Adele and English author/illustrator Laura Dockrill have been friends for decades—they’re so close, in fact, that Adele wrote the 2008 song “My Same” from her album 19 about their bond. So when Dockrill married The Maccabees musician Hugo White this weekend, Adele went all out: In addition to officiating her pal’s wedding ceremony, the singer grabbed a mic at the Mason’s Arms pub in London and gave a little private concert to all the guests, reportedly performing songs like her own “Rolling in the Deep” and the Spice Girls’ “Spice Up Your Life.”
Adele wasn’t the only celebrity present, either—according to E! News, Chernobyl actor Robert Emms and Florence Welch (of Florence and the Machine) were also on the guest list. At one point, Welch even reportedly joined Adele on stage to sing.
While there aren’t too many social media posts available of Adele’s impromptu wedding concert—hopefully the guests were too busy living in the moment—there is one picture that Dockrill posted on Instagram in which you can see Adele onstage, providing a soundtrack for the newlyweds.
In 2018, Adele shared a photo with Dockrill as well as a link to an essay the author had written about postpartum psychosis. “This is my best friend,” Adele captioned the photo. “We have been friends for more of our lives than we haven’t. She had my beautiful godson 6 months ago and it was the biggest challenge of her life in more ways than one. She has written the most intimate, witty, heartbreaking and articulate piece about her experience of becoming a new mum and being diagnosed with postpartum psychosis. Mamas talk about how you’re feeling because in some cases it could save yours or someone else’s life.”
While being a part of Dockrill’s wedding was certainly a milestone moment for the friendship, this isn’t the first time Adele has married her close pals. In 2018, she officiated a wedding for the English comedian Alan Carr and his partner, Paul Drayton, and even helped plan the whole event, which was held in her own backyard.
“She’s known me and Paul for ages, and she said, ‘I want to do your special day. Let me do everything.’ And she did everything and she got ordained and she married us,” Carr said in an interview later.
And Adele also notoriously organized an elaborate bachelorette party for Jennifer Lawrence at Pieces, a gay bar in New York’s Greenwich Village. When she’s not participating in major life events for her friends, Adele has been keeping a relatively low profile following her divorce last year. She’s only been spotted out a few times, including a vacation with Harry Styles and James Corden
So let’s recap: Adele is a wedding officiant, a wedding planner, and a wedding singer. We can’t wait to see Adele’s take on catering, florals, or bridesmaid duties next!
When I find something good, I do not shut up about it. Ever since I tried the newly launched Amika High Tide Deep Waver a few weeks ago, I have been preaching the gospel of my new hair obsession (just ask my co-workers). Prompted or not, I would tell anyone who even glanced at my hair “It’s so easy to use—and I’m garbage with hair tools!” or “ I feel like I’m in Mamma Mia Here We Go Again.”
Let it be known that hair is my beauty weakness. I’m terrible with hot tools and usually just sleep on mine wet and come into work with bedhead that I think is cool in a sexy-but-not trying way, but probably just looks like I didn’t try at all (not in a sexy way). I’m also always running ten minutes behind, so I have no time to remedy it in the morning. So when I came into work and was actually getting compliments on my hair (which I was left and right), I knew I had found something good.
I’ve been obsessed with the loose, beachy wave look (think Aquamarine meets Olsen Twins) for forever and have tried tons of irons on my straight hair, but have never been able to get it right. They leave my hair too crimped and crinkly, and looking obviously “done.” I’ve even gone as far as getting a “beachy perm” in high school, but it left me looking more like a poodle than a mermaid.
The Amika Waver changed all that. It looks like a fairly standard waving iron with three barrels. The exception is this one is pretty large, about four inches across, which I think is where the magic lies. Because of the extra large size, it gives me big, loose waves, without a crinkle in sight. It doesn’t look like I’ve done anything to it, in fact several coworkers asked me if that was my natural hair all along.
Besides the mermaid hair, my favorite thing about the waver is that it’s so damn easy to use. I almost never leave the house on time, so I like to use it at night on soon-to-be second day hair. The fact that I can use it before bed and wake up with nearly-perfect tousled waves is truly game-changing. I usually just divide my hair into four to six sections, depending on how big I want the waves to be or how much time I feel like spending on my hair. Then I brush out whatever section I’m working with, and start clamping my hair between the barrels like a sandwich.
