS H I O N

TRUE VISION CONVERSATION WITH PHOTOGRAPHER

NIKKA LORAK

BY CO U RT N EY A . H A M M O N DS

T

o label Nikka Lorak as just a “female photographer” would be doing her an injustice.

This jet-setting photographer has immortalized personalities from the worlds of music, entertainment, fashion and philanthropy.

With the speed and bustle of today’s world, photography has never been more important, and to succeed in such an important field, you need to be exceptional.

Some would say that Nikka Lorak is exceptional. The internationally published fashion photographer and educator is known as a visual creator who brings product branding into a visual dimension. Whether the client is a fashion brand, a private individual or a magazine editor, Lorak, with her background in filmmaking, reveals the brand’s message through images and film.

Raised in Egypt, Lorak discovered cultural and social differences very early in her life. Her father, a Belgian diplomat, was commissioned to Egypt and her mother, a Russian painter followed him to the country of pharaohs.

She had a healthy, cheery childhood of endless beaches, climbing trees and attending an international school. As a 10 HERS Mag azi n e | H ER F lavor

teenager, her father sat her down and explained how lucky she was to be born into a privileged family and that such a fortunate social status implies responsibilities that inevitably come with it. She learned how important it is to give back to society. Working for Club Med in her early 20s, Nikka always insisted that the members of her team had to be paid equally, regardless of their origin.

Being trained in both disciplines, filmmaking and business development, Lorak recognizes the equal importance of the business side as well as an imaginative side in the life of an artist.

“I’m eternally grateful to my mother who had introduced me to the world of creativity and arts from the very young age both by sending me to an art school and mentoring me through my whole life,” Lorak explained.

After graduating from the film and TV directing master's program in Westminster University London, Lorak has directed and produced films, including the short film "The Outsider," which won an award in Cannes. After being numerously approached for advice on the practical side of the creativity, Lorak founded "On Set Experience," a unique hers-magazine.com

+ HER

FAS H I O N

"Kenya: Back to Roots" Exhibition 2017

educational journey for aspiring fashion photographers that takes place in the most exciting world’s destinations.

Lorak creates visual concepts and captures still and motion pictures across the globe. The list of Lorak’s shooting locations circles the globe, including cities like Havana, Mombasa, Paris, London, Amsterdam, and Berlin.

Lorak describes her photography as “diverse,” explaining that she aims to create a different style for each collaboration.

She says she is currently drawn to “colorful visuals that embrace exotic tribal costume and totally different, grungy black and whites that route back to the rebellious era of ‘80s-‘90s.

“What makes a powerful image is the confluence of several key elements, such as composition, design, and emotion, in a pristine moment that reveals a deeper truth,” she says.

As Lorak continues her career in fashion photography, she credits her previous mentors and inspirations for paving her way through the photography world.

“I was taught the craft from Oleg Tityaev, a brilliant NYC photographer who became my mentor,” Lorak says. “Later, I met university professor Barry Vince who worked as Stanley Kubrick's film editor. He taught me how to work from the bigger picture towards the details and once being precise working on details, never lose the concept of the bigger picture.

“I was a huge fan of Mario Testino when I was younger. His love to life that bursts through his images and vivid colors had inspired lots of my projects. Now I’m fascinated by dreamy images of [photographer] Paolo Roversi and looking up to [photographer] Patrick Demarchelier for mature and elegant style.”

Of course, with the growing popularity of social media and the accessibility of the Internet, the fashion photographer

has morphed. Lorak says, “Fast fashion and social media have created the perfect storm.” According to her, consumers are absorbing fashion and images faster than ever, creating a shorter lifespan for images.

“Our attention span has become the duration of time it takes to click,” Lorak says. “With that in mind, brands need images done quickly and do not need the same length of use they once did.”

“Therefore, they are willing to sacrifice production value in order to stay within their budgets, which have been spread more thinly. It is really driving down the rates and the creativity. But I have seen video start to really take off, so hopefully, that will become a way to re-direct the creativity and budgets.”

Unlike other photographers, Lorak refuses to sacrifice production. In her next photography project called “Drugs, Sex, Rock ‘n’ Roll,” Lorak collaborates with internationally acclaimed entertainers.

“I seldom have a plan, and I feel that the times that have been the most fun and productive have been those where I literally just get up and wander around, looking for situations and subjects to shoot,” Lorak says. “It’s amazing how things just magically happen and pictures reveal themselves.”

Havana, Cuba 2017

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+ H E R R E L AT I O N S H I P S

These are Nelson’s three steps to begin healing a broken heart:

BROKEN HEARTS ARE REAL:

How Grief and Trauma Block Us from Love

P

eople suffering extreme grief can experience physical symptoms, including heart disease triggered by dangerous levels of inflammation.

Extreme cases can even result in Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, commonly known as broken-heart syndrome. People deeply wounded in love can also often find themselves unable to establish trusting and loving relationships due to a phenomenon Dr. Bradley Nelson calls a “Heart-Wall.” Nelson is a veteran holistic physician and is one of the world’s foremost experts in the emerging fields of Bioenergetic Medicine and Energy Psychology.

“A Heart-Wall blocks our ability to give and receive love and can create depression, isolation and numbness — as well as block us from success,” says Nelson. “We believe it is implicated in heart disease, heart attacks, blood pressure problems, chest pain, back pain, neck pain and pain throughout the body.”

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1.Realize your heart may not be open to love in spite of all you do or have done.

A Heart-Wall is made up of trapped emotional energy. If you experience an emotion that is very powerful — grief or depression, or anger or resentment — whatever it is, if it is powerful enough, the energy of that emotion can become trapped in the body and cause problems for you later in life in all kinds of ways.

2. Acknowledge that you have a Heart-Wall from past trauma.

Sometimes we need to protect our hearts, so trapped emotions are added layer by layer like the layers of an onion.

It is a protective mechanism to keep our heart from being hurt or totally broken. Each trapped emotion forms one layer in the Heart-Wall — each is unique and different.

3. Take steps to get rid of your Heart-Wall.

Nelson offers these pointers: • A Heart-Wall is made of trapped emotions, but the subconscious mind no longer categorizes them as such. These emotions are inaccessible until a person acknowledges that they have a Heart-Wall.

•

To find a Heart-Wall, simply ask. Unless you actually ask the person’s subconscious mind if they have a HeartWall, it will not be revealed.

•

Once revealed, trapped emotions again become recognizable to the subconscious mind and vulnerable to being released. “As you release them, one by one, the wall will come down.”

“When a Heart-Wall is released, people sometimes say it’s like they can finally feel again,” Nelson says. “They can give and receive love freely for the first time in a long time. In that state, very interesting and wonderful things can happen.”

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+ H E R FA M I LY

D E TOX I N G YO U R H O M E

after the

Christmas Gift E X P L O S I O N

C

BY S O N YA O KO L I

hristmas marks the time when your home swells three times its original size. From caroling to ginger bread homes—oh, and let’s not forget the kids gift explosion—the holidays can cause nothing but craziness in your home. With all the organized chaos, every mom in the world is anticipating the morning after the storm, also known as “the Christmas reset.”

This necessary process following the miracles of the season allows the entire family to relax. From helping your little ones purge their “Mommy, I need this,” to getting the husband to rid himself of the “Honey, I can’t live without this.”

Here are a few of my handy dandy steps to get that purge party started:

STEP 1: Marvel in the glow of your children’s new toys and remind them how lucky they are to have a mom who did not report all those minor infractions to Santa. Remind them how the season is about giving and toss those old toys in the Goodwill bin.

STEP 2: With your hubby, this will be difficult, because he loves to hold on to reminders of when he used to be young and the “hottest.” Use the power of persuasion — tip toe into his mancave, garage and closet when he’s away and rid his space of the ‘70s, ‘80s and early ‘90s.

STEP 3: Visit your nearest container store, as those beautiful storage bins have a way of making us all want to channel our inner Martha Stewart. Then go through all the holiday décor and organize. Listen carefully, if there are any broken ornaments, like angels with just a wing, place them in the recycling bin for the next trash pick-up.

STEP 4: Next, grab your favorite bottle of wine, planner and felt tip pin. Write down your plans for the next family summer vacation. This allows you to empty all the holiday funk from your system without even thinking about it.

Now, going through the steps may seem trivial, but the goal is ultimately allowing yourself to tread lightly with tasks before jumping head first into your New Year’s resolutions. You don’t need to get your life back together immediately. Once the home is decluttered, making way for clear rational thoughts, you’re free and clear to draft much needed self-care resolutions.

You know, like that one resolution you annually conveniently overlook. Instead, cross things off your bucket list — visit a worldrenowned spa with your bestie. Plan to commit to acknowledging your spiritual and emotional needs before attempting to be the cure all for the family this year. Besides, nobody wants to be on a spa date with an emotionally unhealthy bestie!

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+ HER HAIR

10

F

BEST CURLY HAIR PRODUCTS

BY E L I Z A B E T H N O U RY E H inding the best curly hair products for your curl type often takes years of trial and error, money down the drain and disappointment. However, finally finding the perfect products for the perfect hair concoction feels better than waking up on Christmas morning. Before you can begin to find your perfect hair products, curlies should figure out what type(s) of curls they have.

Curls come in three main categories — types 2 (wavy), types 3 (curly) and types 4 (coily). Each type has three subcategories that narrow down curl patterns even further. Of course, not every curl is the same, so not every product will work the same for every head.

The best curly hair products will often categorize their products by curl type and porosity levels, or the level of moisture hair can hold.

Below your will find the 10 best — and affordable — curly hair products!

Cantu Cleansing Cream Shampoo — $4.99 at Target A cheaper alternative to DevaCurl, but works just as great! While this shampoo does lather, it remains sulfate, silicon and paraben-free! Like No-Poo, be sure to apply a generous amount and work shampoo from roots to ends.

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DevaCurl Cantu Cream Conditioner — $4.99 at Target Like its shampoo counterpart, this creamy conditioner is also sulfate, silicon and paraben-free. This conditioner is perfect for all hair types and leaves your curls feeling strong and moisturized.

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+ HER HAIR

SheaMoisture Low Porosity, Protein-Free Leave-In Detangler — $5.99 at Target

Most SheaMoisture leave-ins are fantastic options, but this protein free leave-in is perfect for curly girls with low porosity hair! This detangler helps relieve your curls of snarls and is also sulfate-free. Featuring moisturizing oils like Baobab Oil and Tea Tree Oil, this product is sure to give relief to any curlies struggling with frizz.

The product works best on damp or wet hair as you detangle from ends to roots with fingers or a wide tooth comb.

DevaCurl Styling Cream, Define & Control — $14 at Walmart This product is a must have! This styling cream is sulfate, silicon and paraben free and should be applied to damp or wet curls. Apply a generous amount and work through hair, then squish to condish the ends! The cream fights frizz and offers hair a touchable hold.

DevaCurl No-Poo Shampoo — $24 at Ulta This non-lathering conditioning cleanser is a must have for every curly girl. Since it doesn’t lather, it doesn’t harm or dry out curls. No-Poo is 100 percent sulfate, silicon and parabenfree — all chemicals a curly girl should avoid at all costs! Apply a generous amount before you condition and let the water rinse product down through the ends.

Mist-er Right — $16.19 at Target This miracle curl refresher is great for second day hair and beyond. This lavender-infused spray can be sprayed onto dry hair to revitalize curls for those days where you just don’t have the time or energy to fix your curls.

SheaMoisture Leave-in Treatment — $8.69 at Target This milky leave-in moisturizer is 100 percent virgin coconut oil, fair trade certified and cruelty free. The leave-in helps detangle, protect and control frizz for all types of curls. It works best if sprayed onto damp hair and doesn’t leave a greasy shine to your hair.

Curls Blueberry Bliss TwistN-Shout Cream — $10.03 at Walmart This product gives fantastic, moisturized hold and is great for all hair types. While application may change from person to person, curlies should use this cream on freshly cleansed and conditioned hair.

Separate and finger curl, twist, braid or loc hair section by section. Allow hair to fully dry before untwisting or touching curls. This product also works wonders when squished into your roots and ends.

Miss Jessie’s Jelly Soft Curls — $13.99 at Target Ladies, this gel is worth every penny!

