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Kamala Harris On The Impeachment Trial, Her Marriage & The Next Chapter

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Sen. Kamala Harris spent over two weeks sitting next to 99 other senators and listening to back-and-forth arguments over whether President Trump should remain in office. Party lines were definitive and unwavering, and tensions within the U.S. Senate chambers were palpable, even for those of us watching through a screen.

Through it all, the California Democrat knew, as she wrote in a recent L.A. Times op-ed, that the Senate would not reach the two-thirds threshold needed for a guilty verdict, and that Trump would spend the rest of his days gloating that he has been exonerated. But she also knew that the majority of Americans are in favor of the House managers presenting new evidence — which her Republican colleagues blocked, making the trial comically short; something Majority Leader Mitch McConnell seemingly wanted all along.

That’s what inspired her to ask one of the most powerful questions during the impeachment trial. “If the Senate fails to hold the president accountable for misconduct, how would that undermine the integrity of our system of justice?” She also quoted the infamous Access Hollywood tape, where a not-yet-candidate Donald Trump said, “When you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything,” before he suggested to “grab ’em by the pussy.” Trump has been accused of sexual assault or misconduct by over 20 women.

With that one statement, Harris didn’t solely explain her vote to remove Trump from office. She gracefully connected the good-old-boys’-club cover-up happening around her in the Senate with the coterie of protectors who have hovered around Trump — and other men who seem to believe they’re too rich to fail — his entire life. In that moment, it was evident that Harris is still making it her mission to never let Trump forget the damage his presidency has done to women.

“He has a history of believing that he can do anything and get away with it,” Harris told Refinery29 in a phone interview last week, during a quick break in the impeachment trial. “He believes himself to be a very powerful person, he believes himself to be a star, and he believes he is immune from consequence and accountability. We aren’t going to have two systems of justice in America, and no one is above the law.”

On Wednesday evening, after five months of partisan fighting within the House and Senate, the Republican-led Senate voted to acquit Trump of charges for both abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. Republicans’ blocking of evidence, such as a recording in which Trump calls for the swift removal of U.S. Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch, is a continuation of “a shameful history of two systems of justice: one for powerful people like Trump and one for everyone else,” as Harris wrote in the op-ed.

But it is now, more than ever, that she says she has the most work to do. Having suspended her once-promising campaign for president in December after lacking the resources to continue, Harris has a renewed focus on her work for women in the Senate. For example, she has led the fight to reduce the shockingly high rates of maternal mortality among Black women with the Maternal Care Access and Reducing Emergencies (CARE) Act, which seeks to address racial biases in healthcare.

As a candidate who meant the world to many women of color, she said she hopes to continue her record of empowering them in their careers. Her campaign, she said, employed the highest number of women of color out of all the presidential candidates. “You’ll have to fact-check me on that!” Harris joked. (She did hire an impressive number of women of color for top positions.)

“It’s important for me in anything I do to give those kinds of opportunities for leadership where historically they have not existed,” Harris said. “It’s about continuing to be a voice, and a national voice, that is about inclusion and about our ongoing fight for equality. And, making sure that the voice of women and women of color is heard and vested and present.”

He believes himself to be a very powerful person, he believes himself to be a star, and he believes he is immune from consequence and accountability. We aren’t going to have two systems of justice in America, and no one is above the law.

-kamala harris

While that voice was decidedly not heard during the impeachment trial, Harris is somebody who insists on optimism during the most trying of times. In times of hardship, she makes herself laugh — and anyone who knows her will tell you she has a recognizable laugh — and makes those around her laugh, too. She proudly reps her home state of California, calling herself a “Sangeleno.” (San Francisco native who lives in L.A.) Positivity and laughter, she reasons, are there to protect women against the daily injustices we see.

“It’s really important for all of us, as women, to create safe spaces and be conscious about who is in your tight circle,” she said, in a moment that felt raw and confessional. “I feel very blessed. I have a husband who is my best friend. I have girlfriends who are sisters to me. My best friend from kindergarten is one of my closest friends. Choose to surround yourself with people who will applaud you, and who will encourage you.”

For her, that person is first and foremost Doug Emhoff, her husband and best friend who has been known to light up social media with posts dedicated to his one-and-only. Throughout the impeachment process and way before, he has been his wife’s greatest champion, from being ever-present on the campaign trail to cooking her dinner the night Trump was acquitted. (Cooking is Harris’ favorite hobby, but something tells us this wasn’t the night for it.)

