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Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Are Breaking Royal Etiquette on Their Tour, and It’s Confusing Officials


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Locals allegedly don’t have to worry about greeting Markle or Prince Harry in any specific way. “It’s very much how they want things done,” the source continues to VF. “There is no protocol that says you have to bow or curtsy when you meet them; it’s really up to the individual.”

Why the couple is approaching their tour like this is unclear. Some sources say it’s to get their popularity back on track after a few weeks of bad press. (Markle and Prince Harry garnered criticism in August for chartering a private jet on holiday despite their environmental activism. Harry later addressed the controversy, saying he mostly flies commercial but sometimes has to make exceptions—and he always offsets his CO2 in those cases.)

Regardless, Markle and Prince Harry’s move to be more informal in southern Africa is confusing some officials. “I have no idea how to speak to them,” Jacky Poking, secretary of the Bo-Kaap Civic and Ratepayers Association, said to South Africa’s Sunday Times. “We haven’t received any official brief on etiquette. I think that’s because the Sussexes want to keep it informal. I don’t even know how to greet them.”

If these reports hold water, I have a feeling Meghan and Harry don’t really care how anyone greets them. I think Poking can rest easy.



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Your Guide to Retinol, Hyaluronic Acid, Vitamin C, and More Confusing Skin Care Ingredients


By now you know the drill: Every few months a new wunderkind skin care ingredient is discovered in some remote locale, and pretty soon it’s everywhere—in your masks, serums, foot creams, insert-step-in-your-beauty-routine-here. But at the end of the day, there are only a handful of ingredients that have stood the test of time and truly become essential. “In skin care, they’re the holy grail,” says Cambridge, Massachusetts, dermatologist Ranella Hirsch.

You’ve probably heard of all these by now. (Retinol, hyaluronic acid, AHAs, peptides, and vitamin C all make the list.) But you may still be a little confused on what exactly each one does—and how you should be using them. Here, we break it all down.



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Here Is the Full, Confusing Saga of Ariana Grande and Pete Davidson's Breakup


It was only last month that Ariana Grande and Pete Davidson were kicking it in their $16 million apartment surrounded by beanbags, baby pigs, and exactly zero forks. Now, however, both TMZ and People are reporting the couple has split after five months of dating—and four months of being engaged. Before you start listening to “Pete Davidson” on repeat in mourning, though, remember that Grande and Davidson haven’t confirmed this news yet; it’s possible they’re still together and just had a small argument about lollipops or something. Maybe Grande wanted Davidson to dye his hair back to brown and he said, “No, this platinum look is lit,” and that caused a brief tiff. We don’t know! All we know is breakup rumors are swirling.

But it’s a confusing timeline. Grande and Davidson were reportedly chummy as recent as Saturday (October 13), which makes this news all the more jarring. How did this couple go from gallivanting at furniture stores in fancy sweatpants to breaking up in such a short span? God is a woman, and she’s just as perplexed as we are. Here’s what we know so far:

September 29: Grande attends the premiere of Saturday Night Live. She was posting Instagram Stories backstage, according to Vanity Fair, and acting very much like she still dug Davidson and his penchant for the word sick.

October 9: Davidson covers up one of his Grande tattoos. Specifically, the “Dangerous Woman” bunny he had inked behind his ear. It seems he had a heart drawn over it instead, which is only a little bit ironic.

October 13: Grande is spotted backstage at Saturday Night Live again. Per the Daily Mail, they appeared so “in love.”

October 14: News breaks Grande and Davidson have split. Davidson deletes his Instagram, which isn’t all that surprising because he’s more hot-and-cold with that thing than I am with my gym membership. According to People, those close to Grande saw the split coming and deemed her relationship “too much too soon.” TMZ notes that the death of Grande’s ex-boyfriend Mac Miller might’ve been a “tipping point.” Us Weekly, however, contends the two just called their engagement off and are still working things out.

October 15: In a deflection attempt only theater nerds and gay men will appreciate, Grande posts about her involvement in the Wicked fifteenth anniversary special—her first social media post since the breakup rumors kicked off.

And that’s it for now, people. Knowing Grande and Davidson, though, it’s only a matter of time before we receive another update—most likely in all lowercase letters.

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A Timeline of Ariana Grande and Pete Davidson’s 0 to 100 Relationship

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Ariana Grande Hilariously Trolled Kim Kardashian and North West for Their Very Familiar-Looking Ponytails





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This Epic 'Riverdale' Theory Will Help You Understand That Confusing Black Hood Reveal


SPOILERS AHEAD!

Hello, and welcome to another edition of Riverdale Fan Theories, Particularly and Especially Those Having to Do With the Black Hood. During last week’s mid-season finale (see our recap, if you’re so inclined), we finally found out who it was. It was not Sheriff Keller. It was not Hiram Lodge. It was not Hal Cooper. It was also not Betty’s long-lost brother or Kevin or a mercenary for Archie’s mom, Mary Andrews, which pretty much leaves it to be a random character like a janitor. And, hey-oh, it turns out it was the janitor, Svenson. So that was disappointing—at first. Because as it turns out, it might not be him after all.

As some fans on Twitter pointed out, it is only the mid-season finale: Why would they expose the Black Hood and wrap a major plot line so early?