Paraben, sulfate, petroleum and cruelty free — this product gives unbelievable hold without the crunchy cast. Another great product for all curls, ‘Miss Jessie’ encourages curly girls to evenly distribute the product through damp or wet hair. The amount of gel depends on your curls and what level of hold you prefer. Best of all, no animals were harmed in the making of this product.

Curls Goddess Curls Botanical Gelle — $7.59 at Target Another gel perfect for multiple curl types, this sulfate, paraben and cruelty free gel provides lasting hold and adds moisture to dry, damaged hair.

The gelle banishes frizz without the crunch. Apply section by section on damp or wet hair.

No matter your curl pattern, finding the best products is beyond rewarding and makes you radiate confidence. Go be curly!

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+ HER W F IETLNLENSESS S

GYM MOTIVATION

BY J A N I N E D E L A N EY

T

he difference between those who throw in the towel and those who actually reach their goal is simple — the ability to stay motivated. It’s not a matter of if your motivation will wane, but when and what you do in order to get back on track. Here are some simple tips to staying on the right path and achieving your fitness goals.

1. Set weekly check-ins to celebrate small successes Recognizing your wins keeps you motivated. It’s a good idea to check in with yourself every Sunday about your progress for the week, specifically your accomplishments. When you do a good

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job, you should recognize that because that’s what keeps you motivated. Reflecting on your accomplishments will remind you of your progress and mentally prepare you for the week ahead.

2. Schedule “cheat meals” and gym breaks into your routine It’s hard to be consistently motivated and always be on your game.

Give yourself a little bit of a reprieve. Mentally, it’s not normal to constantly be on all the time, we need to unwind and relax. By doing something that’s not perfect, we’re allowing ourselves to revel in the moment and celebrate our success. Give yourself a break so you can sustain that motivation. It’s an allowance, instead of creating the “I messed up syndrome,” which causes you to get off track.

3. Understand your motivation When you set a goal, write down why that goal is important to you — when you mess up, and everyone does, you can go back and read what you wrote and discover why it was meaningful.

That will make you remember why you started.emember, no one is perfect, if your motivation falls short, then just pick yourself right back up and start again!

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+ HER HOME

Detrimental Decor 3 Common Design Practices That Unknowingly Harm Our Health

I

SUS I E F R A Z I E R

f you haven’t started already, you’re probably considering a variety of self-care practices to feel better in the coming year. It seems like everywhere we turn these days, we’re hearing about wellness, whether it’s a new approach to nutrition, a revolutionary skin care regimen, or some energizing workout that also feeds the soul. However, taking better care of yourself involves more than what you put into your body or how you move your body. The latest scientific research indicates that design elements surrounding your body can also affect your health.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, Americans spend approximately 90 percent of their time indoors. This means not only are we

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impacted by poor air quality and the pollutants of any building, but according to thought leaders in neuro architecture, we’re also subjected to other sensory experiences that can be harmful.

Just ask the 41 million Americans, like me, who live with anxiety and adhd. We’ll affirm that the discord of poor design in public places is something we experience every day. Even though the rest of the population has learned to tune out the abrasive features of many manmade settings, the price of that adaption is that people are becoming desensitized to basic feelings of disease. Instead of staging our spaces while on autopilot, it’s time we heighten our awareness about a few detrimental design features that unknowingly agitate our state of mind.

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1

Architecture That Doesn’t Comfort Us One of the most problematic design features of our time has been the development of the great room both in residential and commercial settings. These unnerving spaces typically feature vaulted ceilings and too many smooth, open surfaces that fail to hold the good energy of a room. They often can’t maintain a consistent temperature cause amplified or echoed sound, and trigger an innate uneasiness about what might be approaching from above or behind.

If we truly care about fostering well-being in our workforce and our loved ones, our settings need to get back to being right-sized in more mindful ways that envelop and nurture us. There’s a reason why babies settle down in a swaddled blanket and why animals assemble in nests. They feel safe and comfortable when they’re surrounded. The same is true for most humans. Cozy nooks with rich textures and soft furnishings inspire people to carry out their most creative work, while also providing some much-needed refuge from the sterility of modern life.

2

Televisions That Take Over A Room A television is a technology device, not a décor item that deserves priority in our homes. Although many households place televisions over their mantels and keep them on all day, they likely overlook that today’s constant programming

may be harmful to their heads. We’re already subjected to pushy commercials at the gas pump, sensationalized reality shows at doctor’s offices, dramatic 24-hour news coverage at airports and blaring sports highlights at restaurants.

According to Forbes, we are subject to between 4,000 to 10,000 ads per day. We’re exposed to anything but silence, yet wellness is not possible unless we provide ourselves legitimate brain rest. One step we can take to improving this problem is to conceal our tvs with cabinets or sliding doors when they’re not in use. In certain public settings, the simple answer is to remove them altogether, since most people are watching programs on their own devices anyway.

At the very least, these tactics would allow for some ability to disconnect from society’s onslaught of sounds.

3

Lack of Natural Elements Indoors At the most basic level, all humans experience some degree of biophilia, or a subconscious need to affiliate with the natural world. This theory dates to 1984, when Edward O. Wilson wrote his book, “Biophilia.” New building standards released by the International WELL Building Institute have stated that an absence of natural elements indoors negatively affects mood and mental health. If we fill our homes and offices with nothing but engineered materials, we are neglecting a basic biological urge that would otherwise be soothing to our psyche. A better practice is to integrate living plants into creative wall features or collect organic discards like twigs and pods and turn them into art or other decorative elements. No matter what kind of space you’re cultivating, remember that exposure to earth materials is an antidote to a restless mind.

By incorporating some of these design methods into your home this year, you can tale simple steps to improve your health, psyche and wellbeing.

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+ HER FOOD

30-Minute Savory Meals

BY I L A N A M U H L ST E I N , R . D.

With the holidays over, kids back to school and parents back to work, demanding schedules have resumed. Registered dietician Ilana Muhlstein has complied some easy to make recipes that take under 30 minutes to cook. These recipes are sure to quench the family’s thirst for healthy and hearty meals!

Mushroom Cap Pizzas

(Makes 1 serving, 4 mushroom caps each) Total Time: 40 min.

Prep Time: 10 min.

Cooking Time: 30 min.

What you’ll need: Parchment paper 4 portobello mushroom caps, cleaned ½ cup all-natural pizza sauce 2 light string cheese sticks, chopped Recipe Preheat oven to 350º F. Line large baking sheet with parchment paper. Place mushroom caps on baking sheet, gill sides up. Bake for 15 minutes, or until softened.

If mushroom caps have released some liquid, blot with a paper towel to remove.

Top each mushroom cap with 2 Tbsp. pizza sauce. Top evenly with cheese. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until mushroom caps are soft, and cheese is melted.

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Savory Turkey Meatballs (Makes 8 servings, 2 meatballs each) Total Time: 35 min.

Prep Time: 15 min.

Cooking Time: 20 min.

What you’ll need: Parchment paper Nonstick cooking spray 1 lb. raw 93 percent lean ground turkey 3 large green onions, thinly sliced 1 tbsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce 1 tbsp. toasted sesame oil 1 large egg, lightly beaten ¼ cup whole wheat bread crumbs 1½ tsp. garlic powder 1½ tsp. onion powder ½ tsp. sea salt (or himalayan salt) ½ tsp. ground black pepper

Recipe Preheat oven to 375º F. Line large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Lightly coat with spray. Set aside.

Combine turkey, green onions, soy sauce, oil, egg, bread crumbs, garlic powder, and onion powder in a medium mixing bowl; mix well with clean hands (or a rubber spatula).

Roll mixture into sixteen 1½-inch meatballs.

Place meatballs on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until filling is hot and cheese has melted.

Serving Suggestion Serve meatballs over cooked spaghetti squash with roasted cherry tomatoes and chopped fresh basil for a fabulous meal!

Januar y / Febr uar y 2 0 1 9 | H ERS M ag az i ne 21

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MARIANA

ATENCIO

Leading the Path to a Socially Just World Bringing stories to light is not always the easiest task. Some

stories are muffled and crushed by overpowering voices, but

investigative reporter Mariana Atencio fights for the voices of thousands of refugees and victims of social injustice.

BROOKE ALLEN

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A

tencio, a 34-year-old hailing from Venezuela, is a journalist and news reporter working for MSNBC and NBC News. In 2012, she was one of four reporters who received the Peabody Award for investigative reporting.

When she discovered her passion for journalism, she decided to attend school at Columbia University where she obtained a master’s degree in journalism. Before attending Columbia, she went to a Catholic university in Venezuela.

While there, the college was “clamping down on free media.” Experiencing this censorship helped mold her into a journalist. “I went out and protested as a student for free speech and freedom of the press and I said, ‘This is what I want to do.’”

Admitting to herself she wanted to be a journalist was difficult. “It took me a lot of guts and courage to say it out loud. The first person I confessed this to was my father, and that was after already being in college and majoring in advertisement because I thought that was going to be a safer path for myself… And it took sort of a crisis in my country to also be that lightning rod, if you will.”

Through her career, she has continued to focus on social injustice, and also the grueling lives of less fortunate. With thousands of stories pushed to the side, Atencio demands 24 HERS Mag azi n e | H ER H ear t

attention for the horrors she witnesses. “[It’s] a demonstration of how passionate you have to be [while] pushing for these stories because you're competing with all these other headlines,” she said. “You have to have your heart and soul poured into everyone's story so you can fight for them in the editorial meeting.”

Atencio joined the migrant caravan during their journey to capture hundreds of stories from the exhausted refugees.

As an immigrant herself, her reporting provided a different perspective. She said, “I was in the thick of it, walking with these thousands of people for five, six days.” A lot of her time in the caravan was spent fact checking President Trump’s Twitter feed.

Trump claimed there were Middle Easterners in the caravan, but Atencio said “I have not seen or heard anyone of Middle Eastern descent in this caravan, but I'll tell you who is here — people from Honduras.” During her investigation, she stayed close with the caravan in order to capture each bit of factual information she could.

Stories surrounding the hardships of immigrants hit very close to home for Atencio, which is why she focuses so much of her energy on giving these people a platform to speak on.

One issue she brought to light is the fact when immigrants come to the United States illegally and have children, their children are then safe from deportation, but they aren’t.

“There has to be fear on the ground from so many of these undocumented folks who say, ‘What if I am deported,’” she said, “And I ask myself, ‘What are these parents thinking about when they say, ‘I could get deported and my child can come home and not find anyone there.’ What is their backup?”

When researching backup plans for these unique issues, she came across a woman in Miami who is referred to as “the guardian angel of immigration.” Atencio said, “She is the legal guardian of over 1,000 children of immigrants — of undocumented immigrants. Basically, what they do is they sign over legal guardianship of their children to her as a plan B, in case they get deported. So, you have these little kids who you speak to, [and] you ask them, ‘If you get home and Mommy's not there? What are you supposed to do?’”

The “guardian” houses the children while their parents make other arrangements. However, the “guardian” actually adopted two children, and some children stayed in her care for years. “She lives in a big house in Homestead, Florida. She keeps the kids for a couple days or sends them to Auntie or Uncle in Chicago or in Houston, so the kids don't fall into the foster care system.”

Atencio brought attention to the “guardian” so people would understand “the fear of all these families, and these hers-magazine.com

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American children at the end of the day who are just innocent bystanders in the middle of this whole thing.”

Her own home in Venezuela is experiencing a major healthcare problem. Atencio said, “85 percent of basic medicine is not found” in Venezuela. Her own father struggled with the lack of healthcare when he became ill with the flu.

“You know, it's one thing to tell people on a report like, ‘Oh, there's no medicine — people are begging on social media for medicine,’ and it's quite another to be in the hallway of a hospital where doctors are telling you we don't have anything to give [your father] and you having to beg people for medicine on social media or to have to resort to the black market.”

As she watched the flu consume her father, she took detailed notes of her experience in the Venezuelan hospital.

“My father, after three weeks, unfortunately passed away.

I wrote absolutely everything that happened in this little journal, like, literally on the floor of the hospital day in, day out, in what is possibly the most powerful op-ed that I will ever write about the health crisis down there — and he gave me the freedom to do that.”

