MEXICO #1
November 2014
www.hellogiggles.com
WHY I’M LEARNING TO LET GO OF MY MISTAKES How to grow up and feel happy while doing it
+ 9 actresses producing great lady-driven stuff
CONTENTS
4 -FOR OUR READERS ”Let’s write a novel this month!” - Or you can give it a try at least.
5 -INTERNET DEEP-DIVE ”Over-the-top holiday gifts we can’t believe exist” - You know, just a few things you can spend your millions on. 6 -ENTERTAINMENT ”Gossip magazines support Kristen Bell’s NoKids photo movement” - Hurray for kids privacy!. 7 -BODY MATTERS ”Demi Lovato’s beauty tips are not what you think” - Read about her unexpected (and inspiring) beauty routine.
9 -COVER STORY ”Why I’m learning to let go of my mistakes” - A little story about growing up and not giving up while doing it.
10&11 -LET A WOMAN DO IT ”9 actresses producing great lady-driven stuff” - Go grab your camera and start telling the stories we want to see, just like these amazing women do.
12 -ITEM OF THE MONTH ”Get sartorially inspired by Refinery29’s new book: Style Stalking” - You’ll run to buy it after reading our review! 13 -THE BEAUTY FILES ”Channel your inner Jane Austen heroine with these DIY perfumes” - Can you smell that? It’s DIY essence mixed with elegance and a bit of lavender in between.
14 -BIANCA’S DRAWING ROOM ”The quest for the perfect cat eye makeup” Bianca’s cartoon deals with a daily struggle some of us have, in her own unique way.
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FOR OUR READERS Let’s write a novel this month! (or at least give it a try)
National Novel Writing Month, better known as NaNoWriMo, is an event for writers to start and finish an entire novel in November. Never heard of it? Basically, participants of NaNoWriMo write 50,000 words in 30 days. By December 1st, “winning” writers have a workable first draft. When explaining NaNoWriMo to my family and friends (because they’ve never heard of it), I always get asked the same questions: 1. How does anyone have time to write 50,000 words in 30 days? 2. Why would anyone want to dedicate so much compressed time to writing? . . . And give the same really simple answers: 1. It’s writing 1,667 words a day, which is completely manageable. 2. An amazing community is working right alongside you. For the most part, writing a novel is a very solitary thing. It isn’t like writing music or rehearsing a play; writing a novel happens in total isolation.
However, for one magical month a year, you suddenly aren’t alone.
Thousands of people are committing to the same cause: putting effort behind their art. Unfortunately, NaNoWriMo gets a bad rap, repeatedly being accused of encouraging “crap writing,” “writing without revising,” and “fast-track publishing.” But these arguments fail to understand the real aim of NaNoWriMo: to offer discipline, accountability, and deadline-driven writing. The point of NaNoWriMo is not to write a publishable novel in 30 days, but simply to write every one of those days. Yes, some people participate in NaNoWriMo not to become better writers, but to see if they’re able to write a novel-
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length manuscript. Some of these manuscripts are just fanfiction. There are, however, many professionally-aspiring writers who are genuinely working to write better and faster. Therein, NaNoWriMo has an invaluable purpose. If for nothing else, NaNoWriMo will cultivate your art, which is never a waste of time or effort. Sometimes great art is never procured because of doubt, an evil trick of the mind and one that often afflicts us with “writer’s block.” As many have said before me, the only way to get over it is to write. This is one of the best things about NaNoWriMo: there isn’t enough time to leave the writing for another day. The need to just write is here. NaNoWriMo proves to writers that they’re capable of not only finishing a novel, but of working through the writer’s block that has some novelists giving up on their work completely.
It’s a beautiful thought, really, that the world is working collectively toward a better, more productive, artisticfilled reality.
NaNoWriMo teaches the rewards of productivity and perseverance. If you want it badly enough, you’ll fight like hell to get it. That is what NaNoWriMo is all about.
INTERNET DEEP-DIVE Over-the-top holiday gifts we can’t believe exist By Tyler Vendetti
I won’t stop fantasizing about all the gifts I would buy if I had millions of dollars in my bank account and an unquenchable urge to fill my living room with gadgets I will never use. If you’re supremely rich, a hoarder, or both, check out this over-the-top gift guide for all your holiday needs. Yes, all these things are actually for sale.