When I mentioned Doug, her tone changed, and it was as though she lit up. It was Doug, with his phone calls and support, who was helping the senator get through the grim inevitability of the trial. (As they say on the internet, you love to see it.) She then asked if I wanted to hear her relationship advice. Did I want to hear Kamala Harris’ relationship advice? Yes. Yes, I did.

“My advice is, when you are talking about choosing a life partner, choose people who are kind and who can make you laugh. That is what I have in my husband — we laugh with and at each other all the time!” she said. “Choose someone who you can just be with — grocery shopping, or running for president.” Then, she excused herself to go back to the trial. It was 7 p.m., and she was in for a long night in the U.S. Capitol building.

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How To Watch Tonight’s Democratic Debate

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After a chaotic week in Iowa, the seven remaining Democratic candidates will take the stage tonight at St. Anselm College in Manchester, NH, for the last debate before the New Hampshire primary on February 11. Ahead, here’s how to tune in to watch Vice President Joe Biden, Sen. Bernie Sanders, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Tom Steyer, and Andrew Yang face off.

What time is the Democratic debate tonight?

The debate will begin at 8 p.m. ET. and is expected to last for three hours.

Can I watch the Democratic debate on TV? What channel?

The debate will be aired on ABC and locally on WMUR.

Can I stream the Democratic Debate online if I don’t have cable?

Why yes, you can. If you’re a cable-cutter like most of us, you can tune into the debate livestream on ABC News Live, which can be viewed on Apple News, Roku, Hulu, Apple TV, Sling Free, XUMO TV, Amazon Fire TV, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and the ABC News app. WMUR-TV will livestream the debate on its website and app as well.

What happens after this debate?

The next debate will be held on Feb. 19 in Las Vegas, followed by a debate on Feb. 25 in Charleston, SC.

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Weinstein Lawyer Donna Rotunno Says If Women Were More Like Her, They Wouldn’t Get Raped

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NEW YORK, NY – JANUARY 21: Harvey Weinstein and his lawyer Donna Rotunno arrive at New York City Criminal Court on January 21, 2020 in New York City. Weinstein, a movie producer whose alleged sexual misconduct helped spark the #MeToo movement, pleaded not-guilty on five counts of rape and sexual assault against two unnamed women and faces a possible life sentence in prison. (Photo by Jeenah Moon/Getty Images)

On Friday’s episode of The Daily podcast, New York Times investigative reporter Megan Twohey spoke with Harvey Weinstein’s defense attorney Donna Rotunno, providing a stunning glimpse into the mindset of internalized misogyny that has allowed men like Weinstein to prey on women virtually unchecked in a society that denies them their bodily autonomy.

Two years ago, in partnership with her colleague Jodi Kantor, Twohey broke the story of Weinstein’s long history as an alleged sexual predator, effectively kicking off the #MeToo movement. Twohey and Rotunno’s conversation started off cordially enough, but quickly went off the rails.

The two discussed the defense’s insistence that Weinstein’s accusers had engaged in consensual sex with the former producer in exchange for career advancement. Rotunno’s aggressive questioning style in support of this theory has left at least one distraught accusing witness in tears, and the attorney did not hold back in her conversation with Twohey, accusing the journalist of having an “agenda” and doubling down on her belief that any woman who would agree to meet with Weinstein in a hotel room (where he often held business meetings) should have had an understanding that the producer wanted to have sex with her.

None of this is surprising considering that at one point, Weinstein’s defense team attempted to introduce testimony from an expert on “unwanted voluntary sex.” The judge denied the motion.

“We have created a society where women don’t have to take any responsibility for their actions,” Rotunno told Twohey when asked what reason Weinstein’s accusers would have to lie about being sexually assaulted. “We have created a society where if we say ‘believe all women,’ that means we’re not supposed to question anyone at all. So there is absolutely no risk for any woman to come forward and make a claim now. Zero.”

As reductive as Rotunno’s talking points were, the truly jaw-dropping moment happened as the interview was coming to an end.

“I do have one question,” Twohey said, “which is whether or not you have ever been sexually assaulted.”