Her ethics were blurred when the desperation to save her father occurred. “You are faced with, ‘Do I resort to the black market or not?’ The lines between right and wrong in these countries get really blurry when literally the person you love the most in your life is dying. It really created such an impact because people didn't know how bad things were. I got e-mails, people stopped me in the hallways and said, ‘It really hit home — what you wrote.’ So, I think that it was a way to honor my father. And [it was] the most personal thing I've ever had to put out.

Even with her powerful op-ed dedicated to her father, conditions in Venezuela are still deteriorating. “Things unfortunately down there — they’re getting worse by the day — it’s not remaining the same. But a couple of months later, it was my father's birthday and I said, ‘What are we going to do to honor him?’ And I basically raised donations to be able to deliver a thousand meal supplements for a thousand children in a public hospital, and I went down there and delivered them myself. And it's something that I don't think would have come about without reporting it.”

Atencio also reported on the food crisis in Puerto Rico after the relentless natural disasters the inhabitants endured. “I think our reporting was critical, and I don't mean only NBC. When I was down there, just to stay on the story and to give a voice to people, like the mayor of San Juan, who was sounding the alarm very early on, I was literally on the port reporting on all those containers of food that were going bad and that

weren't being delivered. We were live on MSNBC as that was happening and it just made all of the authorities become accountable for what happened.”

With Puerto Rico being a territory of the United States, the lack of help from government officials inspired Atencio to give the victims a voice. Six months after Hurricane Maria, students were still going to school without power. “[The kids are] in school where [they] are not able to use computers, don't have air conditioning, don't have lights — where they use a whistle because they don't have a school bell — and teachers telling you these kids are back in the 1970s.” However, “they are American citizens.”

Atencio brings countless traumatic stories to the surface and gives thousands upon thousands of victim’s voices. With each story she uncovers, a new opportunity for change within social injustices arises. These difficult stories constantly change her views and opinions, but she wants readers to know that’s ok. “I always say the most important image is the one in front of the mirror. And that's something that you sort of redefine every day and that's ok. It's impossible for me not to be changed by so many of these stories that I cover by so many of these people, and it's ok to [change]. And it's good to look back and see the path that you've charted to guide you on your way for what's next.”

Her authenticity to herself steers her along her own correct path. “At the end of the day, if you are authentic and if you just dig deep and just kind of show your real self, that is what ultimately will make an impact and will chart your path to success.”

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Love Contracts

Fortifying Relationships with a Contract

BY E L I Z A B E T H N O U RY E H

Making a human connection can be difficult for anyone, but it becomes even more difficult when searching for and making a romantic connection. People bring various values, experiences and desires when entering a relationship. That ’s why clinical psychologist and author Anne Schiebert has suggested couples reflect on their personal values and make a love contract at the beginning of the relationship.

In Schiebert's book, "Let's Make a Contract: Getting Through Unhappy Romantic Relationships," the author explains how the contract strengthens a relationship but also lets individuals realize when they are unhappy with their partner.

In an ideal relationship, values and goals shouldn't have to be abandoned. Schiebert stresses that before even diving into a relationship, it's vital to decide your values. Schiebert calls it a self-investigation.

"If you don't know what your values are, you don't really know if you have a match in a partner or not," Schiebert says. "All the research shows like values will trump any other attributes in the person you are considering as a potential romantic interest."

Schiebert explains the value sort method, where each column represents a different level if importance. The three columns range from uncompromisable values to completely unimportant values.

"You have your uncompromisable values, like infidelity," explains Schiebert. "Then you have the values that you can work with, they're kind of medium values.

They're not deal breakers. Then you have in the left column the values that aren't important to you at all."

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results in a stronger relationship.

The California native says that a love contract is more of an agreement between partners. By creating a contract, couples make one another aware of their values and goals. Schiebert explains that the contract will help increase dialogue and intimacy between the couple.

“You have options. You can sign on a relationship contract that says love, honor and cherish,” she says.

“You can also strike the “obey” part if you want to.

The point is to create a relationship contract that feels valuing and kind to both parties."

Schiebert draws from her experiences as a psychologist and spouse of five-and-a-half-years.

She and her husband have made a contract between themselves, proving to be successful. The contract will hers-magazine.com

Psychologist Dr. Ann Schiebert

differ from couple to couple, some literally written down on paper and others known between the couple.

"When we were getting together and we spent time doing that, I noticed he wasn't as neat as I was. I said to him, 'you know what, this is a deal breaker for me.

What can we do about this?'" Schiebert says. "It's such a problem. I can't even begin to tell you because part of my being neat is recovery from a food issue. So it's part of my self-care."

Schiebert says that as a deal and part of their contract, her husband created a workspace for himself.

"I don't go in it and I don't want to go in it," Schiebert laughed. "But I'm not going to change him; he had to change himself. We created a space when he can do his own natural clutter and I have a very clean house."

According to the American Psychological Association, around 40 to 50 percent of married couples in the United States divorce. So many Americans rush into relationships without truly acknowledging the other person's values. Schiebert stresses for individuals

to know their values and have the parenting talk beforehand. She stresses to study research that has been done on maintaining romantic relationships.

"When we give a path to behaviors that aren't okay, we violate our own values, we suffer, and the other person thinks 'oh we've been given that a path, we can do this over and over,'“ Schiebert stressed. "We teach that person that they can violate our values. That turns into a downhill relationship road. " To avoid entering a harmful relationship, Schiebert stresses readers to not fall in love with strangers, bury the truth that you know very little about the person you just fell in love with or ignore your personal boundaries.

"If you are at a loss about how to start [a contract], I would first consider what you were raised on," Schiebert begins. "What are our ideas of romance built on and what are your values? All the research shows like values will trump any other attributes in the person you are considering as a potential romantic interest."

In "Let’s Make a Contract - Getting Through Unhappy Romantic Relationships", Dr. Schiebert draws upon the wisdom and personal experiences she acquired, and skillfully takes the mystery out of the many lessons learned during her many years of practice. She describes how to discover why you’re unhappy, why you stay unhappy, and how to boost the chances of achieving a fulfilling romance. She identifies six primary ways to prevent this:

1. Don’t let yourself fall in love with strangers.

2. Don’t bury the truth that you know very little about the person you just fell in love with.

3. Identify specifically what makes you feel loved.

4. Pay equal attention to identifying the qualities and behaviors that you don’t like.

5. Don’t allow value violations.

6. Don’t ignore your personal boundaries

She says to know your red flags and deal breakers and respect them:

1. Take your time and really get to know a person.

2. Believe reality when people show you who they really are – the first time.

3. Base your relationship on values not chemistry.

4. Never give a pass to abhorrent behavior.

5. Be authentic and be true to yourself at all times.

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+ H E R S O C I A L C O M M E N TA RY

3rd Women’s March:

Where Are We Really Headed?

BY G R AC E K E L L E Y

The third annual Women’s March on Washington is scheduled for Jan. 19, 2019 in Washington, D.C. In the wake of the “Blue Wave” that happened in the 2018 midterm elections, Women’s March leaders Tamika Mallory, Carmen Perez, Linda Sarsour and Bob Bland have dubbed the 2019 march the “Women’s Wave.” While the first Women’s March was a historic gathering in Washington and the second was a rally for voter registration in Nevada, many are wondering if there is a need for a third or more Women’s Marches, especially following recent controversy regarding the founders.

There is definite demand for a third Women’s March, Sarsour told the New York Times. During Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation hearing, she said, “Our email inboxes were full: ‘Women’s March, where are you?

When are we marching? Tell us when. Tell us where.”

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S

arsour also told the New York Times that, unlike other Women’s Marches that didn’t demand anything specific, the 2019 march would outline specific policies to ask for, such as immigration reform and policies to protect sexual assault survivors.

However, the announcement of the third Women’s March was eclipsed in early November by original Women’s March founder Teresa Shook’s viral Facebook post calling for Mallory, Perez, Sarsour and Bland to step down. In her post, Shook said that the leadership of the four organizers “have steered the movement away from its true course.”

She said in her post, “In opposition to our Unity Principles, they have allowed Anti-Semitism, antiLGBTQIA sentiment and hateful, racist rhetoric to become a part of the platform by their refusal to separate themselves from groups that espouse these racist, hateful beliefs.”

Shook’s post obliquely referred to the Women’s March founders’ support of the Nation of Islam and its leader Louis Farrakhan. In Feb. 2018, Mallory was present at the Nation of Islam’s Saviour’s Day event in Chicago where Farrakhan gave a speech, saying such hateful things, such as “the powerful Jews are my enemy” who “grip the media” and Hollywood is “responsible for all this filth and degenerate behavior that Hollywood is putting out, turning men into women and women into men.”

The media reported on Farrakhan’s comments when they occurred, notably by CNN’s Jake Tapper, who specifically called on Mallory and the Women’s March to denounce Farrakhan. In response, the Women’s March released a statement in March 2018 saying that “Anti-Semitism, misogyny, homophobia, transphobia, racism, and white supremacy are and always will be indefensible” in the movement — but to also be gentle for the growing pains the movement was going through in its effort to be more intersectional.

However, the catalyst for Shook’s post was the Tree of Life synagogue shooting in Oct. 2018. To Shook and actress Alyssa Milano, the Women’s March leaders’ refusal to explicitly denounce Farrakhan after the tragedy was too little, too late.

Milano told the Advocate in Oct. that it was “unfortunate that none of them have come forward against him at this point — or even given a really good reason why to support them.”

Whether women align themselves with the Women’s March brand or not, there is still good reason for women

to organize and demand change. President Donald Trump, whose election was the impetus for the original Women’s March in 2017, is already planning 2020 re-election efforts. His Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos has been widely criticized for her proposals for sexual assault cases on college campuses, which many believe will empower accused perpetrators, rather than survivors.

This feeling was also amplified when Justice Kavanaugh was appointed to the highest court in the land, in what many felt was another loss in the fight for sexual assault survivors to be heard and believed. As Sarsour said to the New York Times, Kavanaugh’s appointment and hearing fueled a lot of anger, anguish and a desire to organize.

Time’s Up organized a nationwide walk out, the Women’s March had the #CancelKavanaugh march and Catland bookstore in Brooklyn, NY held a massively popular gathering of witches to put a binding spell on Kavanaugh and other alleged sexual assault perpetrators.

This is not to say there haven’t been victories when women organize — the #MeToo movement shows no sign of stopping and has made powerful American institutions, such as Hollywood and USA Gymnastics, do serious introspection about the powerful hierarchies that allowed abuse to continue for so long. The House unanimously voted to pass the Preventing Maternal Deaths Act to get to the bottom of why the U.S. has the highest maternal mortality rate of any developed nation. At press time, public pressure from constituents and celebrities like Rihanna and Kim Kardashian is making Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam reconsider the clemency of Cyntoia Brown, who was sentenced to serve 51 years in prison before being considered for parole, for killing a man who solicited her for sex when she was 16 years old.

And, of course, the 2018 midterm elections saw a record number of women elected to public office, due in no small part to the general surge in voter turnout, but especially young, female, educated voter turnout. Even some losses were victories in their own ways. Brian Kemp’s defeat of Stacey Abrams in Georgia’s gubernatorial race sparked national awareness and conversations about voter suppression and voting accessibility.

Regardless of whether women march with the Women’s March or show activism in other ways, there is a lot we have accomplished, but there is also a lot we still have left to do.

We must push for more intersectional feminism to examine the various ways in which we hurt each other, so that we may find ways in which we can help each other — because when the chorus of voices calling for change gets loud enough, the officials with power have no choice but to listen.

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+ BY EXAMPLE

Living with the King of Porn

BY B R O O K E A L L E N

Romola Hodas, the eldest daughter of the “King of Peep Show” porn star Martin Hodas, details her chaotic childhood with an infamous father and bipolar mother in her new book “The Princess of 42nd Street: Surviving My Childhood as the Daughter of Times Square’s King of Porn.” Hodas witnessed countless sexual acts as a child, including a prostitute breastfeeding a cat.

T

he 61-year-old author grew up in Long Island, New York, where her father built his notable sex business.