His & Hers Vilebrequin Quadski Price: $50,000 Get it here: NeimanMarcus.com With a 50,000 dollar price tag, this ATV looks like something out of a Sims game, where the user employed all the cheat codes and can now afford to buy every fun toy in the game. With it’s purple, polka-dotted (sorry, turtle-dotted) design, the Vilebrequin is just as fancy as its name makes it sound. And if you get tired of riding beach dunes, just retract the wheels and motorboat off into the sunset. PS: Type “motherlode” a few times and your Sims can buy this fancy new toy. Really.
Solowheel
Vanity Fair Academy Awards Experience Price: $425,000 Get it here: NeimanMarcus.com Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be a celebrity for a day? For $425,000, you can find out. Including a three-night stay in a Beverly Hills hotel, dinner at the Chateau Marmont, a spa session, and access to the famous Vanity Fair party, this package will make you feel like Reese Witherspoon in no time. You won’t be able to afford a proper meal for the rest of your life, but these are small sacrifices to make for a night of glamour and pseudo-fame.
iGrow Helmet Price: $695 Get it here: iGrowLaser.com The website says “FDA approved” but my common sense says “radiation beams pointing directly at your brain.” This product, which promises to fix that bald spot in as little as 4 months, seems a little desperate to me and a little overpriced, but then again, I’m not suffering from premature baldness so I can’t honestly judge this.
Price: $2,000 Get it here: Kotulas.com Have you ever wanted a motorcycle with only one wheel? Well, your prayers have been answered, my friend! Solowheel is the world’s leading motorized unicycle, great for riding around town and not being mistaken for a tough biker guy. Finding your scooter a little boring this year? I’m not surprised. Anything that you actually have to power with your feet is too mediocre for this world.
Water Jetpack Price: $60,000 – $200,000 Get it here: JetLevFlyer.com Jet-Lev Flyers are the closest thing you’re going to get to a jetpack, seriously.
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ENTERTAINMENT
Gossip Magazines Support Kristen Bell’s No-Kids Photo Movement
By Gina Vaynshteyn
There is something weirdly intriguing and annoying addicting about celebrity gossip. Flipping through tabloids, I’ll see photos of Anne Hathaway on her way to the gym, or Amanda Seyfried toting a couple Trader Joe’s grocery bags. Maybe it’s a bizarre form of comfort knowing that famous people exercise without makeup and shop at the same places I do. Our interest in the lives of celebrities is understandable, right?
other celebrities such as Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Aniston, and Amy Adams have also signed up to support this initiative and will no longer associate with media outlets that buy photos or video from paparazzo who harass celebrity families. Kristen, who voiced her opinion to Entertainment Tonight co-host Nancy O’Dell stated, “Picture what it would
What about our interest in their children’s lives? When Kim Kardashian announced she was pregnant, when Gwyneth Paltrow named her baby Apple, when Britney Spears shaved her head in her struggle for child custody, the paparazzi was always there. Yup, celebrities have babies too, and there is a high demand for royal baby print. It’s one thing to follow the lives of your favorite musician or actor, but it’s another to clamor for their children’s. They’re adorable and have more fashion sense than anyone you know, but it’s fundamentally messed up to treat children like they are celebrities. Because no, they didn’t ask for the fame and the attention. And yeah, it’s probably really damaging to have a kid’s photo being taken every time his or her parent is out in LA
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Kristen Bell: Actress.
to grab lunch. Imagine yourself at six: would you really be okay with cameras all up in your business? In 2013, Halle Berry and Jennifer Garner testified on behalf of Senate Bill 606, which established the definition of the harassment of a celebrity’s child and made it possible for paparazzi to face charges if a violation of privacy occurs. In January, actress and mom, Kristen Bell (along with her husband, Dax Shepard) started the movement and social media campaign against paparazzi who exploit and stalk children for the sake of their own monetary gain. Kristen Bell urged others to boycott the “pedorazzi”;
be like walking down the street with your child, whether it’s trick or treating or just to school, and have 10 aggressive men taking their picture with a lens in your face, yelling, pushing other children
outside of a school.” E! Entertainment, Just Jared, and People Magazine ultimately agreed with Kristen and announced it would no longer feature photos of children without their parent’s consent. President Suzanne Kolb stated, “Here at E!, we share the concerns of all parents to protect children and are committed to heightening our efforts to ensure that we never support or encourage the targeting of children.” Look, I know we all love little Blue Ivy and the gorgeous Shiloh JoliePitt. It’s natural to ogle the rich and famous and their offspring because they tend to be the cutest little people in the world. But if you support the well being and privacy of these children, then you won’t buy any more tabloids that don’t respect their personal space. Let kids
be kids.