“I have not,” Rotunno said. “Because I would never let myself be put in that position.” She continued, “I’ve always made choices, from college age on, that I never drank too much. I never went home with someone I didn’t know. I just never put myself in any vulnerable circumstance. Ever.”

The answer left Twohey nearly speechless, as Rotunno went on to say that acquaintance rape was something entirely different from stranger rape, and that the burden rests on women to protect themselves from assault, by, for instance, “taking mace.”

“You can’t have it both ways,” said Rotunno. “We can’t have things like Tinder, where people swipe right and go meet whoever they meet and most of the time those are sexual interactions, and then say, ‘You know what, I went out with them, I went to their house, we were flirting, we were kissing,’ and then say, ‘I had no idea that he might want to do this.’ You just can’t have it both ways.”

When asked if there was anything men could do to shoulder the burden of risk and responsibility, Rotunno said that if she were a man about to engage in sexual intercourse with a woman, she would “ask them to sign a consent form.”

It’s a ridiculous suggestion (Twohey, momentarily stunned into silence again, asked Rotunno, “Are you serious?”) that reinforces the notion that women must be hyper-vigilant in all aspects of their lives — what they choose to wear, how they choose to speak — while men merely have to protect themselves against “hysterical” accusations in a world that is increasingly “a scary place for them.

So instead of amplifying Rotunno’s divisive, and frankly insincere, rhetoric, let’s take a moment to remind everyone that all women have the right not to be harassed, raped, or murdered. And let’s also remember that this right applies to all women equally: poor women, women of color, trans women, sex workers, women of means, undocumented women.

In the face of Weinstein’s attempts to reframe his narrative as a kind of “war on men,” let’s remember that a woman is a victim of sexual violence in the U.S. every 73 seconds, and that nearly half of all women homicide victims are killed by a current or former intimate partner. So it doesn’t matter what they wore, how much alcohol they consumed, or whether they decided to use a dating app. Violence against women is an epidemic globally. We don’t need an edict to be “more vigilant.” We don’t need a sexual consent form. What we need is real advocacy for victims of sexual violence, which includes putting an end to the sexual-trauma-to-prison pipeline, instituting campus sexual assault policy reform, and dismantling the power structure that enables predators by silencing survivors.

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Add These Natural, Organic Lubes To Your Bedside Table

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Lube is a great addition to sex or masturbation — but there are so many options out there that it can be almost overwhelming to find the one that’s right for you. Silicone? Oil-based? Water-based? Flavored? Warming? Scented? And now the choices are getting even more complicated, since many people are adding "natural" onto the list of things they want from their lube.

Most lubes you can buy in a store are safe, but some people prefer to use ones with all-natural ingredients, particularly if they have sensitive skin or allergies. Store-bought options often contain ingredients including glycerin or parabens, and some people find these make their skin itchy or irritated.

The thing is, fans of natural lubes tend to really love them. "I love the consistency — it isn't sticky, it feels like silk, lasts a long time, and doesn't really have any smell at all," wrote one reviewer of Maude's organic Shine lube. "I didn't have any effects from it afterwards. and I usually have to rush to wash any remnants off or it creates a rash. Perfect!"

A quick primer on responsible lubricant use: Water-based lubes are generally safe to use with toys and condoms or dental dams. Many natural lubes, however, are oil-based, which means they break down latex condoms. Other use aloe vera, which contains naturally-occurring latex that might irritate those with a latex allergy. To be safe and avoid unwanted pregnancy, check the label to see what the specific brand’s guidelines are when mixing lube with barriers (or sex toys; silicone-based lubes can't be used with silicone toys). 

Here, some popular organic lubes on the market.

At Refinery29, we’re here to help you navigate this overwhelming world of stuff. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. All product details reflect the price and availability at the time of publication. If you buy something we link to on our site, Refinery29 may earn commission.

Dame Products Alu


Dame's water-based organic lube has aloe vera and green tea extract to provide glide during sex without irritating skin or disrupting vaginal pH.


Dame Products Alu, $, available at Dame Products

Maude Shine Organic


This aloe-based lube is safe to use with toys and condoms, and it’s fertility-friendly too, meaning it's formulated without ingredients that can harm sperm and it's pH balanced. Plus, the gorgeous bottle will look chic on your nightstand.