Hodas knew from a young age how dysfunctional her childhood truly was. “I knew even before my father became the ‘King of Porn’ that my family was not normal — my mother was a genius, but she [also had] a personality disorder and [was] bipolar and she was mean and violent. I had to protect myself and [my siblings] from her. Also, after [I turned] 8 years old, my father just became brutal with me, and I also had to defend myself and the kids from him, too. It was like living with two monsters.”

Although Hodas’ own trauma haunted her, she always put her siblings first. She constantly stood up to her parents and shielded her siblings from abuse, even when her own mother threatened her. “[When I was] 5 years old, my mother used to come downstairs in rages and take her arm and just throw everything on the floor, and then go, ‘You pick it up,’ and

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I’d go, ‘No, Mom, I didn't do it.’ She'd look at me and she'd say, ‘If you don't pick it up, I'm going to go get the wooden spoon,’ and I would say to her, ‘You don't hit people, Ma, and if you come near me or any of these kids, I'm going to hit you.’ And she would come at me with the wooden spoon and I would feel my adrenaline and I would rip it out of her hand and pop her on her head. I would say, ‘How's that?

How's that, Ma?’ And she freaked out. For a large majority, I was the mother.”

Hodas’ mother was an artist and musician who “was a prisoner of her own mind” and could not take care of herself or her children. She would beg her mother to leave her bedroom to shower and brush her teeth. Paired with her father’s fat-shaming abuse and physical and emotional beatings, Hodas endured a life of misery for years.

As a nine-year-old, Martin Hodas embarrassed Hodas in front of the whole family by forcing her onto a scale and beating her if she weighed too much, in his opinion. If she did not pass his weight test, she would be sent to bed with no food. As her younger siblings witnessed this torture, they too became aware of how mistreated they were. Her sister, Risa, struggled with the relentless suffering and blamed herself for the trauma.

“I would say, ‘Honey, it's not us, it's them.’ And she just couldn't get it. She couldn't get it,” Hodas said. “She [fell] into drugs and drinking for a long time until maybe like 10 years ago.”

When she turned about 12, Hodas begged her mother to allow her and her siblings to attend therapy sessions, but her cry for help quickly fell short after meeting her first therapist. “[With] the first therapist…I think we paid his mortgage. He wasn’t really a good therapist. I did have somebody to talk to, but he really wasn't teaching me right.

You know, that's one thing also that I always was kind of upset about — none of my aunts and uncles came to help us. That was my family.”

With his wife’s mental state deteriorating year by year, Martin Hodas turned to his daughter for approval of his business. When Hodas was 15 years old, Martin asked her to come to his office where, unbeknownst to her, she could view his work live.

“There was never, ever, ever, ever any sexual anything with me and my dad,” Hodas stated, “but in the home, I was like the adult woman because my mother was off her rocker… It's like he wanted my approval of what he was going to show me because he couldn't do it with my mother.”

When she met her father at his office in the city, she

walked in on a woman performing oral sex on her father.

Martin remained silent as the woman finished. He then led Hodas into a small theatre filled with older men where she viewed his newest business idea in the flesh. “You don't bring your 15-year-old to watch your new invention, which is a live BDSM sex act on stage — I didn’t understand,” Hodas said.

With the brutality she experienced, she was still able to find hope within herself. “I would say to myself, ‘I'm on this earth and I'm going to be happy, and I’m going to find out what that means.’ And that's what I did — and I kind of believe that that's really part of the reason that we're all here. We’re all going to suffer because life has problems. So, I kind of believe that it's about learning how important you are. [You] better learn how to be loving and kind and great to yourself or life's going to be bad.”

After numerous experiences of mental illness within her own family, Hodas pursued a psychology degree at Long Island University and is an advocate for mental illness awareness. “There is so much chemical imbalance because of all the shit in the air. I mean, it's heredity. There's a lot of bipolar going on out there. There's a lot of depression going on out there. This world is not easy. It is not easy. If you're not a strong person, it gets you on your knees. And we need to be able to talk about all this.”

Hodas states it takes work to be happy, but it’s worth it.

“You know, I am happy, and I searched out how to find out how to be happy. It is much easier to be miserable than to be happy, but you got to go out there and do things to make yourself proud.”

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FUN, FUTURISTIC GADGETS FOR 2019

BY M E R I L E E K E R N

A new year not only rings in a new you, but it also welcomes in new technology. If you want to jump ahead this year—maybe even feel like you’re in the Matrix— then these futuristic gadgets are for you. From beauty devices to earbuds, these new gadgets are sure to help you become the best version of you possible.

FUNCL EARBUDS In the market for some new earbuds? Check out these two models released by the hardware startup company, Funcl.

The Funcl w1 features touch buttons on the headphones, which allows the user to control the music and easily answer or reject calls. It also has audio engineering to support aac, which provides good sound quality and bass performance for both calls and music. The other model, Funcl ai, is powered by a Qualcomm chip and provides Hi-Fi sound quality with extremely low latency. Also power friendly, a single charge provides six hours of battery life. The pillbox case also contains three extra charges, and makes the total battery life a full 24 hours. With a waterproof level of ipx5, Funcl ai can also be used during workouts and exercising, whether at the gym or outdoors.

A free Funcl ai App also makes the ai voice assistant feature easier and more intuitive to access. The Funcl w1 is priced at $19, and Funcl ai is priced at $54.

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ANOVA PRECISION COOKER NANO Want to cook delicious, restaurant-quality meals in the comfort of your own home? The Anova Precision Cooker Nano is worth checking out.

Paired with the Anova App, which features the world’s largest collection of sous vide recipes, this device makes it easy to cook, control and keep track of recipes from a mobile phone. The process is simple: choose a recipe, press start and the Nano does the rest. Used by professional chefs for decades, sous vide is an easy-to-use and approachable technique that eliminates overcooked, dried out food and ensures edge-toedge perfection every time. The Anova Precision Cooker Nano by itself is $64, but the Anova Precision Cooker with BT/WIFI starts at $129.

ETERNO RED LED LIGHT DEVICE Want to get a facial, but don’t want to spend so much to get it?

The Eterno Device — a four-week face lift that can be used at home, instead of those creams and masks that just don’t seem to work — might be the answer. This brand new, time-saving device is clinically-proven to use nasa’s red and infrared led Light Therapy. This innovative, age-defying technology features a patented glass head that is powerful and gentle. The device effectively reduces wrinkles, softens fine lines, increases collagen and elastin production, lifts and tightens skin, and improves complexion through its technology. Best of all, the Eterno Device can be used while multitasking, whether it be talking on the phone, working on the computer or just relaxing in front of the t v. On the EternoSkinCare website, the Eterno Device is offered at $299.

STICK-AMIS HANDS-FREE PHONE STICKERS Have something you need to do, but don’t know what to do about your phone?

Just stick it somewhere — anywhere! STICK-AMIS are phone stickers that allow complete hands-free usage of any type of phone or tablet without the need for special case sizes or bulky contraptions. Patent pending, STICK-AMIS solves the problem of having to fumble with phones while taking selfies, group photos, watching videos or even video conferencing. In addition, STICK-AMIS doubles as an instant stand and can eliminate the need for less than reliable accessories, like pop-sockets, selfie-sticks and tripods! These stickers can also be used to avoid awkward angles, shadows and limited range of a phone or tablet camera.

Coming in a range of adorable patterns, the STICK-AMIS stickers are available on Amazon.com for $12.99 individually, and for $24.99 in a trio.

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5

BEST Winter Destinations in Europe for Families

BY M E R I L E E K E R N The winter season upon us and families planning to take a trip to celebrate the season should put these family-friendly spots on their lists. From Paris to Portugal, here are five can’t-miss European destinations for winter getaways.

1 Paris

Paris is beautiful in the winter season, as it is filled with cozy cafes and festive events for families to enjoy. Savor immaculate museums and monuments — spending one-on-one time with Mona Lisa is worth the extra layers you may have to pack.

What to Do: European tour operator City Wonders’ Louvre Museum Highlights for Families is a 2-hour tour designed specifically for travelers with young children and includes fun interactive visual aids to keep kids entertained. The expert guide will bring the masterpieces to life with amusing commentary and anecdotes. Plus, if a family still has interest, the ticket allows them to continue to explore the rest of the immeasurable museum on their own. Tickets from $75.11 per child and $80.48 per adult.

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2 London

Visiting London in the winter is quite fun and there are many entertaining activities to offer. From ice skating at Somerset House to Hyde Par Winter Wonderland, there is no shortage of events to try.

What to Do: On City Wonders’ fully guided Warner Bros. Studio Harry Potter Tour, families can enjoy a unique tour where an expert guide will take guests through a behindthe-scenes journey of the original sets, props and costumes from all eight films. Guests can take a look inside the Gryffindor Common Room, walk along the famous cobbled street of Diagon Alley, see Hagrid’s hut and visit the original Hogwarts Express locomotive, and Platform 9 ¾, where guests can pose with a luggage trolley as it disappears through the platform wall. Tickets from $36.13 per infant, $148.25 per child and $160.71 per adult.

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3 Ireland

Families can enjoy the natural beauty of Ireland in the winter with a drive or hike through the snow-covered countryside, from the Ring of Kerry to Killarney National Park. The comfortfood winter cuisine is also sure to please, featuring warm stews, root vegetables and the famous seasonal Irish oysters.

What to Do: Visit on a self-drive itinerary with Brendan Vacations, where an Ireland expert organizes all aspects of the trip. The family can enjoy views of the Irish countryside, including the iconic Cliffs of Moher, as well as historic Dublin and the medieval city of Kilkenny.

Guests will also stay in the luxurious Adare Manor, a beautiful, traditional Irish manor with activities like falconry, horseback riding and archery. The selfdrive package includes a rental car, premier accommodations, and tour and dining highlights, with prices starting at $1,455 per person.

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4 Portugal

Unlike other European cities in winter, Portugal features blue skies and mild temperatures, especially along the Atlantic Coast in cities like Lisbon. Walking tours in the crisp winter weather is the perfect way for families to see historic cities like Evora and Coimbra. Guests can enjoy their sites without the peak season crowds.

What to Do: Visit on Trafalgar’s brand-new Wonders of Portugal itinerary to explore the country’s gothic architecture and taste the fresh seafood in Lisbon, Evora, Viseu, Porto, Fatima and more. Families will marvel at the iconic suspension bridge spanning the River Tagus.

Explore u n e s c o World Heritage Site Hieronymite Monastery and visit the famous Livraria Lello, Porto’s oldest bookstore, with its beautiful red staircase. Prices start at $1,595 per person and include eight nights first class accommodations, 12 meals, on-trip transportation and tour highlights.

5 Frankfurt

There are few places in Europe more beautiful than Frankfurt on a cold winter day. It’s a fantastic choice for families to visit during the holiday break, as they can take historical train rides, visit markets, go ice skating and more.

What to Do: Uniworld Boutique River Cruises offers the Generations Collection on its Classic Christmas Markets December sailing, which includes family-friendly amenities, kid-focused activities, cooking classes and more. For example, on this sailing, families can go on a “Christmas with dinosaurs” tour, take a pretzel or gingerbread baking class, and learn about life in the medieval times.

Each day on a Generation Collection Cruise, Uniworld offers a few different excursions, so families can decide to explore together or split up based on age or interest. Better yet, the fare is 25% off for children ages 4-17. Prices start at $3,499 for double occupancy.

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BUSINESS

Surprising Truths about Women and Their Finances

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How to take money matters into your own hands

BY SUS I E CA R D E R

id you know that 85% of women who defer to their husbands on financial matters believe their spouse knows more about financial matters, according to a new report from UBS. It also found 56% of married women leave investment and long-term financial planning decisions to their husbands.

What’s more... it's not just older generations. Millennial women are more likely to leave investment decisions to their husbands than any other age group.

“Let’s stop this trend, ladies!” says profitability coach Susie Carder, who gives women simple ways to take money matters into their own hands!

will legally protect your spouse, children, and assets, it can also spell out exactly how you would like things handled after you have passed on.

You decide what you want done with your estate and what will happen to your children if they are minors.

2. Set Up a Retirement Fund When it comes to personal finance tips for entrepreneurs— or anyone —this first tip is an absolute basic. You, like all other workers, need to be prepared for retirement—and setting up a retirement fund will help you get there. It doesn’t take a lot of money towards the fund, but what’s saved now will help curb your tax bill and grow taxdeferred until you decide to use the funds for retirement.