I start the wave at the top of my head (but not directly on the roots, think more a few inches down) and gently work my way down the section, holding each “clamp” in place for about five seconds. I’ve found I get the most natural-looking wave by not pulling my hair so tight that it’s straight, but instead by moving it along with the natural motion of the iron—sort of bending it like an accordion as it moves through the barrels. It sounds more complicated than it is, but I promise it’s super intuitive to use as someone who can somehow manage to eff up using a flat iron.
The only learning curve I’ve had is getting a dent on the top of my head where the waves start. Naeemah LaFond, Amika’s global artistic director, recommends holding the waver at a slight slant when working with the top layer of hair to avoid a harsh line, which I’ve found incredibly helpful for getting a natural wave. She also recommends going back over the roots with a flatiron to flatten the top of your hair down for a more natural look.
Fans knew from Lady Gaga’s incredible vocal runs on “Shallow” that the full soundtrack for A Star Is Born would be incredible. Well, it dropped at midnight on Friday (October 5) to coincide with the movie’s nationwide premiere, and, yes, the rumors are true: It’s an Oscar-contending work of art, and Twitter will never be the same.
Actually, the hype began in the wee hours leading up to the album drop. Little Monsters swarmed Twitter, declaring the A Sound Is Born soundtrack the greatest album of the past three years before it even came out. But fans’ pre-release excitement had nothing on their reactions to the album itself. If tweets are to be believed, literally everyone has been streaming this soundtrack on repeat since midnight. How fans are listening to the soundtrack varies, though: A few have only been listening to “I’ll Never Love Again,” while one user said they’ve listened to everything but “I’ll Never Love Again,” so that they can experience it for the first time in theaters.
That’s not the only song that has fans absolutely losing it. It looks like the intentionally over-manufactured pop tune “Hair Body Face” is a surprise hit, which only proves that Lady Gaga achieves perfection even when she’s trying to do the exact opposite.
If you haven’t heard it yet (which begs the question, um, why the hell not?), it’s available on all major streaming services. You can also experience it the way it’s intended to be, in theaters everywhere.
Asking a beauty professional—whether it’s a celebrity hairstylist, makeup artist, or Instagram influencer (hi, 2018)—for advice is always a safe bet. But dig a little deeper, and you’ll find there are plenty of other women out there who are legitimate authorities in their own right. In our new column, Unlikely Experts, they’ll give real reviews and recommendations. Whether it’s surfers on the best conditioners, bikers on the best cleansers, or ballerinas on the best foot creams, it’s fair to say these women know best.
Diana Vreeland, a woman with one of the most covetable careers in modern history once admitted, “I’m really only envious of one thing, and that is a surfer. I think it’s the most beautiful thing.” She’s not alone. Of all of the professional fringe benefits available today, surfers have some of the best. Travel; the tranquilizing effects of suspending yourself on a sea-meets-sky horizon; the body-toning results of what amounts to hours of aquatic sprint intervals. Moreover, the equation of salt water plus sun that rounds out most vacation checklists has truly mythic effects on hair. Venus, the original standard of beauty who was born from the sea, is most famously depicted nose-riding a shell in contrapposto, her hair an unruly tangle of waves emphasized by sun-bleached highlights. “People buy salt water spray for their hair—I just go surfing,” says pro surfer Kassia Meador, who, after 22 years in the water, has a fondness for the “epic texture and bounce” and “sweet summer highlights” that accompany her life’s calling.
That being said, maintaining the sweet spot between ocean-sprayed waves and salt-wrecked knots requires thoughtful care. “The salt can be detrimental to your hair, causing it to dry out and making your ends break if you’re not exercising proper maintenance,” says Bahamian surfer Karina Petroni. Which is how surfers have become some of the most studied experts in the art of conditioner. “Just like sunscreen, you need to coat your hair with something to keep it from frying,” says longboarding champion Kelia Moniz. “I’m a freak about putting product in my hair before and after I surf.”
