Innholdsfortegnelse for February 2021 i Cosmopolitan

4 (deep) emotional scars from Mercury Retrograde–induced IG Live mishaps. 75 minutes(and 8 seconds) on the phone with celeb psychics. Details, page 19. 24 slices of extremely delicious cold second-day pizza, leading to the shout-out on page 56. 32 WORK LAPTOPS THAT HAVE OFFICIALLY STARTED MAKING THAT FAN NOISE EVERY TIME WE OPEN THEM UP. 420 minutes of staring at Al Pacino’s face to write the list on page 32. 4 bottles of sriracha and 4 jars of mayo because DIPS: page 60. 11 retinol horror stories, fixed. Page 34. 1 sewing injury (well, so far) in pursuit of the per fect DIY Franken-shirt like the one on page 30. 7 “UGLY” SWEATERS STOLEN FROM OUR MOMS/NANAS/GRANDPAS, INSPIRED BY THE FASHUN ON PAGE 2 0. 422 GLASSES OF OUR NEW…

-4 TO 13 POINTS YOU NEED SOME PRACTICE You made a LinkedIn account senior year solely for professional reasons and deactivated your Facebook before it was cool. It’s 2021, honey. You gotta try a bit harder if you want to stay on top. 14 TO 23 POINTS YOU’RE A SOLID SLEUTH You have *so* much potential. Twitter is cute and all, but if you really want to know the depth of a person, you can’t be afraid to dip your toes into Venmo. 24 TO 30 POINTS HELLO? FBI? You’ve been honing these talents since you were 12 and watching your crush’s AIM icon light up. If we need a Spy Kids–style background check or just the name of our nemesis’s great-aunt, you’ll deliver.…

Here is your introduction to a man who hardly needs one: The 26-year-old Colombian smoke-show has been making music for a decade, and his dirty-thought-inducing beats have turned him into a Very Big Deal, with the 55 million IG followers to prove it. Oh, also, he’s about to star opposite Queen J.Lo in the movie Marry Me. Before he starts trading his Grammys for Oscars, I grabbed him for a chat. Let’s start easy. What do you do right when you wake up? I have a meditation room, where I can get focused and concentrate on myself. In this world, in this industry, you give a lot of energy and sometimes you don’t give a lot to yourself. Is that where you’re taking this call? Actually, I’m in my bedroom…

SPOILER: IT’S “What’s the last really good movie you saw?” know, it seems so simple. But allow me to explain why asking a date this question is so genius. It’s a sneakily low-stakes way to get into The Big Things, The Important Things, The Things That Will Determine Whether You Two Are Actually Compatible. Let’s take this case study: Last fall, a date of mine answered the question with The Trial of the Chicago 7. That told me right away they like watching stuff that makes them think. Great! I like to think too! But the true magic here lies in the follow-ups. Mine were: “What did you like most about it? What didn’t you like about it? Who did you think the real villain of the story was?” Once…

THE TRICK Invest in sneaky under things like nip covers or sticky bras so no straps distract from your hol(e)y look.…

1 Outerwear’s what makes it work Obvious, but: A coat turns visible skivvies into ~An Intentional Look~. No coat turns it into…got locked out of my apt at 3 a.m. have you seen my keys. 2 But showing off is the point Sheer blouses, open cardigans, and tops with low necklines will let your—very bright, very colorful, please!—underthings shine. 3 Care is also very impt Lingerie is fussy as hell and you can’t just throw it in the wash willy-nilly. If you want your delicates to last (and, you know, be able to transition back to the bedroom), it’s handwashing or dry cleaning for you. Some undergarment suggestions to grab l’attention If you’re gonna up your underwear game, you might as well get the credit.…

1 Hit pause on your other actives Including any cleansers, serums, or moisturizers that contain AHAs and BHAs. Too many exfoliating ingredients + retinol = a recipe for redness and inflammation. So cut out this stuff a week before starting retinol, says dermatologist Uchenna Okereke, MD. Once your skin starts to adjust, usually in about four to six weeks, you can add them back in one at a time. 2 Ease into it “Start off using retinol just one night your first week. Then go to twice a week for two weeks, then three times a week for three weeks, and so on,” says dermatologist Elyse Love, MD. The goal is to work your way up to nightly use without irritation. For people who are ultra sensitive (hi, I see…