Here's why these numbers are a concern: Women are living longer than men. The average life expectancy for a woman is five years more than a man's, and the divorce rate among couples 50 and older has just about doubled since the 1990s. These two forces mean that eight out of 10 women will end up alone and solely responsible for their financial well-being.

3. Plan for an Emergency Fund With an emergency fund you won’t have to rely on anyone else.

When Carder’s dad passed away, he left no will, his wife didn’t know anything about their finances and his deceased wife was the beneficiary to his retirement and pension. This left her with nothing! Unfortunately, this is a common scenario, but we can stop the trend!

4. Keep Your Expenses Low and Stick to a Budget You can set up your own budget based on your monthly expenses, or make it even easier on yourself and use a budgeting app. Mint is one of the most popular budgeting apps out there, but You Need a Budget and Wally are also good options.

Her a goal for the new year should include educating women on how to manage their finances in order to be better equipped in being responsible for their own future.

She shares her top five strategies women can start today to set themselves up for financial success and a secure future.

1. Create Your Will Having a will is arguably one of the most important things you can do for yourself and your family. Not only can a

Plan to be able to cover expenses of housing, food, insurance, utilities, and the welfare of any dependents, so always keep those personal financial needs in mind.

5. Seek Out Professional Tax Advice One of the most followed personal financial tips is to consult a good accountant when tax season rolls around.

Depending on your situation, there are a variety of a correct ways you should be filing your taxes. And the current U.S. tax laws is constantly changing and complex. And getting it right is important.

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BURN BABY BURN HOT CARDIO TIPS FOR THE NEW YEAR!

BY J U L I O A . SA L A D O

Do you spend 45 minutes on the treadmill three times a week or log 15,000 s teps a day?

Do you eat healthy but see no progress toward your weight-loss goal?

Or worse, have you gained weight while doing “all the right things? ”

about starting a body sculpting program.

It is important to stay active and educate yourself about how to be more efficient with your time.

Effort is important but knowing where to channel your effort makes a big difference. To that end, it is necessary to understand how to select cardio equipment with the appropriate intensity to overcome weight loss plateaus. My Before we go any further, it’s important to advice will help you channel your energy and give yourself kudos for putting in the time understand how to select cardio equipment to reach your fitness goals. You are light with the appropriate intensity for overcoming years ahead of those who are “thinking” fat loss.

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Let’s begin with a review of universal principles used by all weight loss programs, which includes energy balance, energy expenditure and caloric deficit.

• Without a continuous caloric deficit from either food consumed or physical activity (or a combination of both) that measures below your personal total daily energy expenditure (TDEE), you will not lose weight.

• Healthy weight loss may vary from half a pound to two-plus pounds per week. It will depend on your current weight, average caloric intake, and/or caloric expenditure from exercising before beginning the weight-loss program.

• Body transformation results depend on your ability to consistently adhere to the guidelines of a caloric deficit diet, and also your dedication to physical activities geared for specific energy expenditure.

• Fine-tuning your cardio workout by choosing the most effective workouts for your body will fast-track your weight loss.

• Most of the cardio equipment (treadmill, arc trainer, ellipticals, rowers, spin bikes) will measure your energy expenditure either in “METs” or “Watts.”

METs (Metabolic Equivalent of Tasks) is simply a measurement of how many units of energy is required for the duration of the activity. For example, walking on the treadmill for 45 minutes at 4 mph equals 5 METs, according to the “2011 Compendium of Physical Activities.” Watts is a unit that measures the power you generate during an activity. You can use either of these measurements for your cardio exercise.

The A.I.M. Method is a program that teaches you about your innate potential and helps you optimize your results.

Here are the main steps to jumpstart your weight-loss goal using The A.I.M. Method.

• Assess your goals and use science-based tools to personalize and create a realistic and measurable program.

• Initiate the customized nutrition and exercise plan with a purpose.

• Motivation will be gained from learning how to overcome your own challenges and avoid common setbacks.

We first need to Assess your baseline of Watts or METs for your normal duration of cardio. Write down how long you use a particular piece of equipment and your average Watts or METs. The next step is to Initiate your cardio program.

Do the following for the next two weeks: • If you use METs, then increase your average by 1.5-3 METs. • If you use Watts, then increase your average by 15-30 Watts.

• You do not need to change the duration of your cardio routine. However, you should explore other cardio equipment that will result in the most METs or Watts used for the same duration. Usually this is equipment that utilizes both the upper and lower body.

Lastly is the Motivation to continue daily efforts conducive to your goal.

• At the end of two weeks, compare the average to your baseline. Note your progress!

• Decide whether to keep the new average or incrementally increase it for the next two weeks.

The A.I.M. Method is from my book, “Break Out of Breaking Even: 3-Step Method for Proven Long-Term Results.” This method is neither a diet nor is it a linear weight-loss process. Any setbacks will become a learning experience about how to overcome challenges — whether you have sugar cravings, can’t find the time to work out or feel unsure about how to begin. The A.I.M. Method can navigate you through your weight-loss journey and become the compass to help you reach your goal.

Most people can lose weight but keeping the weight off long-term tends to be more difficult. With “BREAK OUT of Breaking Even” you will no longer lose or gain weight without knowing why and learning how to overcome it.

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CREATIVE HOBBIES TO STAND OUT IN 2019

BY J ESS I CA BA K E R

Experimenting with hobbies is a great way to try new things for the new year.

From origami to flower arranging, this diverse list is sure to keep creative minds busy all year!

Start a Blog

Want to share your thoughts with the rest of the world?

There’s no simpler way than to start your own blog.

Blogging is a great way to express thoughts, opinions and passions. This hobby can be used for anything, whether it’s promoting a business, talking about current events, reviewing products, or telling a story, the possibilities are endless. Another wonderful thing about blogging is, if your site gets enough traffic, this hobby can bring in a profit.

hand-eye coordination. Paper can be folded into many different designs including animals, plants, and for those passionate enough to make it a skill, even more complex designs. Origami makes for appealing art displays and can add a feeling of calmness to your mind and your home.

Cross-Stitch

This particular hobby has become popular over the past couple of years on sites such as Instagram and Pinterest. It’s simple enough to where anyone can do it, as cross-stitching involves creating stitches in an × pattern on a grid, making for even stitches. You can crossstitch phrases, sayings and pretty nature themes. There are thousands of patterns that can be found online, but once you learn the basics, you can craft your own special designs.

Flower Arranging

Origami

If you’re looking for something that doesn’t require the use of technology, try origami, the art of Japanese paper folding.

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If you’re really into flowers, this is a hobby you might enjoy. Just as with other pastimes, like painting, sculpting, writing and so forth, flower arranging is also for freedom of expression. You can check your local flower shops for classes for beginners, but there are also how-to books and websites that offer tutorials as well. Since meanings are often associated with flowers, these arrangements can make fantastic decorations for your home, and lovely gifts for birthdays or get-well-soon presents. Additionally, you can wear your creations as accessories, such as floral crowns and corsages. hers-magazine.com

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FAS H I O N

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o matter how frigid the weather, winter fashion is here to stay. From grunge denim and leather, relaxed t-shirt dresses and stripes to antebellum-esque ball gowns, this season’s fashions are show-stoppers.

Brought to you by Shay Kawaii, Richard Hallmarq and BBTC Love, these looks will warm even the iciest of days.

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FAS H I O N

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ALYSIA REINER Succeeding in Motherhood, Women’s Rights and Environmental Protection

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B RO O K E A L L E N

s a mother, activist, actress and producer, it’s amazing how Alysia Reiner finds time in the day to accomplish everything on her to-do list. The 48-yearold is best known for her role as Natalie “Fig” Figueroa in the Netflix series “Orange is the New Black.” Her strong opinions on women’s rights heavily influence her projects and roles.

Reiner acts and produces in her new film “Egg,” which touches on the complex issues women,

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especially mothers, face. While attending a workshop for “Egg,” Reiner was “exploring her own relationship with motherhood” at the time.

When she first read the script, she didn’t even know if she wanted to be a mother at that point.

Although Reiner was hesitant to leap into motherhood earlier in life, she eventually became pregnant with a daughter. At 38 years old, Reiner gave birth to her one and only child, Livia.

In the film “Egg,” first featured at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2018, Reiner plays the character Tina, an artist living in New York who chooses

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Alysia Reiner (left) and Christina Hendricks in Reiner's new film "Egg" that explores the complexities of motherhood and surrogacy.

motherhood via surrogacy. Tina describes the surrogacy as her living art. “She is exploring her own relationship of what it means to be a mother — and, additionally, she's exploring what that means as an art — and exploring it in her art,” Reiner says.

With “Egg” coming to theaters Jan. 18, Reiner is excited for people to understand the true meaning of the film — how mothers perceive themselves. According to Reiner, the film is not just about her relationship with women and surrogate mothers. The movie explores “what it means to be a mother and what it means to be a surrogate — what the roles that we play are as women…and what we think of as a mother and what society has taught us about what a mother is and how we can sort of recreate that for ourselves — if we allow ourselves to,” she explains.

Reiner also wants viewers to understand the feminist messages within the film. “Feel empowered in all of your choices. There is no wrong choice as a woman — your ownership and choices around your body — your life and your art and your relationships.”

In “Egg,” Tina quarrels with an old rival from art school, Karen, who comes back into her life as an adult.

Karen is eight months pregnant when they meet again, and both women have vastly differing views of motherhood.

Their feud plays on the idea of women being against each other, which is another message Reiner wishes viewers to understand. “It is so important for women to listen to each other and support each other, even if they're making different choices.”

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can make whatever choice I want and create this space for my sisters in the world, [so they can] make whatever choice they want to make — without needing to judge them or feel competitive or feel that their choice threatens my choice.”

Not only is Reiner an advocate for women’s rights, she also owns a zero waste women’s clothing brand titled Livari, which focuses on ethical, sustainable and eco-friendly designs.

“We created a T-shirt and a portion of the proceeds went to Cool Effects, [an organization] which helps carbon offset and reduces the carbon in our environment. Our most recent collaboration, which just launched, is Simply Straws, [the glass straws] help people not use plastic [straws].”

Simply Straws has been a great success for Reiner. “We've sold hundreds of straws already and I love that every time you're buying it, not only are you making the pledge not to use plastic, but you're also contributing to a loan which helps actually physically get the plastic out of the ocean.”

It wasn’t hard to find the inspiration and motivation for Livari when Reiner began speaking with her future Livari partners, Claudine DeSola and Tabitha St. Bernard-Jacobs.

“We were just going to have a little chat about fashion and Claudine was introducing me to Tabitha, who's the designer.

We sat there and we talked about all the things we want to change in fashion, and it was right after the Women's March, and Tabitha is the Women's March organizer, and we talked about waste and we talked about the environmental impact of it all and how many millions of pounds of clothes are thrown away and burned.”

With her array of accomplishments in her advocacy hers-magazine.com

(Left to right) Gbenga Akinnagbe, Anna Camp, Christina Hendricks, David Alan Basche, and Alysia Reiner

work, the well-being of women and the environment have always been Reiner’s number one goals. Her beliefs bleed into not only her real life, but also her fictional life in film. “It's really beautiful to go back to the roots of human connection and storytelling,” she explains.

“And that's a big piece of Livari — and why I founded Livari was to have this way to tell stories — to tell good stories, to tell exciting stories — of how we can help make change. Similar to why I'm a storyteller as an artist and why I made ‘Egg.’” After playing Fig on “Orange is the New Black,” Reiner discovered she also wanted to improve the criminal justice system. Fig’s character forced her to become aware of the harsh conditions inmates must survive in. She originally found comfort within her ignorance because a part of her “didn’t know how bad it was.”

As is relates to women, she wants the bail system transformed. According to Reiner, when women are solely accused of a crime, they often go to jail while awaiting trial. Because these women are sitting in jail, the run the risk of losing their children and families since “they cannot be home with their children.” As a result,

“Child Protective Services many times has to come in."

Reiner’s success surrounding women’s rights, environmental rights and inmates rights has allowed her to stretch her voice into other charities and organizations as well, including The Cancer Support Community, Actors for Autism, The Young Women’s Leadership Network, Amnesty International, PEN International, SAY: The Stuttering Association for the Young, Bent on Learning, and Safe Kids Worldwide.