Maude shine organic, $, available at Maude

Nécessaire The Sex Gel


Elevated packaging? Check. Vegan? Check. Actually works? Check, check, and check.

Nécessaire The Sex Gel, $, available at Nordstrom

Lola Personal Lubricant


This water-based lube also contains aloe leaf juice, and it’s fertility-friendly. If you’re a fan, you can sign up to have a new one delivered once every month or every other month.

Lola Personal lubricant, $, available at Lola

Love Wellness Sex Stuff


This organic lube contains aloe vera and quinoa, and it’s super-hydrating. (If you use latex-free condoms, take care: It's safe to use with polyisoprene condoms, but not polyurethane ones.)

Love Wellness Sex Stuff Personal Lubricant, $, available at Urban Outfitters

Good Clean Love Almost Naked Personal Lubricant


Good Clean Love is one of the most affordable natural lubes out there. It’s aloe vera-based and fertility-friendly.

Good Clean Love Almost Naked Personal Lubricant, $, available at Amazon

Coconu Oil Based Personal Lubricant


This lube contains coconut water, so unlike coconut oil-based lubes, it’s safe to use with condoms and dental dams. 

Coconu Oil Based Personal Lubricant, $, available at Coconu

Woo More Play Coconut Love Oil


This coconut oil-based lube also contains vanilla essence and beeswax. (Oil-based = not safe to use with latex condoms or dental dams.)

Woo More Play Coconut Love Oil, $, available at Woo More Play

WYLD Lube + Massage Oil Unscented


Designed by birth and postpartum doulas Wyld Womyn, this lube contains rice bran oil, grapeseed oil, morninga oil, meadowfoam seed oil, and broccoli seed oil. It’s vegan, but not safe to use with condoms.

Wyld Womyn WYLD Lube + Massage Oil Unscented, $, available at Wyld Womyn

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Leomie Anderson On Speaking Up, Standing Out, & Building An Empire

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There are traditional fashion models, and then there’s Leomie Anderson. At 26 years old, the British style star already has campaigns with Fenty, Topshop, and Pat McGrath under her belt; she’s walked in shows for Moschino, Marc Jacobs, Tom Ford, Yeezy, and Victoria’s Secret, too. But four years ago, something changed. She pivoted from runway model of the moment to role model for the ages — and it all started with a blog post.

Actually, it truly started on Twitter. In 2016, a young fan messaged her explaining a personal situation: She’d been pressured by boys to send nude photos of herself and have Facetime conversations naked. The fan asked Anderson to speak about the issue on her blog, Cracked China Cup. Anderson generally used the blog to post things like the “Black Model Survival Kit,” a video where she shared her favorite products to take to fashion week in order to avoid mishaps with makeup artists and hair stylists who were unprepared to work with Black women. Sexual consent wasn’t something she’d covered before. But, it was an issue that she was familiar with; it had played a significant role in her career since joining the industry at the age of 14. After taking stock of just how many young women followed her online, Anderson felt compelled to address it publicly in “An Open Letter About Consent And Saying No.” It very quickly went viral.

“All my young girls reading this, know that you don’t have to do anything that you aren’t fully comfortable with, and that your no means something,” she wrote. It wasn’t long before Anderson was invited to speak at schools, meeting young women trying to navigate these murky waters, and hearing that they didn’t know where to turn in these situations. “That’s basically what sparked LAPP,” she tells Refinery29. “ I want to create an open, safe space on the internet for women from all walks of life to be able to share their perspectives.”

LAPP, which stands for Leomie Anderson The Project The Purpose, is so much more than the next iteration of her earlier blog. Founded by Anderson in 2016, it has grown into an exciting new platform, publishing articles by an international community of women. On the blog side of things, you’ll find sincere discussions on everything from how fast fashion is harming the environment and maintaining a healthy lifestyle on a tight budget, to “Blackfishing” — the practice of non-Black people appropriating Black features and culture — and personal takes on current affairs.

The other side of the LAPP coin is the coveted clothing collection you’ll undoubtedly have seen sported by some of your favorite celebrities on Instagram over the past couple of years. Members of the the #LappBae tribe include models like Slick Woods, Neelam Gil, Jordan Dunn, and Bella Hadid; British singers Bree Runway and Jorja Smith; presenter Maya Jama; and Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger. Back in 2017, it was Queen Rihanna herself (who Anderson fondly considers a close friend) who wore a LAPP “This Pussy Grabs Back” hoodie to the New York Women’s March. In 2018, the brand hosted their first pop up store in London. As for this year, Anderson tells us that she’s currently in talks to find a store partner and a physical space to host LAPP events.