Hello, did you know that it’s possible to enhance lip shape and size without fillers or, like, a shit ton of lip liner? I didn’t either until my feed started serving me lip flips…a ton of lip flips. Basically, the seemingly everywhere off-label treatment uses Botox to *very* slightly weaken the muscles around your top lip, making it perkier, especially in the center, right under your Cupid’s bow. It’s almost like little invisible strings “flipping” your top lip up from the inside out, giving it a fuller, more cushiony appearance. The whole thing appealed to me since I’m not a huge fan of my upper lip—it’s a tad smaller than my bottom and it likes to go MIA when I smile—or the idea of Kylie-style fillers. Lip flips look more…

1 Sourcing A+ dupes of every pricey, trendy piece of furniture on Instagram. 2 Burning through an entire candle in three days. 3 Keeping it together by not thinking too hard about literally anything. 4 Related: subsisting on a steady diet of garbage escapist TV and hair tutorials. 5 Adding at least $500 of swag to our online shopping carts only to completely forget it exists 24 hours later… 6 …but also late-night impulse shopping and accepting what we’ve done when bamboo shelf organizers arrive two days later. 7 Syncing our daily walk schedules with the golden retriever puppy that lives down the block. 8 Ghosting three book clubs and somehow still having friends. 9 Donating enough clothes to justify buying *one more* sweat set.…

Since March 2020, when sh*t met fan, Americans’ happiness levels have plummeted while their depression and anxiety have soared. By April, call volume to the Disaster Distress Helpline had spiked 891 percent from the same time the year before. By November, calls were still up from the normal baseline by 128 percent. Then came winter. Women and young people have been hit the hardest, with Black Americans suffering disproportionately: Last spring, in the week after the video of George Floyd’s killing was released, 41 percent of Black people surveyed by the Census Bureau and the National Center for Health Statistics screened positive for anxiety and/or depression—more than any other racial or ethnic group. Getting help was already hard enough without a system stressed to the brink by a global pandemic.…

Cool Whip + Marshmallow Fluff = a sugar bath for your strawberries and other fruit faves. Ricotta + fruit jelly = perf for all you graham-cracker stans. Guacamole + salsa = this guac IS extra…no charge. Mayo + sriracha = fries, sushi, and roasted veg will. not. know. what. hit them. Sour cream + taco seasoning = the condiment your nachos have been craving. Relish + mayo + ketchup = a special sauce for, like, everything (IYKYK). Hot honey + warmed goat cheese = a sophisticated charcuterie staple to post on le ’gram. Any kind of meat sauce + cream cheese = heat this bad boi in the micro and stir for gooey goodness. Soy sauce + sour cream = a hibachi dinner dream (coat your rice, chicken, steak, veggies,…

1 You know that sext you sent your ex in December, before you broke up? Your phone has actually been “sending” it all this time. Until today. 2 Which may be why…instead of saying “I love you,” to your current S.O., you accidentally sub in said ex’s name. 3 You thought you ordered a sexy bodysuit from Savage X Fenty, but what shows up is a flannel nightgown from something called Salvage X Felty. 4 You press play on your magnum opus—your years-in-the-making, perfected-through-trial-and-error sex playlist—only to find it’s been replaced by the Frozen soundtrack. 5 The Scorpio you were vibing with on Tinder unmatches you because you didn’t get an alert for their “Happy V-Day!” message. (We suggest you enter the witness protection program now.) 6 You snap a…

Graphic eyeliner 2021 is officially, according to science, The Right Time for a bold look that screams, “Yes, I would like a compliment!” And artsy eyeliner is exactly how: Use two different colorful pencils (try Marc Jacobs Beauty High-liner Gel Eye Crayon, $26) to draw shapely lines. Leave the rest of your makeup natural (and see page 38 for even more eye inspo). Orange lipstick Hi, it’s me, calling from outside your comfort zone. Life is really good (and very pretty) here. Just fill in your lips with a bright-orange liner and swipe on a matching lipstick (like Uoma Beauty Badass Icon Matte Lipstick in Tina, $24), then press translucent powder on top to keep the color from smudging onto your face mask. Blush all over Your new blush motto:…