Like “Egg,” Reiner demonstrates the need for women to unite and empower themselves and each other. “That is my deepest hope — that women see this movie and feel both empowered in their own choices, and open and loving to every other woman and their choices.”

Cracking Up LLC

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Normalizing Women’s

BODIES Conversation with Carly Jibson

BY B RO O K E A L L E N

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ith the rise of body positivity in Hollywood, Carly Jibson finds her role in “The Guest Book” to be a breath of fresh air from stereotypical “fat girls” in t v and film. Jibson plays Tickles/ Vivian in this comedy series on TBS. The 34-year-old actress has been starring in theatre and film since she was 17. She first starred in the Broadway show “Hairspray” as Tracy Turnblad. When she was a young teenager, she moved to New York City, and she felt no fear while trekking into an unknown town.

“It’s so interesting because at that age, and that sort of stage in your life… you think you are really invincible [and] you think that the pitfalls and dangers of life didn’t really apply to you because you don’t know any better, or you don’t know anything,” Jibson says.

Although Jibson was excited for a change of view, her mother was not. “My mom was so anxious about me moving to New York City because, of course, she grew up watching ‘Law and Order’ and was like, ‘You can’t go — you’re going to die in an alleyway.’”

Broadway surrounded Jibson’s life for years, and the transition into film was not as flawless as expected, she says, “I will say the thing that I miss the most about theater is sort of the instant gratification of the laughter and applause.”

“That’s the one thing I miss the most because… there’s no way to gauge how well you’re doing because it’s crickets. And that’s something that took me a really long time to program myself because I was like, ‘Oh my God, I’m terrible.’ You know, I’m not [used to] doing a joke and then it’s just silent.” he lack of instant gratification is something she’s still attempting to look past. “It is hard because that relationship that you have with the audience — that bounce back that you get from them — is really how you mold your performance and your approach to things.”

Jibson describes her character, Tickles, as an “unapologetic” character who “sees herself as an equal with every person around her.” When first given the script, she feared her character would fall into the typical “funny, fat best friend” category. “There are girls out there that have cornered that [funny, fat best friend] market and created a full-blown monopoly on that, and I’m not going to shake their hustle — they made their money and that’s fine — but that was never my gig.”

Similar to Tickles, Jibson never saw herself “as different than any other person.” The judgement of women’s bodies in film is “mind-blowing” to her. “It always struck me as odd to be categorized or quantified by something that’s ultimately a variable.”

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“Thing that I miss the most about theater is sort of the instant gratification of the laughter and applause. And that’s something that took me a really long time to program myself because I was like, ‘Oh my God, I’m terrible.’ You know, I’m not [used to] doing a joke and then it’s just silent.”

In “The Guest Book,” a guest house nicknamed “Froggy Cottage” houses new visitors each episode. Jibson thinks it is “amazing” having the chance to interact with so many different actors and actresses. “These wonderful, legendary, incredible humans come in every single week and basically give you master classes for free.”

She loves mimicking the featured actors each week. “No actors completely reinvent the wheel,” she says. “I think the smart ones pay attention and steal everything they can and try to make it their own because you know what you are.

You’re not the best.”

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She refuses to categorize herself as a plus-size actress.

“I’m an actress. I’m a female actor and I’m a normal girl whose weight ebbs and flows in different sizes, and I’m no more defined by that than I am defined by that shirt I chose to wear today.”

In “The Guest Book,” Tickles’ weight is never mentioned.

“You can go through from Season 1 Episode 1 to Season 2 Episode 10 — there is never once a mention of her weight, her size, her nothing. And I love that. Greg [the director] was brave enough and had enough self-respect to not take the low hanging fruit. He just creates complex characters and I love him for that — that is what I have been waiting for. And I guess that’s what I’ve been trying to work so hard to bring to the screen in this [show] again.” hers-magazine.com

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'How to Fall in Love' A Provocative Love Story for the Digital Age

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he holidays are over, and New Year’s has passed, so now it’s time to gear up for the next festivity: Valentine’s Day, a celebration that would not be complete without Cupid, the most recognized symbol of love.

Today, the pursuit of love has been fundamentally changed by technology. So what is Cupid’s role in the “hook up” culture of Tinder and online dating? Can great love be coaxed into existence? Is true romance a matter of happenstance, or does it derive from some kind of magic? These are the questions at the heart of this enchanting, endearing, and life-affirming novel.

About The Book: To be released on February 5 from The Story Plant, How to Fall in Love is a provocative love story for the digital age. The story opens when Cupid, the once-revered god of love, learns the heavens are downsizing and he will be let go. In the age of Tinder and online dating, his job is deemed expendable. After all, in these wired days, a love god seems quaint and pointless. Cupid manages to buy a little bit of time by asking for one more chance to show that he can orchestrate a love for the ages . . . but the clock is ticking. Down on earth, Cupid’s powers are put to the ultimate test when he is assigned to match an unlikely couple: Eve, a young widow who has vowed never to love again and Evan, a well-known anthologist with a penchant for commitment-free affairs. Will Cupid be able to prove his worth before it’s too late?

Why It’s A Must Read This Valentine’s Day: Written by a husband and wife team of New York Times best-selling authors, How to Fall in Love is a heart warming

and funny love story for the ages and one uniquely suited to our times.

This book is, of course, a must-read for anyone in love or looking for love, but it especially resonates with cynics who have written off the possibility of romance. In the era of online dating, Cupid’s age-old trappings like hand-written love notes, and flowers have fallen by the wayside. Many people make what they believe to be romantic connections without ever even holding hands! This book speaks to the current “hook up” culture of society and promotes timeless wisdom for the modern age.

Provocative and motivational, this story encourages readers to re-examine their conceptions of romance and the role of love in their life.

About Author Dalma Heyn & Richard Marek: Husband and wife team Dalma Heyn and Richard Marek are the authors of How to Fall in Love. Heyn is the author of the New York Times best-seller The Erotic Silence of the American Wife, Marriage Shock and Drama Kings. Her books, published in 35 countries, have been best-sellers both here and abroad. Richard Marek is one of the most accomplished book editors and publishers of his generation, working with writers James Baldwin, Thomas Harris, and Robert Ludlum, among many others. He is the author of Works of Genius and has ghostwritten a number of best-sellers.

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New Music Releases

BY J ESS I CA BA K E R

Avril Lavigne “Head Above Water” The Punk Rock Princess is back with her upcoming album that tells a personal story. In December 2014, Avril Lavigne was diagnosed with Lyme Disease and the only way to get through the ordeal, according to her, was to play the piano and “sing past the pain.” This experience inspired her to write an entire album based on the emotional journey.

Throughout 2016 to 2018, Lavigne prepared the album with care, stating that, “These songs are so close to my heart.

Wish me luck while I throw every last drop of me into these final stages.” On September 6 last year, Lavigne posted a message to fans on her official site, revealing that much of the album was written and recorded on her couch due to Lyme Disease. Lavigne describes recording this album as “a very strong, triumphant, powerful and true record to me and my experiences over the last few years.” The album is schedule for release on February 15th through BMG Records and is the Lavigne’s first album to be released in over five years since her self-titled fifth album.

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Meghan Trainor "Treat Myself " Trainor who has been “all about that base” is releasing her third major-label studio album on January 25th this year.

Treat Myself, which will be released through Epic Records, was originally set to debut on August 31st last year, but was delayed because Trainor was “in such an amazing place and I can't stop writing songs... I've decided to move my new album Treat Myself until I get everything out of my head and recorded in the studio.” In November last year, Trainor said that she had worked with Sasha Sloan and Lennon Stella on a track for the album titled “Working On It,” which Tranior describes as “about loving yourself ad just trying.” Billboard has called the title track “bass-driven, fun-loving song that is the perfect soundtrack to any night out" and a "shimmering tune."

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Maggie Rogers "Hear It In A Past Life" Folk-pop lovers will enjoy this upcoming album by Maggie Rogers. Heard It In A Past Life is set to be released on January 18th by Debay Sounds under exclusive license to Capitol Records. The album includes previously released songs such as "Alaska" and "On and Off,” along with new singles such as "Light On,” which was released on October 10, 2018. Rogers stated in an interview about the album that "there was so much change that happened so fast, I wasn’t always sure how to make all this stuff feel like me.

I was really overwhelmed for a while, and scared too."

The album features 12 songs including reworked versions of singles "Alaska" and "On and Off " from her 2017 EP, Now That the Light Is Fading, as well as newer singles "Fallingwater", "Give a Little" and "Light On."

Nina Nesbitt "The Sun Will Come Up, the Seasons Will Change" Want more folk-pop? Scottish singer-songwriter Nina Nesbitt has just what you need. The Sun Will Come Up, the Seasons Will Change is the upcoming second studio album of Nesbitt, scheduled for release on February 1st through Cooking Vinyl. Nesbitt has been working on the album for three years and will be more pop-focused than her previous material. Nesbitt stated that it is "the album I always wanted to make on my own terms. It's an honest account of somebody in their early '20s, giving a real window into their often ever-changing life. "The Best You Had" has been called "R&B-tinged" and an "unusually honest breakup track", while "The Moments I'm Missing", produced in Nesbitt's bedroom, was called "multi-layered" with a story behind it. "Loyal to Me" was released as a single from the album.

Juliana Hatfield "Weird" If you feel like you’re a weird person, you’re not alone: Juliana Hatfield can relate. Following her 2018 record Juliana Hatfield Sings Olivia Newton-John and 2017’s original album Pussycat, the Boston rock veteran will release her newest opus Weird in early 2019. The album will feature 11 new tracks and officially debuts on January 19th by American Laundromat Records and the label-exclusive 7-inch record features two more new tunes. Hatfield shared her first new original track, aptly named “It’s So Weird,” October 16th last year. In an interview with Stereogum, Hatfield shared her motivations for the writing the album, “I often feel cut-off from other people, from my feelings, from technology, from popular culture. I feel weird, I feel like I’m dreaming my life and that I am going to wake up some day.”

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Movie Roundup 2019

BY J ESS I CA BA K E R

What Men Want

Ever wished you could hear what others are thinking? As a remake of the 2000 film “What Women Want” by Nancy Meyers, “What Men Want” stars Taraji P. Henson as Ali Davis, a successful sports agent who finds herself constantly boxed out by her male co-workers. When she’s passed over for a well-deserved promotion, Davis questions what it takes for a woman to succeed in a man’s world. But when get gains the ability to read men’s thoughts, Ali uses her newfound power to outsmart her colleagues to sign the next basketball superstar. However, her relationships with her best friends and her potential new lover interest will be put to the test by the lengths she is willing to go. The film is scheduled to be released in the United States on Feb. 8 by Paramount Pictures.

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Happy Death Day 2U

Want to relive the same day over and over...again? Neither does Tree Gelbman. Directed by Christopher Landon, “Happy Death Day 2u” stars Jessica Rothe reprising her role as the college student who found herself in a time loop, with every go-around ending in her death. Taking place two years after the first film, Gelbman once again finds herself back in the time loop, only this time her friends are involved. When she finds out that Lori Spengler, the original killer, has been murdered, Gelbman must go head to head with the new killer to discover their identity and break free from the cycle once and for all. “Happy Death Day 2u” will enter theaters on Feb. 14 by Universal Pictures.

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St. Agatha

Just when you thought nuns and convents couldn’t possibly be creepier, Hollywood releases another dark tale from the church.

Directed by Darren Lynn Bousman, director of “Saw ii-iv,” “St. Agatha” will make you rethink seeking sanctuary in your local church. Starring actresses Sabrina Kern and Carolyn Hennesy, the film takes place in a small town in 1950s Georgia. The story follows Agatha, a pregnant conwoman who seeks refuge in a convent. What started out as a good place to have a child turns into a nightmare where silence is forced, and fearsome secrets are masked. Agatha’s courage will be put to the test as she uncovers the disturbing truth of the convent and the strange people who have taken her in. The film is scheduled for release Feb. 8, 2019.