Needless to say, building an empire is never without its hurdles. Behind the scenes, there have been long hours, serious hustle, and unexpected shifts in plans. On Anderson’s Twitter page, you’ll find a pinned tweet from June 2019, in which she announced that an ex-investor was withholding her LAPP The Brand stock. “I’m sharing my story because I don’t want anyone else making the same mistakes I did, especially young women who men try and take advantage of in business,” Anderson wrote. 

Setbacks aside, Anderson kept moving forward. The next milestone came last year when Anderson was named one of the newest of Victoria’s Secret Angels, landing one of the most coveted jobs in the business after four consecutive years walking in the show. 

As she tells me about 2020’s big projects over the phone from a London salon — she needs to get her hair and brows done before heading on a last-minute trip to Paris the following day — it’s hard not to be impressed by the scale and breadth of her achievements, but also the cool, assured manner with which she describes the last few years spent carving out her own space in history.

 As such, she’s extremely busy. We’d had a tricky day of missed calls while she attended to other commitments before finally pinning down a time chat in the early evening. A couple of days before we speak, Anderson had been living it up in Ghana where (as confirmed by committed Instagram stalking) she’d been hanging out with friend and singer Bree Runway. When she’s finished at the hairdressers, she has to rush home and pack before jetting off in the early hours. Yes, it sounds super stressful, but for the most part, Anderson is unphased, clearly used to juggling the demands of running a business, advocating for change in the fashion industry, securing work as an in-demand model and chatting to excited journalists on the phone.

When she’s not tweeting about the new season of Love Island (last we checked, she’s a fan of friend-zone magnet Nas) Anderson is asking her 35 thousand followers for their thoughts and recommendations. In early January, she put a call out for examples of Black women being used as “banter” online. It’s a complement to an upcoming TED Talk at England’s Warwick University, Anderson explains. “The theme they wanted me to speak about was my experience in the modeling industry and how social media has changed society’s beauty standards.”

“I had to make sure that everyone in the room knew I was coming from the perspective of a Black woman and that my experiences have been so shaped and defined by the color of my skin that it would be impossible to speak about the modeling industry or social media without reminding everybody that these experiences are inflicted upon all Black women, not just myself,” she says.

It’s a frustrating but crucial topic that Anderson is well-versed in. The model made headlines in February 2016 when she tweeted about the overwhelming number of makeup artists at London Fashion Week who were ill-equipped to work on dark skin. The following year she shared an infuriating story about being turned away from a model casting, apparently because the designer had already cast one model of color. Diversity in fashion and the particular lack of representation for dark-skinned women is a problem that has plagued the industry for years. And though Anderson does feel that there’s been a shift in attitude, she says social media has been the key catalyst for change.

“Social media has become a way to protect minorities within creative industries because it allows us to unify, which people don’t want. It allows us to be heard in a way that isn’t controlled by the white, cis, male gaze,” she says. The way Anderson sees it, people being vocal about not seeing themselves in campaigns and calling out organizations for discriminatory practices is really what’s pushing the brands to do something about it. “And I think the fact that so many people like Naomi Campbell and Iman continue to unify and speak up every season about the lack of diversity seen on the runways. I think a lot of brands and people felt pressure… Off the back of that, I feel that so many more Black creatives have been given really poignant roles,” she adds, citing British Vogue’s  Editor in Chief Edward Enniful and Virgil Abloh becoming artistic director at Louis Vuitton. “It’s inspirational and shows people that Black does sell because that used to be the excuse they used to stop us being on the cover of magazines.”

Victoria’s Secret has frequently been criticized for its lack of inclusivity. As someone at the forefront of the industry’s conversation about diversity, I ask how Anderson feels about where the lingerie company stands, having now secured a permanent role as an Angel. A big part of her excitement over landing the gig, she admits, was very practical. “A lot of models dream of getting a contract because our job is so volatile. I want to have something stable,” she explains, which being an Angel can provide. “Victoria’s Secret is a brand that I really love working with because they’ve allowed me to be myself. Funnily enough, a bunch of people want to talk about the lack of diversity [but] they’re a brand that has never tried to silence me or make me feel uncomfortable with the fact that I’m very vocal on issues.”