PICNIC TIME Gingham isn’t just for sitting-in-the-park days. Kick your midweek sads by wearing it head to toe. Altuzarra cardigan, top, and skirt. Brother Vellies heels. Cathy Waterman earrings. Pascale Monvoisin necklace. Totes umbrella. Blue = your fire’fit, not your mood. YES, MAXI! I know it feels weird to deliberately dress full-length when your hem could drag all over the wet ground, but hey, holding the skirt up makes for avchic commute. Gucci cardigan, dress, heels, and gloves. State Property earrings. Pasotti umbrella. Calling all solid-color umbrellas: We’re done here. BEAUTY BONUS Clouds = not ideal photo lighting. Rude. Fight back with extra-glowy cheekbones via Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Luminous Colour, $58. NO SHIRT, NO PROBLEM More on wearing your bra as clothes back on page 28, but while…

HAVE A FREE SPACE! Texted my trash ex at 3 a.m. just to feel something Applied to be on The Bachelor Spent $40 ordering Taco Bell delivery to avoid The Outdoors Earnestly bought a “live, laugh, love” sign Pulled out the holiday decorations—in August Actually cleaned my makeup brushes Overheated my phone while FaceTiming my BFF Accidentally went viral on TikTok Listened to Folklore on repeat for…several hours Proudly finished a quesarito from Chipotle Ate fast food in my bed Started The Crown at midnight on a Sunday Attempted the splits Sat next to a phone charger all day but still had only 2% by dinner Posted my unsolicited skincare routine on IG Tagged a distant relative in a cash giveaway Captioned an Instagram with cryptic song lyrics Said the…

RIHANNA Hi, don’t panic, but Wallace says RiRi will get pregnant this year. (I’ll give you a moment to flail around and text the group chat.) Expect a baby announcement in September or October. So @ everyone wondering why the album is taking so long: She’s! Been! Busy! BRAD PITT The bad news: Brad doesn’t end up with Jen. It’s simply not happening, friends. The good news: There is A Person out there for him. And once they meet, they’ll fall in love, settle down—the whole freakin’ thing. Oh, and Wallace confirms Brad will step back into acting roles with “absolute passion.” DEMI LOVATO Medina says Demi will enjoy a couple of “brief flings” but will have to wait until 2022 for anything more serious. We can also expect Demi…

A note about me: I interpret everything as A Sign. So when I pitched this story after absolute hours absorbing content on Sewing Tok *and* it got approved, it was basically the universe telling me I should drop everything and become a fashion designer. Let’s forget about the fact that there may have also been other signs (some may call them red flags? IDK), like how pretty much every sewing machine I tried to buy was out of stock or how the one I did end up ordering (at an insanely marked-up price) arrived and didn’t turn on. NOTHING TO SEE HERE. Or, honestly, how the vintage tees I bought for my Very First Project™—cutting two shirts in half and sewing them back together Frankenstein style—straight-up never showed up. NOT…

You know it as the sole reason you’ve been able to get out of bed for the past year, but caffeine’s got another job now: taking over the haircare industry. And unlike some of the other buzzy ingredients you see all over IG, this new glut of caffeine-spiked shampoos, conditioners, and treatments has pretty powerful science behind it. The main takeaway is that caffeine stimulates blood flow to your scalp, explains Bridgette Hill, a tri-chologist and colorist at Paul Labrecque Salon and Skincare Spa in NYC and Palm Beach. And that’s crucial because blood is what feeds your scalp the oxygen and nutrients it needs to stay healthy. If it’s not getting enough—and this can def happen, mostly due to genetics or diet—your hair follicles and strands suffer, leading to…

A fragrance-free CURL CREAM My heart! Be still! I have fine curls and a sensitive face that hates fragrance, so hair products = hard. Not only is this bb ultra lightweight, but it’s also free of silicones, heavy oils, and—tear—any scents whatsoever. So my curls dry defined and bouncy, and my skin stays happy. Seen Curly Creme Fragrance Free, $27, helloseen.com The most ultra-calming SERUM Have you caught the theme yet? That my skin is made of papier-mâché and whispers? Thankfully, this gel-serum helps keep the rosacea/irritation/evil in check with soothing oat and feverfew. I dab it on twice a day, then scream into the void moisturize. Aveeno Calm + Restore Triple Oat Serum for Sensitive Skin, $24, drugstores This extra-gentle SPOT TREATMENT SPOT TREATMENT As much as I like alcohol-spiked zit zappers…