Troupe Zero

Miss Bala

Ever gotten into a tough situation? Probably not as bad as Los Angeles makeup artist Gloria (Gina Rodriguez) gets into. Directed by Catherine Hardwicke and based off of the 2011 film of the same name, “Miss Bala” (or Miss Bullet) follows Gloria who visits her best friend Suzu in Tijuana, Mexico. When Suzu goes missing at a club, Gloria makes it her mission to look for her, only to be kidnapped and forced to smuggle money for a drug cartel. In order to save Suzu and herself, Gloria must turn the tables on everyone around her and work her way through the dangerous world of cross-border crime. The film is scheduled for release on Feb. 1, by Columbia Pictures.

Hold on to your sashes because this isn’t your typical girl scout troop.

Directed by Bert & Bertie, this comedy drama follows a group of elementary school misfits, led by spunky outcast Christmas Flint, McKenna Grace. Flint must join forces with the school’s top-dog youth group, the Birdie Scouts, to win a talent show. “Troupe Zero” also stars Oscar winners Viola Davis and Allison Janney with Jim Gaffigan, Mike Epps and Edi Patterson. The film is set to have its world premiere at the Sundance Festival on Feb. 1.

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TV Roundup 2019

BY J ESS I CA BA K E R

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Everyone’s favorite optimistic cult survivor is back for one last adventure. Netflix’s “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt’s” first six episodes premiere on May 30 last year and the final six are set to debut Jan. 25. The series stars Ellie Kemper as 29-year-old Kimmy Schmidt, who, after spending 15 years as an unwilling member of a doomsday cult in the fictional town of Durnsville, Indiana, decides to restart her life by moving to New York City. Schmidt quickly befriends her streetwise land-lady Lillian Kaushtupper (Carol Kane), becomes roommates with stuggling actor Titus Andromedon (Tituss Burgess) and gets a job as a nanny for Jacqueline Voorhees (Jane Krakowski), a melancholic and out-of-touch socialite. Created by Tina Fey and Robert Carlock, the series has received critical acclaim and has been nominated for 18 Primetime Emmy Awards, which included four nominations for Outstanding Comedy Series.

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The Umbrella Academy If you thought your family was complicated, think again.

In “The Umbrella Academy,”on the same day in 1989, forty-three infants were inexplicably born to random, unconnected women who showed no signs of pregnancy the day before. Seven of the children are adopted by Sir Reginald Hargreeves (Colm Feore), a billionaire industrialist, who creates The Umbrella Academy and prepares his “children” to save the world. However, in their teenage years, the family fractured and the team disbanded. Now, the six surviving members reunite upon the news of Hargreeves’ passing.

But though they must band together to solve the mystery of their father’s death, the estranged family once again begins to come apart due to their divergent personalities and abilities, not to mention the imminent threat of a global apocalypse.

This upcoming Netflix series stars Ellen Page and Tom Hopper and is an adaptation of the comic book series of the same name by Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá. The first season is set to premiere on February 15th.

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as well as Max (Ian Reed Kesler), her doting, protective and at times clueless, single father. The series is set in two different time-frames, decades apart, shifting from flashbacks of Max as a child (Jackson Dollinger) and his best friend Leo (Christian J. Simon) in the 1990s, which act as parallels to the hilarious predicaments Sydney and her best friend Olive (Ava Kolker) get themselves into.

The series was created by Mark Reisman, producer and writer for films such as “Fraiser” (1993) and Summer Rental (1985). The show’s theme song is produced and written by Kay Hanley, Michelle Lewis and Dan Petty and performed by Ruth Righi and Dan Conklin. “Sydney to the Max” is set to premiere Jan. 25 on Disney Channel.

Better Things Life isn’t an easy thing and no one knows that better than Sam Fox. “Better Things” is a comedy-drama created by Pamela Adlon and Louis C.K. for fx. The series stars Adlon as Sam Fox, a divorced actress raising her three daughters on her own in Los Angeles. Not only must she juggle her daughters who have contrasting personalities, she must also navigate the relationships with the various men in her life and deal with her mother. Not only does her mother suffer from some looming physical and mental issues, but she also lives next door. “Better Things” has received positive reviews for both seasons — Season 1 scoring 95 percent on Rotten Tomatoes and 80 out of 100 on Metacritic, and Season 2 earning a Rotten Tomatoes score if 96 percent and 96 out of 100 on Metacritic. The series premiered on Sept. 8, 2016. In Oct. 2017, fx renewed the series for a third season, which will consist of 12 episodes and will premiere on Feb. 28.

Sydney to the Max If you enjoyed “Boy Meets World” or its 2014 sequel, “Girl Meets World,” you may enjoy this heartwarming and nostalgic series, “Sydney to the Max.” “Sydney to the Max” follows the adventures of Sydney Reynolds (Ruth Righi), a good-hearted and sociable middle-schooler,

Russian Doll If you thought “Happy Death Day” was bizarre, this one will feel familiar. Created by Natasha Lyonne, Amy Poehler and Leslye Headland, “Russian Doll” focuses on Nadia (Lyonne) as a guest of honor at a party one night in New York City. However, she soon finds herself stuck in a time loop where she dies at the end of the night, only to wake up the next day unharmed. Produced by Universal Television, Poehler’s Paper Kite Productions, JAX Media and 3 Arts Entertainment, “Russian Doll” was handed an eightepisode straight-to-series order by Netflix in Sept. 2017.

The series has an all-female writing and directing team and Headland and Lyonne creating the scripts and also directing along with Jamie Babbit. Guest stars include Dascha Polanco, Brendan Sexton III, Rebecca Henderson and Jeremy Bobb. Russian Doll is set to make its grand debut on Feb. 1.

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+ HER BOOKS

Middle Eastern Saga:'Bête Brune'

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BY B RO O K E A L L E N

n Kim Hester’s “Bête Brune (Brown Beast): The Saga of Judith Sanders” readers follow Judith Sanders, an American diplomat living in a dangerous, sexist and hateful war-torn section of the Middle East.

Before moving to Saudi Arabia, Judith helplessly watches as her husband is shot to death by terrorists who invade their villa in Al Khobar, near the Persian Gulf. After her husband’s death, she returns to the United States where she follows her passion into foreign diplomacy. As her career continues, she finds herself returning to the Middle East to stand up to prejudices she, as an American woman, faces.

According to Hester’s website, “The reader can expect to experience loads of action in exotic settings. But overarching all elements is the importance of theme and lessons in life that will hopefully leave the reader a better person once he or she has completed reading the novel.”

Hester, a former marine, was an editor with the California Department of Education, and holds an English degree from Stanford University. Hester also lived in Saudi Arabia for 18 years. While living there, he experienced terrorist attacks on his own neighborhood.

Surrounded by violence and death, Hester created the story of Judith Sanders.

“Bête Brune” was released on Sept. 11, 2018, the seventieth anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. This resonating date leaves American readers with a personal, close interest in this culturally rich novel. Hester seeks to leave readers “with a greater understanding of the world and the people in it.”

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ImmortalizedPet: Amazing Margaux

BY K E I T H J O H N S O N

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eet Margaux, a thirteen-year-old blind and deaf poodle. Margaux lives at the magical Poodle Resort & Spa with her four poodle sisters.

When Margaux crashes into a sand castle, we see the difference between how Margaux's older and younger sisters understand her disabilities. Everything changes when a thunderstorm scares all of the poodles except Margaux, who braves the storm to save the day for her younger sisters.

The new children’s book series, “The Incredible Adventures of the Awesome and Amazing Margaux” debuts with “Waggy Tail One: YAY Margaux!” Co-authors Laura and Scott Jordan tell the story of Margaux the poodle, who becomes blind and deaf overnight after suffering from a rare illness. Despite her disabilities, Margaux faces every day with a smile. The husband and wife duo are launching the new book this fall to empower kids to always do their best and to do so with confidence and courage.

The heroine, Margaux, is based on Laura and Scott’s reallife poodle who became extremely ill when she was 8 years old. The mysterious symptoms caused her veterinarians to question whether she would make it to her ninth birthday.

Not only did she make it, Margaux thrived! Faced with challenges that would be the undoing of most people, Margaux met it all with her signature smile and can-do attitude.

The series, titled “Waggy Tails,” is inspired by the adventures of Margaux Jordan. Faced with challenges that would be the undoing of most people, Margaux meets it all with her signature smile and can-do attitude. Along the way, she picks up a loyal social media following who shares her struggles and triumphs.

“YAY Margaux!” launched just in time for the holidays — it was so well received, it sold out on Amazon.com in a day. Poodles are one of the smartest dogs on the planet, and Marguax’s sisters are no exception, as each dog shows off their own unique personalities and care for their handicapped sister. The book is a joyride as readers travel through the inspirational life of the fun-loving dogs and their thoughtful parents.

“It’s been an amazing journey watching her adapt to her new world, and better – start thriving in it. This experience has forged us into better dog owners — we prefer the term parents — and helped us start taking life minute-by-minute.”

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+ HER MONEY

FINANCIAL HELP FROM THE MONEY SCHOOL

Nicole Lapin's 12-Week Course Breaks Down Money

BY B RO O K E A L L E N

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icole Lapin is a money expert and author who developed two financial courses that provide students with the skills they need to become financially stable. The 34-year-old created The Money School and The Boss School, 12week personal finance courses.

The courses feature video lessons taught by Lapin, supplementary tools, quizzes and also an online discussion board where students

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can interact with each other.

Lapin says, “At The Boss School, you’ll learn how to have success as an employee of a company, make more money and even turn your passion into a business.” Using her own mistakes and lessons as the basis of her classes, she attempted to curate fool-proof, easily followed courses.

Hers Magazine asked Lapin some questions surrounding her courses and also her experiences with her own finances.

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Hers Magazine: As a woman, what business struggles continue to be a challenge?

Nicole Lapin: The biggest challenge is denial and burying our head[s] in the sand. As women, we have more shame and imposter syndrome than men — that often stands in the way of our own self-care and education. Just because we didn't learn about finance and business in school (and chances are not from our family), doesn't mean we can't join conversations about them. It's scary and intimidating, I get it. My girlfriends will talk about everything before they talk about money. But the only way to confront challenges is to face them head on.

Learning the language of money is the first step to taking control.

HM: What is the difference between The Boss School and the Money School?

NL: The Money School and The Boss School expand on the information in my first two books. In The Money School, you’ll learn everything you never learned about personal finance in school. [You’ll learn] how to budget, how to get out of debt, how to figure out what retirement option is the best for you, how to start investing and more. The Boss School focuses more on career, covering everything you need to approach everything like the boss you are — from how to think like a boss, brand yourself, standing out during a job hunt, be innovative within a company, start your own company, run a business and more.

HM: The course is comprised of videos, but do students get to spend any one-on-one time with you, something like "office hours" or a consultation?

NL: For both The Money School and The Boss School, there are premium options that include a one-on-one consultation call with yours truly, and if you buy both, you get two 30-minute one-on-one consultation calls. Otherwise, I’m always jumping into the comments section to interact with students and answer their questions. Plus, you can always @ me your questions!

HM: What is the biggest lesson you want students to take away from your course?

NL: That it’s time to rethink convention and learn to think for yourself. Stop being brainwashed and start making financial decisions for you — for your own personal adventure.

We’re living in a new normal, and there is no one-size-fits all solution to your money dilemmas. So, you need to learn the language of money first — I’m here to help — and then make informed decisions for you and your career.

HM: How much does it cost?

NL: Basic access to The Money School is $299, with basic access to The Boss School (launches next month) starting at $499. There are monthly payment options, too, of course!

HM: If relevant, what kind of certification do you get upon completion?

NL: We've seen students put it on their resume. As an employer myself, I would love to see an applicant go beyond traditional schooling to educate themselves.

HM: What separates you from other female financial experts?

NL: I know what it’s like to be broke and to be in debt. I also know how to get out and never go back there. I learned that about money the hard way and am more than happy to talk about my mistakes so that others don’t make the same.

All jargon free!

HM: What do you think is the first or main step to building a strong financial future?

NL: Before tackling anything else—investing, making a big purchase, starting your own business—you have to get the debt monkey off your back. Start with the highest interest rate debt you have first–which is usually your credit card.

Schedule your debt payments to automatically come out of your paycheck each month so you don’t even have a chance to spend that money on something else. It doesn’t hurt as much if you never see that money in the first place. Give yourself a realistic timetable to pay it off, but don’t set comfy deadlines.