Actresses Halle Berry and Jennifer Garner talking about the initiative to the congress.
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BODY MATTERS
Demi Lovato’s beauty tips are not what you think
By Kit Steinkellner
When we hear “beauty advice” we usually think “some glossy magazine spread trying to sell us a bunch of purple lipstick because EVERYONE is wearing purple lipstick this winter or whatever.” But recently, in Glamour, Demi Lovato gave us some beauty advice that had nothing to do with eyelash curlers or asymmetrical bangs. Okay, fine, Lovato DID talk a smidge about how obsessed she is with manicures and skincare, but the focus of the interview was on the dangers of buying into society’s image-based hype and how important it is to remember that innerbeauty is the real game to play. In response to the Glamour magazine poll that revealed that women today feel worse about their bodies than women did 30 years ago, Lovato said:
“Social media started impacting my life when I was about 14 years old I would check it obsessively, reading comments and wondering if people noticed that I’d gained or lost weight. I allowed social media to define what I thought of my body. And now I realize that no matter how thin you are, someone will call you fat. No matter how beautiful you are, someone will call you ugly. But you can’t spend your time worrying about that. You’re just not going to please the world.” But she coming to terms with her own magnificent beauty in a real way:
“I tried to conform to what everyone thinks is beautiful. But my genetics gave me a curvy figure, and I’ve come to understand that in the Latina culture, that is beautiful. I no longer look at my body and think, Oh my gosh, I have such a fat butt. Or, I hate my thighs. On some days I don’t love them. But, you know, that’s one of the things that makes me, me.”Her takeaway?
“You must love yourself. To look in the mirror and tell yourself that you’re a rock star, you know?” That’s some beauty wisdom if ever I’ve heard beauty wisdom. Women kill themselves trying to be skinny enough, pretty enough, whatever enough, but it’s a battle none of us are ever going to win, because we’ve been give an unattainable goal that was designed to be unattainable. We’re not supposed to be pretty enough, skinny enough, whatever enough, we’re supposed to spend all our waking hours obsessing over the impossible because this makes women feel small and weak and helpless and that’s such a waste of time. Big ups to Demi Lovato for speaking her truth and also just speaking THE truth. You’re not going to please the world. Your inner and outer beauty is always going to threaten someone. So you can’t let the haters win by giving them any real credibility. You just got to shake off the hate and do you, girls.
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COVER STORY
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COVER STORY
Why I’m learning to let go of my mistakes By Shelby Katz
Growing up is hard. There is always trouble and there is always heartache, but we seem to grow stronger as we age. Maybe because it’s all relative, and aging just comes with bigger responsibilities and therefore bigger problems to deal with. Maybe we’re just really resilient. At this point in my life, I am a prime-time twenty-something, according toTaylor Swift. This is the first time that I’m completely on my own, and I’m definitely making some mistakes. I’m spending too much money on clothes and alcohol, and I’m the one that suffers when I can’t even afford the ramen I don’t want for dinner. I then drink too much of said alcohol and I act like a crazy person who gets high on saying the worst possible things she can think of to my friends and family. I struggle to build and/or hold on to any type of relationship, constantly afraid that it won’t last because we’re all going through a “life-changing” process and I worry that “some people just grow apart.” Also, my anxiety levels are THROUGH the roof,
but that’s an entirely different story.
I guess what I’m getting at here is that these are the times I wish I had a rulebook for my life. Sure, there are guidelines, or even just a set of ideals that people tend to follow. But who says that’s how we should act? We’re all different, so why should we all try to be the same? I want to make my own rules. I want to use my long list of mistakes—past, present and future—to build my own uniquely specific guide to life. The trick, however, is actually learning from those mistakes instead of getting so hung up on them that you stop living your life, and I’ve yet to master that. I made a pretty big mistake recently. Well, in my warped mind, it was a big mistake. To most other people that witnessed it, it really wasn’t that big of a deal. In fact, it’s something everybody has done at least once in his or her life, if not ten times. But for some reason, I can’t seem to
let it go.