Even sunscreen counts for your HSA $$. There’s this magical thing, and it’s buried in a very under-the-radar section of the CARES Act—the legislation passed in March 2020 to help people out during COVID-19. If you’re like me, you were probably too distracted by the $1,200 check to notice what honestly should have been highlighted and put in 72-point font with, like, 15 exclamation points: Menstrual products (tampons! pads! cups! liners!!!!), over-the-counter meds, and even ice packs and sunscreen now qualify as “medical expenses” worthy of your HSA cash. Let me break this down a lil more: You have to actually have either an HSA or FSA to get in on this (see the box below if you’re like, Ummm?). In the past, any savings in these accounts could be…

Basically, it’s cake—but a cute-ass single-layer or loaf-style situation sliced small enough that you can have it for breakfast or drunchies or whenever the mood strikes, aka always. Make yourself one, would ya? INGREDIENTS ¾ cup sugar1 large egg½ cup chocolate hazelnut spread (like Nutella)½ cup canola oil (or any other neutral oil)½ cup whole milk1 teaspoon vanilla extract¾ teaspoon kosher salt½ cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder1 cup all-purpose flour1 teaspoon baking powder½ teaspoon baking soda¼ cup hot coffee¼ cup chocolate chips2 tablespoons finely chopped hazelnuts RECIPE 1. Position a rack in the center of your oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter or coat a 9-x-5-x-3-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray. Line the pan with a strip of parchment paper that hangs over two of the edges.…

ARIES (03.21–04.19) This month’s vibes are more social than lovey-dovey for you, but you can have fun with your crew and turn a friend into a FWB. Just FYI though: Your ex is about to cause some drama. TAURUS (04.20–05.20) V-Day *could* be all champagne and rose petals…if your boss wasn’t asking you to work late. Life hack: Ask for time off way in advance (like, right now) so you can soak up some romance. GEMINI (05.21–06.20) Oh, hi, not-at-all-your-type! If you usually go for the life of the party, you’re suddenly drawn to a soft boi (or vice versa). Or maybe you’re ditching people altogether for some vibe time instead. CANCER (06.21–07.22) Good news if you’re boo’d up: This month = über emo, and things are gonna get deep.…

How important is lighting in your photo? 45% Meh, as long as my face is visible. 45% I must take it by a window at noon when the sun is positioned at a healthy 90 degrees in the sky. 10% It’s the to be seen. reason I own a ring light.… Have you ever used the self-timer feature? 60% A handful of times just to get a couple of cute half-body poses. 25% Duh, I need the entire 10 secs to make sure everything is in place. 15% That’s a thing? How do you posit ion your phone to achieve your *chef’s kiss* selfie? 50% My dominant hand is basically my PA. It knows all my angles. 40% I have it leaning on my iced-coffee cup from earlier. She’s sturdy enough, right? 10% Investing in a…

1 THE ADVENTURES OF ARCHIE: CARTOON EDITION A chronicle of His Royal Youth but animated and with “cameos” from his royal cousins. 2 A GAME SHOW Where former royal-staff contestants share the weirdest, most bizarre things they witnessed while working for the family, and the audience has to guess which royal did which weird thing. If they get it right, the contestant wins $100,000. 3 A COOKING COMPETITION Britain is not known for its (good) food, so what if the royal couple had to revamp some traditionally questionable recipes (jellied eels, anyone?) with just the stuff in their fridge? 4 AN OSCARS-BAIT FILM I’m thinking it’d have to be, like, loosely based on Meghan’s experience fighting the paparazzi and the legal battle that’s followed, with someone very Prestige playing her.…

Track list 1 Beast BY MARTY MACPHLY 2 Sleepless Nights BY TERRACE MARTIN, ROBERT GLASPER, 9TH WONDER, AND KAMASI WASHINGTON (FEAT. PHOELIX) 3 Sideways BY CLEO SOL 4 Lockdown BY ANDERSON. PAAK 5 Sandstorm BY MEREBA (FEAT. JID) 6 Save the Children BY MARVIN GAYE 7 Find Your Way Back BY BEYONCÉ 8 Nterini BY FATOUMATA DIAWARA 9 Strange Fruit BY BILLIE HOLIDAY 10 I’m a Fool to Want You BY BILLIE HOLIDAY BILLIE, PLEASE The can’t-miss biopic is out February 26. 1. ”Musically, this has a real West Coast vibe. It’s about fighting those demons in your head that tell you you can’t do something. 2. ”This song makes me think more deeply about life and also helps me relax.” 3.“Just such a beautiful song about the tests and…