Paying debt off isn’t a comfy thing. Don’t forget: the longer you drag it out, the more money you’ll be shelling out for interest.

HM: Do single women have an easier time establishing a successful financial foothold than women with kids or a family of some kind?

NL: Every woman and every situation is unique. But, generally, single women can afford to be more aggressive with their investment strategies and take advantage of the magic of compound interest, potentially retiring earlier.

HM: What are some tips for women getting start-up capital for their ventures? Is there anything new (e.g. platforms, instruments) in the industry?

NL: Try everything you can to get your business off the ground before fund-raising because once you take someone else’s money, they own a part of your business. Microloans, peer-to-peer lending and crowdfunding are creative options to explore. Often times, the reason women start businesses is to be their own boss, but once you take a check from someone else, you have one!

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3 Communications Basics that Build Confidence

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Easy tips to feel more resilient and controlled — or, at least, exude the image that you are.

BY M E R I L E E K E R N

ommunication is ingrained in every facet of life, yet many struggle with fear, insecurity and general ineffectiveness when they find themselves eye to eye with someone to present ideas, address complicated situations, express feelings, negotiate or just “sell them self”—all whether in a personal or professional context.

According to Megan Rokosh, a global business communications expert with over 12 years of agency public rela-

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tions, media and creative strategy experience, “Some people are paralyzed with fear at the very thought of taking an idea and communicating it, both in the workplace and in their everyday life.

However, confidence can be significantly bolstered by heeding even a few simple strategies—some basic fundamentals and essentials—that can improve one’s poise and self-assurance...and results of the endeavor at hand.”

Here are three of Rokosh’s confidencebuilding communications requisites:

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1. Craft situation diffusion dialogue.

Create an assortment of “go-to” statements you can have at-the-ready to handle awkward or hard situations and moments. These are assertions and declarations that you know work well and that you can whip out quickly when needed.

For example, if you are late to a social outing, rehearse saying “I’m so sorry I kept you waiting, my rule is when I’m late, all the drinks are on me.” Or, when you’re at a loss for words, you can assert, “I could have sworn that I packed my tongue today” and lighten the moment. Having such short statements up your proverbial sleeve helps to avoid stumbling your way through awkward moments.

2. Give in to vulnerability.

Vulnerability often equals likability and they are indelibly connected—so use that truth to your benefit! There’s not much more off-putting than arrogance and seeming vulnerable can make you more relatable. If you’re nervous and kicking off a meeting, tell your audience to “be gentle with you” and have a quick laugh to loosen everyone—and yourself—up. Self-effacing humor can be a powerful tool. Or, if you’re having a difficult time understanding something, you can say, “I’m so sorry if I’m holding us up here, but would you mind explaining one more time?” Your contrition will surely endear.

3. Address adversities head on.

You will undoubtedly face times at work and at home that require you to address something difficult. Although challenging and scary, the situation usually must to be addressed to be effectively resolved. Great leaders always speak up and you should, too! Make clear from the beginning that you intend to hear and consider the other person’s side, stating something like, “Your perspective is valid and really want to hear what you have to say, but first, please allow me to share my thoughts....” followed by the suitable words. This will give you the floor, hopefully uninterrupted, since the other party has been given the assurance they’ll have a chance to present their side as well. As goes without saying, this discourse should be in person versus via text or email whenever that’s a possibility. There are times when a call or in-person meeting is just the right thing to do and where words, inflections and expressions if face-to-face will be far more impactful and meaningful.

Rokosh also reminds us that the world’s best communicators are trained. “It’s very that an incredible communicator hasn’t put in extensive work toward their oration skills so they can speak eloquently, pause in powerful silence when appropriate, address very difficult media questions, etc.,” she notes. “It’s important to remember that, while some people are inherently talented communicators, for many (if not most) becoming a confident communicator requires learned skills. It’s one simple strategy like those above built upon each other, and proactively putting them to use, that will get you where you want and need to be.”

As an advice-doling expert, Rokosh doesn’t just talk the talk, she walks the walk. Having worked with many high profile global organizations and consulted with C-suite executives from nearly every industry, she’s created hugely successful platforms founded on effective communications.

This includes working directly with top-tier media like Forbes, Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, Ad Age, Adweek and scores more. Rokosh was even invited to partake in the elite “Business of Media, Entertainment and Sports” program at Harvard.

If effectively communicating is an area of insecurity for you, if you find yourself being held back by the fear, or if you just want to amp up your existing communications prowess, try Rokosh’s three easy tips above to feel more resilient and controlled—or, at least, exude the image that you are.

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+ HER BEAUTY

What Makes Vegan Makeup Better?

S H A L I N I M A D H AV

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eal vegans not only avoid meat products, but also go vegan even on things such as clothes and makeup. This means that they would never wear anything that is made from animal parts like leather. When it comes to vegan makeup, these are products that do not contain any animal products or ingredients that are animal derived. They are very similar to natural products because they are friendly to the environment and have natural ingredients, but natural cosmetics are not necessarily vegan since they do use ingredients like lanolin, elastin and wax which are substances got from the animals.

It is also important to note that there is a difference between vegan products and cruelty free products.

Cruelty free products mean that they are not tested on animals, but they could still contain animal ingredients. Vegan beauty supports a very important cause, but besides this you also stand to enjoy lots of benefits from the vegan products because they are safer on the skin. Here are some of the reasons why vegan makeup products are better choices.

They have all natural ingredients: This means that you can use the products without worrying about chemicals that could end up irritating or damaging your skin. With so many vegan makeup brands in the market, you will find all the products you need.

They are suitable for all skin types: This is again because of the fact that they are made from natural ingredients. They are gentle even to sensitive faces because they are delicate and soft compared to other products available. You can pick any vegan makeup product you want without really having to consider whether it is right for your skin type.

They are affordable: Of course natural products are a little pricey compared to those with artificial additions. However the market has embraced the vegan products and there are so many options available at prices that are suitable for any kind of buyer. You will find products with excellent quality at very affordable prices to enhance your beauty.

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They are good to animals: You are probably looking for vegan makeup products because you love animals. With the products you will manage to avoid by products of dead animals. You do not have to feel guilty that an animal suffered for you to enjoy the product. The probability of products containing extracts from dead animals is also eliminated. You will indeed feel good supporting your cause in this way.

They are cruelty-free: Not all cruelty products are vegan, but all vegan products are cruelty free too. The products never get tested on animals and you can therefore take pride in knowing that no animal was risked in the process of verifying how effective they are.

To be vegan is a choice and with so many products available, you can be vegan in every area of your life including beauty. There is a wide range of vegan products available in the market; you only need to select a brand you can trust for quality to enjoy great results.

Vegan makeup is just as good as other cosmetics. With so many vegan makeup brands, it should be easy for you to find all the beauty products you need for your everyday use. hers-magazine.com

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Jefferee Star Cosmetics states that its products are cruelty free, and the company also ensures its manufacturers are also cruelty free

Inika products are vegan, cruelty free and organic

Pacifica has beautiful packaging and cruelty-free makeup

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+ HER PERSONAL GROWTH

Her-iscopes: Career Predictions from the Stars

Happy Birthday, Capricorn and Aquarius!

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CA PRICORN December 22-January 19 Strengths: Wise, patient, ambitious, practical Weaknesses: Stubborn, self-conscious, moody You’re in a mood to trim excess from your life, Capricorn, and with it will come clarity on your true dreams and values. But conventional messages on trimming the fat might not ring true for you. Maybe you need to step back from social media because it’s not making you happy—or maybe you need to grow a following to wow your next investor. Focus on what’s true for you—not your mom, not your SO, not a mean girl from high school you want to prove you’re better than—you.

AQUARIU S January 20-February 18 Strengths: Generous, curious, inventive, loyal Weaknesses: Inconsistent, standoffish, extremist Aquarius, you’re about to get lucky. Get your mind out of the gutter—lucky in your career. Social seeds you sow in November will start to sprout in December and bloom and bear fruit all throughout 2019. As they say in improv comedy, come from a place of “yes.” “Yes” you do want to go to your high school reunion. “Yes” you do want to get coffee with your favorite college professor who’s in town. You’ll be socially burned out by New Year’s, but with so many more people willing to go to bat for you and let you know of new opportunities on the horizon.

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S CO R PI O October 23-November 21 Ghosting: you’re either on the receiving end from an interview that seemed promising, or you’re thinking about doing it for a job that’s definitely not promising. For the former, don’t sweat it, a better opportunity will come along after the lunar eclipse in late January. For the latter, don’t do it. Give your employer at least the traditional 2 weeks and bow out gracefully.

Don’t burn those bridges, you will need them later this year.

S AG I T TA R I US November 22-December 21 As winter ends, Venus begins to enter Aquarius, which for you means that the love planet may make you more charming.

Now is a good time to make a good first impression, like in an interview or with a potential client. Mid-January, a customer will come to you with concerns, and at first they will seem silly but it’s very important that you don’t blow them off.

Charm them as well, but also work hard to fix their problem.

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H RE TRA- II S + H E R E N+T E NC MOE PNETS

P I SCE S February 19-March 20

CA N C E R June 21-July 22

One of the great things about you, Pisces, is your open, generous heart. These are qualities not usually treasured in the business world, but your ruler Neptune is present all throughout 2019, so you can make your natural softness work for you. A bigwig will remember that you’re a great listener and present you with a lucrative opportunity towards the end of January. And towards the end of February, someone will need your help. Give it to them, they will remember!

You’ve been feeling a little adrift lately. Fortunately, January will give you a sense of purpose and direction. If you have an idea that’s a bit offbeat, now’s the time to pitch it, Cancer. Not everyone will be on board, but you’ll have the grace to understand that “no” means “not right now” rather than “you’re not good enough.” Conversely, someone will try to rush you into signing a contract. Go with what your gut says, it will tell you when something’s not right.

A RI ES March 21-April 18

LE O July 23-August 22

“Power” is more than a Starz show to you this month. Your ruling planet Mars gives you energy and focus, so lean into your ambitions. With the solar eclipse in January comes a new responsibility in your role. It’s the perfect time for this to happen because your confidence is banishing impostor syndrome.

However, do remember as the year goes on that you wouldn’t have been trusted with this if people didn’t believe in you.

Leo, you started the year off with a bang! All your hard work from 2018 is paying off. Keep the momentum going by getting organized. Press the pause button if you’re asked to multitask, you’ll thrive if you work on one thing at a time. You’ll also probably find “brainstorming” meetings to be dull and a waste of time, so try to work as an individual without a lot of people’s opinions rattling around in your head. When winter turns into spring, you’ll wow your team with your contributions.

TAURU S April 20-May 20

VIRGO August 23-September 22

If the holidays and end of 2018 were tough for you, 2019 brings relief. A tense work situation clears up during the lunar eclipse at the end of January. As January turns into February, someone requests your wisdom on a topic and you learn that you enjoy teaching. Perhaps not enough for a career pivot but certainly for a mentorship or volunteer position. Some people just want to watch the world learn.

The first third of your year will be defined by a competitive streak—get it, girl! In January, distance yourself from anyone who’s a dead weight: an unsupportive partner, pessimistic colleague, or boss who doesn’t notice you. Don’t burn bridges, but do pay it forward for someone who believes in your vision. Say ‘yes’ to something that scares you, like presenting at your first conference. It’s difficult for you to be emotionally vulnerable and admit your weaknesses, but don’t let anyone hold you back, even if it’s you holding you back!

GEMINI May 21-June 20 One of the rules of improvisational comedy is to “come from a place of yes.” Your 2019 will be about coming from a place of yes. You’re already very flexible, Gemini, so use this to your advantage in January to negotiate a deal. Don’t be afraid to walk away from it, though. In late February, satiate your curiosity about a new subject. Later in the year, you’ll need to network, so you’ll apply these interesting tidbits you learned this spring.

LI B R A September 23-October 22 Play the long game, Libra. Make long-term, stable investments rather than trusting your money to the stock market. Reach out to your connections to see if they have an opportunity for you. At the end of February, you might be given a project that requires you to travel—go for it! But Mercury goes into retrograde around that time, so be sure to triple-check your travel plans and documents so it gets off to a good start.

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