From leave-in treatments, to overnight masks, and kitchen cabinet stalwarts, here seven of the world’s best surfers share the conditioners that give them dreamworthy hair.
In my dream world I’d be a morning person who wakes up at 5:00 A.M. with a matcha latte in one hand and a lemon water in the other, about to check a gym or yoga session off my list. The real me feels like I’ve been hit by a truck when my alarm goes off, and I have to fight an inner battle to get up out of bed.
It seems silly for someone to say they’re terrible at sleep, but every night I face the uncertainty of not knowing how long it will take me to fall into a slumber or if I’ll even doze off at all. I’ve tried everything short of a prescription at the recommendation of doctors, friends, and—of course—Instagram: no electronics before bed, no napping, yoga, reading, meditation, tea, melatonin, magnesium, essential oils, ear plugs, a sleep app that tracks your sleep and wakes you up at the best time, an eye mask, and even a new mattress.
It’s not that they’re all entirely worthless. Most of the time any combination of these methods do help me fall asleep faster and stay asleep, but some nights I’m so lazy I don’t feel like getting up to take my magnesium supplement or plug in my diffuser. The one thing I can always muster up the energy to do, however, is pick up my bottle of This Works Deep Sleep Pillow Spray and spritz a few drops on my pillow and all over my bed.
I first heard about it a year ago during a work event and was immediately drawn to it because of how simple it sounded. It wasn’t a concoction I had to pre-make, a pill I had to swallow, or anything I had to assemble or put thought into. I literally just had to pick it up. So I took home a bottle and made note to try out the next time I was tossing and turning in bed. Spoiler: They didn’t overhype this spray. After my first time using it, I fell asleep quickly and woke up the next morning pleasantly surprised at how refreshed I felt.
The spray contains a blend of lavender, vetiver, and camomile and smells like a warm, soothing, calming hug. Lest that sounds like B.S., there are actually studies that show both lavender and camomile are scientifically proven to aid with insomnia. The fact that it takes almost no effort to use before bedtime makes it a no-brainer in my routine. The bottle never leaves my bedside, and the use of scent to aid in sleep is one of the most effective methods I’ve personally tried. Even though it’s not always a guarantee, I find that I’m able to knock out faster and stay asleep longer than when I don’t use it, and my sleep quality is noticeably better.
Also, because it’s relatively affordable (only $29) and under 3 fluid ounces, I can take it with me whenever I travel—which is especially key when it’s for work and there’s a time difference. Case in point: When I traveled to Paris for Fashion Week last September, it helped me wind down after 15-hour days of shows, showroom appointments, and meetings.
I might never be that girl up and ready to go at dawn, but at least I feel functional by the time I roll into the office. And that seems like a win enough.
To many, Mother’s Day means flowers and brunch—but its origins are much more radical than a Hallmark card can handle. The holiday has a deep history of activism and political protests, which feels worth revisiting now, in 2018. After all, this is a year in which an increasing number of mothers were inspired to run for office so they can make a difference, the Women’s March celebrated its anniversary with protests across the country, and a female politician made history by becoming the first sitting U.S. Senator to give birth. Motherhood is a powerful unifying force, something the founders of Mother’s Day certainly recognized.
The holiday’s creation is generally attributed to a woman named Anna Jarvis, who campaigned Congress through many letters and moving speeches to make it an officially recognized day. In 1914, Jarvis got her wish when Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation that declared the second Sunday in May a “a public expression of our love and reverence for the mothers of our country.”
PHOTO: Bettmann
Mother’s Day Founder Anna Jarvis
In her book Memorializing Motherhood, author Katharine Antolini describes Jarvis as a devoted daughter, who wanted the day to serve as an observance of the “primary source of a home’s security and love.” But as the years passed, according to Antolini, Jarvis came to deeply resent how the card and candy companies had co-opted the holiday. Jarvis also disliked it when women’s activist groups, like the Suffragettes, used the day to make political statements.