She continued, “I know a lot of brands, big brands, steer clear of anybody who says anything that’s even remotely political. I know brands who are scared of girls who put #BlackLivesMatter on social media. So the fact that Victoria’s Secret supports me in what I have to say really meant a lot to me.”

The benefit that we all reap from women like Anderson who relentlessly engage with the more difficult conversations is undeniable. But, surely, that can’t be without its own pressures. “You know what?” Anderson offers, “I just started speaking one day and people started saying You’re a role model, I was like, What? I was just saying what’s on my mind. But I realized that it was just important. It didn’t feel like pressure, especially not in the beginning because I felt silenced for so long and I felt the silence wasn’t helping anybody in the [same] situation. The silence wasn’t making my job easier for myself. I was still crying in the toilets and I was still experiencing [the] ignorance of racism.”

In short, it sucked. Not speaking meant that more young models were going to go through the same experiences and Anderson is doing what she can to make sure that doesn’t happen. Anderson explains that she does adamantly enjoy, to use her words, “being able to use my platform for something other than posting pictures of myself.” Speaking out means that she can make an impact for women, not just in fashion but across many different industries, who are undoubtedly experiencing similar issues.

People often ask Anderson whether she thinks anyone who has a platform should automatically become spokespeople and her answer is a straight, unwavering “no” – it’s just not everyone’s forte. “That’s why you often see celebrities trying to say something that is poignant and good but just comes across wrong. Then, all of a sudden that person is villainized because they said something the wrong way,” Anderson explains. “It’s just not everybody’s skillset to do that, honestly! And it’s just not everybody’s passion. To actually be a role model and to always have something to say, to become the voice of that, you have to be passionate about it.” 

Anderson is a voice we’re acutely tuned into precisely for that reason. And with a possible podcast and dreams of a new YouTube channel in the pipeline, we can only hope her voice rings louder for young women now, and all the ones on the come up behind her. 

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Look Out For Melania On The Trump 2020 Campaign Trail — Finally

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Mandatory Credit: Photo by Shutterstock (10485977l) First Lady Melania Trump present the National Thanksgiving Turkey in the Rose Garden of the White House National Thanksgiving turkey presidential pardon, Washington DC, USA – 26 Nov 2019

It’s seemed that Melania Trump and has been MIA for a while now, but that’s about to change. With the Primary election around the corner, after the baffling Democratic Iowa results (or lack there-of), Melania’s return from winter hibernation into the public eye is as sure as Punxsutawney Phil’s prediction for early spring. 

While Donald Trump’s wife and America’s current First Lady was hesitant to be a more public part of the campaign going into the 2016 election, it seems that she might be singing a different tune the second time around. Reports have noted that Trump seems to fear a potential Democratic ticket where Bernie Sanders as real competition. In order to combat that, it will involve more of Melania’s presence on the trail. 

Usually, a First Lady’s presence on the campaign trail is a given. Still, with the relative lack of Melania at most of Trump’s many events — from rallies to official campaign business — this shift in public appearance signals that Trump is taking the 2020 election cycle quite seriously. Trump faces four powerful incumbents in the Democratic party among Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, South Bend mayor Pete Buttigieg, and former vice president Joe Biden as the four frontrunners in the race. With every candidate giving their campaigns as much effort and attention as possible, it’s Melania’s time to step up and stand by the Trump family.

How, exactly? So far, we know that Melania is gearing up to go on the campaign trail this spring (we hope she has some protein bars), and is scheduled to headline at least two fundraisers for the Trump Victory Committee. The Victory Committee is a PAC joining Trump’s 2020 campaign and the Republican National Committee. The events will take place respectively in Los Angeles and Mar-a-Lago, according to CNN.

The First Lady has shied away from the more traditional role of more consistently traveling with the Husband and doing duo appearances, up until his recent acquittal and State of the Union. Years ago, her lack of appearances at events and showing face on the campaign trail were justified by her need to be home in New York with Barron Trump, their then 10-year-old son. 