1 Ever wear something ironically but it comes across so edgy and cool that it becomes, well, unironic? Yeah, that. 1(a) Especially when paired with clashy bottoms. 2 Some say “geriatric”; others say “unique.” It’s all about changing up your mindset, ppl! 3 They’re just so soft and cozy—and they actually keep you warm. Love you, wool. 4 In case you haven’t noticed, Zoom culture has pulled us all toward comfy things that still pop onscreen. Exhibit A: Look to the right. 5 And honestly, time is a flat circle and things (aka your mom’s bulky ’80s tops) that were once deemed unsightly always have a comeback. 6 Dogs have ThunderShirts. We have these heavy knits. What? You can’t wear your weighted blanket to work.…

OOH, SHINY Layer your padlock with other chains for extra oomph—just make sure it’s the longest one so it gets the attention it deserves.…

1 Watch The Irishman. Twice. 2 Fill a reusable water bottle with sauvignon blanc and secretly get wine-drunk. 3 Catch up on alllll the Morning Brew newsletters that are gathering virtual dust in your inbox. 4 Plan every last detail of your first post-pandemic group vacay. Mykonos, prepare yourself. 5 Pin a bunch of quick and easy dinner recipes so you can at least *pretend* like your Seamless-addicted self is going to cook. 6 Listen to every single JonBenét Ramsey–themed podcast episode on Spotify (even though we all know who did it). 7 Get sucked into a vortex of hate-stalking your ex’s ex and then promptly enable time limits for all your social apps. 8 But not before you go through the roster of each NBA team and slide into…

CLOUD VIBES This baby blue and black liner combo basically screams “I AM AWAKE AND PAYING ATTENTION” during 9 a.m. camera-mandatory Zoom calls. Don’t forget your brows—fluff them up with a tinted gel to add some structure (like a frame for your ~art~). TRY YSL Beauty Eyeliner Effet Faux Cils Shocking in 2 Majorelle Blue, $34, yslbeautyus.com FLOWERY LIDS Sheer pink shadow plus mini dried flowers (get ’em on Amazon) make you look like the kind of person who spends weekends frolicking outdoors…and def not in sweats on your couch watching Gossip Girl for the 1,653rd time. Dior 3 Couleurs Eyeshadow Tri(o)blique Pure Glow in Pure Petals, $63, dior.com TRY BLOOMING LASHES The most extra look of all—but also the prettiest?? Use a dab of lash glue to adhere teensy…

Meet Kilan Ashad-Bishop, PhD, who—when she’s not hard at work as a biomedical scientist and postdoctoral researcher (casual!)—is finding new ways to advocate for inclusion for other Black women in STEM. Cosmo beauty director Julee Wilson grabbed her for a quick chat about, well, everything, including her scientific approach to a confidence-boosting beauty routine. Julee Wilson: So, you’re a biomedical scientist. Sounds so fancy! What does it mean? Kilan Ashad-Bishop: Basically, it consists of studying the ways that the choices we make in everyday life—things like the products we use or our exposure to UV rays—influence our health. Julee: In your line of work, you must be really particular about what you put on your body. Kilan: Yes, and I don’t just look at labels. I use my same scientific process…

START How ya feelin’ after your post-night-out sausage and bacon diner breakfast?? My antacids await me. “Tysm.”—my body It’s 1 a.m. and you fell into a Netflix hole and somehow ended up watching a depressing documentary about animals and our dying planet. You traumatized or nah? Talk to my comforter, which is soaked in tears. Only slightly rethinking my whole life. An herbivore TikToker has you semi sold on their green-smoothie recipes and homemade cauliflower hot wings. Have you actually tried making them at home? Whomst has the time? WHOMST?! Yes. My fridge is now made up of rabbit-approved food. You’re on your biweekly latte run. Do you splurge on oat milk? No. I have bills to pay and that extra $2.50 is criminal. Avoiding dairy farts is priceless, friend.…