“There’s no way Svenson is the real Black Hood. My theory is, the REAL Black Hood wanted Svenson to die the same way his sin was made — by killing the wrong man,” proclaims user @iiClockworkii. “Also, this is only the mid season finale, it’s only halfway over. There’s no way.”

If you recall, Svenson was the sole survivor of the Riverdale Reaper murders. When a group of townspeople asked him who the Reaper was, he identified the wrong person—and that innocent guy was killed. It seems the same thing might be happening with Svenson. He was accused of being the Black Hood and was killed—but he might be innocent. Might be.

So next up is the excellent and very valid point raised by @mallorydui, who writes that the Black Hood is someone who wanted Svenson to experience what the innocent man whom Svenson wrongly blamed for a crime had to go through. Karma, y’all.

The “frame-Svenson” theory gained further ground on the Twitter as well…

…with some adding that Archie is the key to knowing who the Black Hood is—after all, he saw the Hood’s eyes the night his father was shot.

If these users are right—and in a show with this many twists and turns, we’re not putting a very weird fake-reveal behind the showrunners—fan theory season isn’t over yet. Which is great, because that’s kind of what we live for with this show.

Related Stories:
This ‘Riverdale’ Theory About the Black Hood’s Identity Seems Right After Last Night’s Episode
This ‘Riverdale’ Fan Theory Says Hiram Lodge Is the Black Hood
‘Riverdale’ Season 2 Episode 7 Recap: A Theory About the Black Hood Is Debunked





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These 'Pod' Sex Toys Are Beautiful But Confusing


When I received an email from the sex toy brand Jimmyjane about a new set of vibrators called “love pods,” my first thought was that they looked like beautiful little lily pads. My second thought was, “WTF do you do with these?”

There are three versions of the toy: the $109 OM, a pointed purple ball with crevices meant to emulate fingers for “a naturally pleasing intimate experience;” the $129 pink Coral, a ball with deeper crevices and two motors that alternate for what are somewhat vexingly called “magical, immortal orgasms;” and the $149 fuchsia Halo, which has three heads that fit around the clitoris or nipple to encircle it with vibrations.

But outside of their appearance, those descriptions didn’t provide much information about what these sex toys actually feel like. What was the point of mimicking flat fingers that can’t even reach out to touch you? And what the heck is an immortal orgasm?! (Sounds exhausting.)

“‘Immortal orgasms’ is not a technical term,” a Jimmyjane rep explained. “The Love Pods are each based on Greek goddesses and symbols of feminine desire: Aphrodite, the Lotus Flower, and the Shell of Venus, as expressed on the packaging.” Well, OK then!

PHOTO: Jimmyjane

Coral

I started off with the Coral. The vibration traveling from one side to the other was an interesting sensation in my hands, but when I put it between my legs, I kept losing stimulation on each side every few seconds. I turned it to the steady vibration setting and was able to orgasm within a few minutes, but not without enlisting the help of my other hand—something that, IMHO, shouldn’t be necessary if you’re using a good vibrator. The crevices made the sensation more concentrated on specific parts of my vulva, rather than consistent throughout. And since the toy is hard and unbendable, I couldn’t do much to change that. As result, my experience was fairly lackluster.

A few days later, I moved on to the OM. I had even less luck with that one: The vibrations felt good, but they weren’t powerful enough for my liking. While the crevices provided something a little new, they didn’t add much to the pleasure.

Orgasm-less, I moved on to the Halo—the most hyped-up of the three. I first tried it on my nipple, and it did create a nice subtle, tingly sensation there. But what I was really after was clitoral stimulation. I placed the three motors around my clit, and again, it was something different: I felt vibrations around the sides instead of just the top. Still, it wasn’t making enough direct contact with the clit to get me off, it was just grazing the sides.

om_embed_jimmyjane.jpg

PHOTO: Jimmyjane

Om

Feeling like I had to find some obvious use for this toy, I asked my boyfriend if he wanted to try putting it over his penis. Same thing for him: The sensation was nice but not particularly intense. “I guess I could put it on my balls,” he said.

“Yeah, I guess you could put these in a lot of places,” I replied. You could just roll them over your body if you wanted to. But why would you when you could use a toy that’ll move air around your clitoris or oscillate over it instead of just lightly rumbling around it?

It’s entirely possible that my body just isn’t built for this kind of toy. I don’t generally get turned on by touch outside my genital area, and when it comes to that region, I prefer stimulation firmly and directly on the clitoris. But some people may be different: The Jimmyjane rep told me the company designed the Coral because some women like stimulation around the clit rather than on it. I just don’t happen to be one of them.

halo_embed_jimmyjane.jpg

PHOTO: Jimmyjane

Halo

So my first reaction still stands. These are beautiful toys—like lovely lily pads—and they could even go on top of your bedside table instead of inside the drawer. They could also glide over any part of your body as part of a foreplay massage, especially if you’re looking for an interesting tingling sensation.

But if what I’m looking for is an orgasm, I’m more likely to turn to the plenty of other effective options that don’t cost over $100. To each their own.

More:

This Extra Powerful Suction Vibrator Is Scary Good

I Masturbated With a Crystal Dildo and Turned Into a Believer

I Tried the Teddy Bear Vibrator and Let’s Just Say It’s Not for Everyone



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