What exactly happened isn’t important, but I will say that my actions stopped something else from happening; something that may not have even been good for me. But as a member of my generation, one where women have become so
empowered and are working every day to prove their worth, the pressure is heavy. And all I can do is blame myself. All I can think about is how badly I messed up, or how I was the one that caused this chain of events. As contradictory as it may seem though, I know that I shouldn’t apologize for being wholly and completely 100% myself. Nobody should. Sure, I made a mistake. But I made that mistake. I didn’t ruin anybody’s life, or cause a natural disaster. I just acted like a 22-year-old who isn’t perfect. So who cares if someone else didn’t like it? Amy Poehler isn’t scared of being unlikable. Neither is Mindy Kaling, or Lena Dunham. Or even Taylor Swift for that matter. And those four women are some of the most incredible and successful women alive today. That’s not to discount every other incredible soul out there who is making moves and making changes, but in this particular situation, the one where I am just living through my twenties and trying to make it out on the other side with some semblance of sanity, those are the women who inspire me. They’re real. They’re honest. They’re true to who they are, even if it means acting like a fool, or making a big mistake (in front of the media, and in turn, thousands of judgmental people). In Amy Poehler’s new book, Yes Please, she tackles this very topic, stating, “Your brain is not your friend when you need to apologize.”
She reminds us to be kind to ourselves when we mess up, and to use any shame or regret as a motivator, not a form of paralyses.
If I do strive to be any type of person in life, or if there is any one rule or guideline I follow, it’s just to be myself and to feel no shame in it. There is power in your ability to function on your own. So believe that you are functioning. Are you alive? Are you healthy? Are you feeding yourself? If you answered, “yes” to any one of those questions, then you’re doing just fine. If anyone tells you otherwise, forget them! Who are they to tell you how to live your life? There is no one person in this world who knows you the way you know yourself. Relish in that fact and just
keep swimming.
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LET A WOMAN DO IT
9 actresses producing great lady-driven stuff
By Becca Rose
It’s no secret that Hollywood has a problem with its depictions of women, but there are many prominent actresses who are taking the reins, determined to do something about it. Expect to see more films featuring complex female protagonists, like Gone Girl‘s Amy Dunne. Gone Girl, which was produced by women, illustrates that you can have a compelling female character without necessarily liking her. More and more Hollywood ladies are working on projects that take down the persisting female protagonist trope that consistently paints them in a similar way. Here are ten actresses who are dedicated to producing female-driven fare, the kind that allows women to be flawed, intricate, messy, funny, and multi-layered. These women aren’t content with the status quo, and their production companies are out there quietly making a difference in the sexist portrayals of women in our culture.
Reese Witherspoon
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Witherspoon owns the production company, Type A, which produced Legally Blonde (1 and 2), Penelope, and Four Christmases. Captivated by Cheryl Strayed’s Wild, Witherspoon bought the rights to it. She also helped produce Gone Girl. She’s gone on record about the lack of complex roles for women in film, especially women over a certain age, and so she decided that if they weren’t there, she’d help create them.
Melissa McCarthy
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McCarthy formed her production company, On The Day, with her husband Ben Falcone. So far they’ve got the self-written Tammy under their belt, with more options on the table.
Drew Barrymore
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This actress formed Flower Films with Nancy Juvonen way back when, and has had a hand in many of the movies she’s made since then, including Never Been Kissed, Music & Lyrics, and He’s Just Not That Into You. She made her dual producing and directorial debut with the critically acclaimed Whip It.
Queen Latifah
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IIs there anything the Queen can’t do? She’s been running Flavor Unit Productions for a while now, which has helped produced Beauty Shop and Bringing Down the House.
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LET A WOMAN DO IT Eva Longoria Longoria crafted UnbeliEVAble Entertainment (possibly the best name of a production company, ever) in order to focus on bringing work to the small screen that supported women. More specifically, women of color. The actress has her Master’s degree in Chicano Studies and is committed to diversity and equal representation.
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Brit Marling Marling is a relative newbie on the scene, but she’s made a big impact with her selfpenned and produced The East. She’s got this to say about her choices as a producer and an actress: “As a kid, I was going to the cinema and not seeing the type of women I saw every day in my own life. I think about what a struggle it is to be a young girl in this world, and it makes me determined to play interesting women.
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Ashley Tisdale Tisdale formed Blondie Girl Productions recently. While the actress hasn’t yet had a lot of projects on her plate as a producer, we’re rooting for her to make an impact from the other side of the lens.
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Elizabeth Banks This wonderful lady founded Brownstone Productions with her husband, Max Handleman. Their biggest success to date is a little movie about competitive acapella groups called Pitch Perfect. Maybe you’ve heard of it? Banks jumped to the director’s chair for the upcoming sequel.
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Natalie Portman Handsomecharlie films has created hits such as No Strings Attached and The Other Woman. Portman has said that her goal is to create raunchy and ribald comedies for women. We can’t wait!