1. Your go-to date uniform is: a. Something comfy. I can’t be my flirty self in too-tight skinny jeans! b. Something fancy, maybe with a tiny bit of sparkle (and also heels, duh). c. Something basic but with a few pretty jewels to make it feel ~special~. 2. And your go-to date plan? a. Takeout, movie, and So. Much. Snuggling. b. Livestreaming a cooking class. c. Board games galore, pls! 3. Got any pre-date rituals? a. Deep breathing + a favorite mud mask. b. A pep talk from my group chat. c. Early 2000s jams and a solo dance party in my room. 4. On Valentine’s Day, I’m usually… a. Just loving on my S.O. (and my friends, ofc). b. Putting up festive decorations. c. Writing heartfelt letters on quirky…

have you ever been in one of those pools with a lazy river? You know, the kind at family water parks and really fancy gyms? And have you ever tried to swim against the super-powerful jets, only to be repeatedly pushed backward onto your pool noodle? Yeah, that’s pretty much the vibe we’re talking about here. Because while it’s true that hanging out with a mostly laid-back, luxury-loving Taurus can be like lounging in the world’s most comfortable hot tub (what? I like water analogies, okay?), it’s also true that it’s almost impossible to get them to change their minds. About anything. Even in the face of facts, witnesses, legal testimony, etc. Of course, there’s this thing called real life, which means that you and your favorite bull will occasionally…

I should know—I’m about to marry one, after dating poly guys for a decade. Whatever the specifics, one thing always stays the same: Successfully being with multiple partners requires knowing exactly what you’re getting into. Oh, and next-level communication skills. PROS Fun. Dates. Only. No need to drag yourself to a virtual Swedish shoegaze space or jazz Zoom show he’s dying to see—he’s got another plus-one. Lots of long “feelings talks.” You’ll get good at working through issues effectively together and calling each other out when needed. You might make new friends. TBH, it can be fun teaming up with his wife (whom you kind of love) to tease him about his raw-denim obsession. He’s always learning new sex stuff. You’ll have to thank his girlfriend’s girlfriend for teaching him…

AS IF TO PROVE HOW CHILL SHE IS, decides that yoga is the thing we’ll do together for her cover interview. It’s a relief—and not just because it gives me something to talk about that isn’t Zoom—but because at some point in the planning process, the word “exercise” had been casually thrown around, and Solána Imani Rowe (the singer, rapper, and songwriter you know as SZA, pronounced “sizza”) is a formally trained gymnast and dancer. And me? I’m a seven-months-pregnant informally trained regular human being. So here is SZA on the other side of my laptop screen, in her bright and spacious Los Angeles home, wearing a long-sleeve orange crop top and neon-green biker shorts. She’s picking out a soundtrack for our 20-minute class: Don Toliver, TiaCorine, and NAV. And that’s…

When the pandemic hit last March, 27-year-old Jennifer, a childcare worker from Virginia, was furloughed from her job, leaving her with little to do but curl up anxiously on her couch with her phone. She’d spend hours a day scrolling through Facebook and Instagram posts about self-healing, spirituality, and trauma, mostly by wellness types she followed after getting interested in natural medicine a few years back. (“We seemed to be on the same journey,” Jennifer* says of her online community. “I’d built up almost a trust with them.”) But then a new kind of post started appearing in her feed: graphics “in pretty fonts with pretty colors” encouraging her to “Trust the Plan” or to be prepared that “Light Is Coming to Dark.” They were accompanied by an increasing number of…

My overall nightstand vibe Chaotic. Right now, it’s an absolute nightmare! What’s on top A Smartwater bottle, lamp, humidifier, candle, pair of lashes, and wineglass… with the bottle next to it! Plus snacks. I love a Cheez-It. The most random thing inside A microphone, just in case I want to annoy my neighbors! Something I wouldn’t want my mom to find… ABSOLUTELY. Phone in the bed: yea or nay? My phone is the perfect cuddle. My secret cure-all Milk thistle. If I have a little too much to drink, I can take one right before going to bed and I won’t have a hangover. How I wake up Three or four alarms labeled with things I’ll get to do if I get out of bed at that time: “coffee,” “shower,”…