She honed the skill of being consistently inconsistent, frequently turning down political cameos in 2016. For the most part, Ivanka filled in for her, and helped to do her part to support Trump’s family appearance during campaign season. Melania hasn’t shown up to a rally or campaign event since June of 2019, as far as we know, when she graced the crowd at Trump’s official kick-off for his 2020 campaign. She has, however, been focusing on her anti-bullying initiative, the Be Best campaign

While it’s unclear exactly what Melania will be adding to her husband’s campaigning this election cycle, it sounds like the first of many appearances. “First lady Melania Trump is a sought-after voice from the first family, who has the overwhelming approval and admiration of the American people,” Kayleigh McEnany, the national press secretary for the Trump campaign, told CNN in a statement.

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The Empowering Reason Karamo Brown Created His Own Skin-Care Brand

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Moments before Karamo Brown hit the red carpet for the season one premiere of Queer Eye in 2018, he made a major last-minute life decision. “I cut it all off,” Brown tells me. After years of filling in his hairline with his sister’s mascara and barber pencils, the hit Netflix series’ culture expert decided to go bald. “I was so scared that if someone knew I had thinning hair, they weren’t going to put me on TV or hire me,” he says. “Then, I realized that my hairline had nothing to do with it, because I had a partner, I had healthy kids, and I had a good ass job.”

So, with the push of his best friend and his sister, Brown walked the red carpet with a bald head and a bright red jacket. “I wanted everyone to see me,” he says. “I’ve helped all these other people feel confident, and I wanted to feel confident.” Now, his hair journey has come full circle for his latest project: MANTL, a skin-care line made with bald men in mind. After shaving his head, Brown felt overwhelmed by the beauty market and didn’t see himself represented in the aisles. He teamed up with Irene Kong and Peter Ricci, both Honest Company alums, to create a line that offers not just grooming products, but a sense of community that changes the narrative around baldness.

“Being on Queer Eye and talking to people about their emotional and mental journey, you realize that with a lot of men, their self-esteem is directly affected with how they feel about themselves,” Brown says. “Every message you get in the media says that men who are thinning or balding are ugly, or that you’re not going to get the life you want or get the girl you want. That’s antiquated and outdated.”

Brown hopes that his brand will provide support no matter where a man is in his journey, and inspire other companies to stop fear-based tactics in ads geared towards men, too. While progress has been made with media messaging in the female beauty space (with more work still left to do), the reality star feels that the conversation for men in the industry still lags behind. “Things are naturally happening. Your body is shifting. You’re losing your hair. That’s fine; that’s happening to all of us,” he says. “That’s what I want our narrative to be.”

And MANTL comes at a time where men in the public eye aren’t just erasing gender norms with nail art but with skin care, too, as they open up about their regimens; Diplo recently collaborated with skin-care brand Ole Henriksen, and Frank Ocean shared his skin-care routine for a GQ cover story. Brown credits shows like Queer Eye with furthering the conversation, but he points directly at women for this powerful shift. “Women are at the front lines encouraging the men in their lives to use products,” he says. “It’s not just something for gay men — it’s for all men, because we all have skin.”

In hopes that customers won’t feel as overwhelmed as he once did, Brown launched with the basics: a face and scalp cleanser, a moisturizer, daily sunscreen (SPF 30), and blotting sheets. While MANTL was created with bald men in mind, the Netflix star says that anyone can use it — and that his sisters can testify.

But it’s so much more than just products for Brown, who is empowered by his previous insecurities every step of the way. “I’m not judging anybody by where they are on their journey because I was there,” he says. “My self-esteem was chipped down every day as I would wake up and draw on a hairline.” But if there’s anyone who’s feeling less than their best in the shoes he once wore, Brown has one message: “It’s so freeing when you don’t have to hide and lie anymore.”

At Refinery29, we’re here to help you navigate this overwhelming world of stuff. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. If you buy something we link to on our site, Refinery29 may earn commission.

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Selena Gomez Just Debuted “Caramel Sprinkle” Highlights

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There’s something about a subtle highlight that can make an old haircut feel brand-new again — even if it’s more about channeling a brighter vibe than noticeably lighter color. Just last night, Selena Gomez debuted a faint caramel-tinged highlight at the Hollywood Beauty Awards. Though extremely subtle, the warm, bronze-glazed highlight — sprinkled delicately throughout the tendrils around her face — instantly elevated the star’s long curtain bangs (which she cut back in December).