Ironically, though, her own mother, Ann Reeves Jarvis, was an activist herself and known as a leader in her community. Beginning in 1858, Ann Reeves Jarvis organized Mothers’ Day Work Clubs, which helped educate struggling mothers in their area of West Virginia. According to Antolini, Anna was reluctant to discuss her mother’s activism and spent years publicly battling the meaning of the holiday she’d helped create.
But the use of “Mother’s Day” in America can be traced back even before Anna Jarvis’ campaign began. In 1870, poet and activist Julia Ward Howe wrote an appeal—known as the “Mother’s Day Proclamation”—for women to unite for peace. Two years later, she declared a “Mother’s Day for Peace” should be celebrated every June 2. Howe was calling for the end of state-supported violence, motivated by the recent devastation of the Civil War and Franco-Prussian War. For years, she organized events around the day.
PHOTO: Historical
Suffragette and Poet Julia Ward Howe
Though she came before Anna Jarvis (and her Mother’s Day for Peace arguably had more in common with the 1858 work clubs), Howe’s concept of a Mother’s Day dedicated to activism and anti-war efforts was largely eclipsed for many years. Today, though, it’s still referenced in activist circles, particularly on the east coast, many of whom continue to make Mother’s Day an important part of their yearly organizing efforts.
When anti-war group the Granny Peace Brigade (GPB) held their first Mother’s Day Rally in 2006, they handed out flyers printed with the words written by Ward over a hundred years ago:
Arise, all women who have hearts, whether your baptism be that ofwater or of tears! Say firmly: “We will not have great questionsdecided by irrelevant agencies, our husbands shall not come to us,reeking with carnage, for caresses and applause.
“Our sons shall not be taken from us to unlearn all that we have beenable to teach them of charity, mercy and patience. We women of onecountry will be too tender of those of another country to allow oursons to be trained to injure theirs.”
Phyllis Cunningham of GPB says, via email, that the grannies asked people who took their flyers to spread the message, “War is never a solution.” They continued the tradition annually, though they’re not having a Mother’s Day event this year due to several members being unable to participate.
Howe’s voice is also celebrated by CODEPINK, a grassroots organization that has been leading national events on Mother’s Day since the early 2000s. (CODEPINK has often paired with GPB for events.)
“Mother’s Day is a call to end war from Julia Ward Howe, for women to plan peace,” says CODEPINK co-founder Jodie Evans. “So from the beginning, all over the country, we’d do Mother’s Day events. In D.C., we do a giant camp out in front of the White House. We’ve had international guests, we’ve woven roses into the White House fence, we’ve been arrested. Mother’s Day is huge for us.”
Though the focus of their group is to end U.S. wars and militarism, CODEPINK partners with coalitions on other issues, like advising Parkland students in their fight against the NRA and supporting activists resisting attempts to end DACA. In recent years, women from Mothers Against Police Brutality and Black Lives Matter have come to speak on Mother’s Day, including Reverend Wanda Johnson, mother of Oscar Grant, who was shot and killed by an officer on New Year’s Day in 2009.
Johnson wrote in a letter for CODEPINK in 2015: “We deserve to live in peace and we deserve justice for the crimes committed against our children. On a day when mothers are supposed to be honored and appreciated, let’s show some love for the moms who are hurting the most.”
CODEPINK’s plan for 2018 is a celebration of the new Poor People’s Campaign, an initiative led by Reverend William Barber, building on the work of Martin Luther King Jr., to challenge systemic racism, violence, and poverty. It’s important to Evans that CODEPINK focuses on issues like these on Mother’s Day because these are the things many mothers and their children struggle with everywhere. The commercialization of the holiday is frustrating for Evans, just like it was for Anna Jarvis, but for an entirely different reason: She thinks it’s an obvious attempt to distance people from political engagement.
“It was a call to end war, and it turned into commercialism,” she says. “That’s a distraction. A clear way to distract everyone from that fact that women and children pay the greatest price in war.”
Jarvis likely wouldn’t be happy with the efforts of organizers like Evans and Cunningham, or any of the women who have centered Howe’s declaration in their work on Mother’s Day. However, her mother might have appreciated the changes they’re demanding: safety, peace, and the opportunity to raise children in a world that wants to see them grow.
.jpeg)