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ITEM OF THE MONTH
Get sartorially inspired by Refinery29’s new book: Style Stalking
By Marie Lodi
Do you ever experience those dreary days when you open your closet to find something to wear and end up getting annoyed because you HATE ALL OF
YOUR CLOTHES? It’s okay, you’re just in a style funk and everyone experiences it once in a while. Luckily, there’s a new antidote to help us through these wardrobe woes. Refinery29 just released their new book, Style Stalking, a handy guide that is sure to inspire you with pages and pages of beautifully coordinated outfits. The authors, Refinery’s editor-in-chief, Christene Barberich, and executive creative director PieraGelardi, cover a range of topics such as how to style a certain piece three different ways and ideas on mixing prints that will blow your mind. They also bring a whole new world to layering and there’s a great chapter dedicated to my personal favorite, vintage clothing. The book also features some special guests. Beyoncé’s stylish sis Solange Knowles shares some insight on her love for color, OG fashion blogger Susanna Lau aka Susie Bubble, shares her thoughts on what motivates her to get dressed and Nasty Gal’s #GIRLBOSS Sophia Amoruso talks about her #1 vintage possession (spoiler: it’s a pair of Fluevog elf shoes.) Open your mind and closet to these tips by fashion’s finest!
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THE BEAUTY FILES
Channel your inner Jane Austen heroine with these DIY perfumes By Anika Mehta
Elizabeth Bennet: Jasmine, Vanilla. Equal parts strong and light, this blend is perfect for all of the effervescent, hard to catch, yet intellectual Lizzies of the world.
Elinor Dashwood: Lavender. By far, Jane Austen’s most level-headed and serene heroine, Elinor’s nature is just as soothing and gentle as this calming scent. Marianne Dashwood: Sandalwood, Cinnamon. Marianne may be young, but she carries the most intensity and sensuality of any Austen lady. Capture your passionate and romantic side with this scent (which would pair perfectly with a gorgeous red dress!)
Steps:
Jane Bennet: Rose. The image of one perfect, pink rose captures the spirit of kind, beautiful Jane. It’s delicate enough to embody her femininity, but bold enough to be the supportive older sister. Emma Woodhouse: Lily of the Valley, To transform into the Regency heroine that you always knew you were, why not Orange Blossom. Sweet and tangy, this tap into another sense? The sense of smell! combination captures Emma’s liveliness In 1730, Juan Famenias Floris started making perfumes in London. His first and sass, with enough mystery to keep scents included jasmine, orange blossom and lavender, and they quickly your Mr. Knightley on his toes. became very popular among fashionable society of England. You can actually visit Floris and buy his famous lavender scenttoday. The popular scentsthat were developed and worn during the Regency included Lily of the Valley, Night Jasmine, and Tuberose. Floris created a lovely scent that was worn by brides —a combination of orange blossom (top note), carnation, lily, jasmine (heart note), and sandalwood (base note) called Stephanotis, which symbolizes good luck. Once you have more experience mixing scents, you can recreate this Regency staple. Today’s DIY is your own customizable, Regency-inspired perfume and body spray. With only a few supplies, you can make a chemical-free scent that is perfect for your personality and lets you channel your favorite Austen heroine. If you’re new to making perfume, start with one or two different scentsand build up to a complex mixture as you make more. Here are some ideas for you to find your perfect fragrance:
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1. Drop 3-5 drops of each scent into your bottle. 2. Fill the rest of the bottle with the carrier oil. 3. Add more of the scent if you desire. 4. Mix it for 30 seconds. 5. Use the cork stopper to apply the scent.
A little inspiration: When you put on your personalized scent, be sure to embody the heroine to the fullest.
Be kind, be passionate, be principled... in everything you do! These easy scents also make the perfect gift for the Austenite in your life. To maximize the effect of your scent (and you ensure that you catch the attention of the Mr. Darcy or Mr. Knightley in your life), apply a dab or spritz of the perfume in the following places: behind ears, at the base of the throat, inside of elbows and wrists and behind the knees.
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The quest for the perfect cat eye makeup
By Bianca deBardelaben
I always catch myself looking in the bathroom mirror to see if my eyeliner is correct. Can other people tell, is that what their whispers are about? It seems like ever since the cat eyeliner technique was invented, women (and men) have challenged their skills to perfect the application of the perfect cat eye. Some use liquid, others powder, they even have rub-on tattoos for those of us who just can’t achieve hand held perfection. Even after 10 years of rocking this indie sweetheart look myself, I still can’t manage to be an eyeliner queen. Thank goodness I can hide behind my glasses and bangs.
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