The highlight came courtesy of L.A.-based colorist Riawna Capri, who says that the intention was to refresh and bring new life to the haircut. “Selena stopped in to freshen up her ’70s shag and color,” Capri explained in an email. “We did a sprinkle of caramel, bronze, and sun-kissed highlights.”

Gomez’s updo was styled for the night by hairstylist Marissa Marino, who actually walked the red carpet alongside her client and makeup artist Hung Vanngo. Marino expertly twisted the long shag cut into an effortless-meets-modern Victorian updo, the newly-brightened strands peeking through the ends.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 06: Selena Gomez, fashion detail, attends the 2020 Hollywood Beauty Awards at The Taglyan Complex on February 06, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Tibrina Hobson/Getty Images)

Gomez’s updated look is just another reason for us all to schedule a winter color refresh for a honey brown, smoky gold, or caramel sprinkle of our own… and maybe some curtain bangs, too, while we’re at it.

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I Got Transformed Into Awkwafina — & This Is What I Looked Like

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It’s been a major year for Awkwafina, and it’s only just begun. The 31-year-old performer, who got her start rapping on YouTube out of her home in Queens, NY, now has a Golden Globe under her belt and continues to generate buzz with each of her groundbreaking performances. From quirky Peik Lin in Crazy Rich Asians to relatable Billi in The Farewell, every one of her characters shows yet another side of Nora Lum (Awkwafina’s given name).

In this episode of Beauty Evolution, I’m recreating three of my favorite looks from the star. The first is from her breakout role as Constance in Ocean’s 8. The simple and casual look — long hair with an orange beanie and no makeup — is fitting of her character, a low-key street hustler who steals every scene.

For the second look, I transformed into the unmistakable Peik Lin from Crazy Rich Asians. Her signature blonde bob combined with her wild wardrobe and goofy personality makes her one of the most memorable characters in the film.

I ended on a glamorous red carpet look from the 2019 Academy Awards, when Awkwafina wore a middle part with long, loose waves, soft smoky eyes, and a power suit.

With the recent debut of her new Comedy Central show, Nora From Queens, I’m excited to see what’s next for this star — including the looks I can copy for myself. Press play above to watch the entire makeover go down.

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New Music To Know This Week: Christine & The Queens Are On Your Team & More

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Ever since my first job at MTV working as a music programmer, I can’t stop trying to match people with music they might like. So, I wrote a book called Record Collecting for Girls and started interviewing musicians. The Music Concierge is a column where I share music I’m listening to that you might enjoy, with a little context. Get everything I’ve recommended this year on Spotify, follow me on Twitter or Facebook, and leave a comment below telling me what you’re listening to this week.

Christine and the Queens “People, I’ve been sad”

Christine and the Queens are back with a soul-stirring single about loneliness — wait, it’s less depressing than I’m making it sound. By chanting “you know the feeling,” she makes the track of an anthem of solidarity and humanity than a dirge into the darker depths. If the world has been getting you down, this one goes to the top of your playlist as a pick-me-up.

Sharon Van Etten “Beaten Down”

Producer John Congleton’s trademark touch can be felt all over this slow, somewhat bleak new track from Van Etten. In it, she sings about standing behind your decisions, even the hard ones, in a Handmaid’s Tale “Nolite te bastardes carborundorum” kind of way. Looking for a song to screw up your courage with? This is it.

Lido Pimienta “Eso Que Tu Haces”

Sometimes it’s just not love. Pimienta, a Colombian artist who now resides in Toronto, explores that feeling in a track that is musically one of the most interesting I’ve heard in a minute. The influences she pulls from are numerous, coming together in a genre-defying mix. There’s a calmness to her voice, but when she belts all the way it will take your breath away.

Jockstrap “Acid”

Once you get over Jockstrap being a terrible name for this delightful project, prepare yourself to be charmed by this delightful song. It’s one part lovely, fuzzy dream pop and one part disruptive production that subverts the ideas of what makes a lovely pop song.

Puss N Boots “Sister”

Something about this song, which is the title track to the forthcoming LP from Norah Jones, Sasha Dobson, and Catherine Popper, jumped out at me on first listen. It may be the old school vocal harmonies or the yeehaw agenda popping out in the guitar part. Whatever it is, I’m subscribing.

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