kimberly vargas

The Week in Review: Marijuana Goes Mainstream

In recent years, American social policy became a very sticky subject. Issues ranging from gay marriage to gun ownership are hotly politicized, and …

10 Beauty Products Every Woman Should Have By 30

For the first few decades of your life, a laissez-faire beauty routine is all you need. Nows the time to take a more grown-up approach with a few easy adds.<p>For the first few decades of your life, a laissez-faire beauty routine is all you need. Now's the time to take a more grown-up approach with a …

9 Ways To Make Your Home Look Expensive

New York-based home stager, Cheryl Eisen, shares her best ideas for creating stylish interiors. After years of designing spaces for high-end real estate companies, she's spilling the beans on how you can spruce up your home decor without draining your wal<p>New York-based home stager, Cheryl Eisen, …

Detox Soup to Make You Feel Awesome

Detox Soup is a great way to kick the new year off. This gluten-free recipe can be used during an official "cleanse" or to kick-start a conscious eating plan for 2015!<p>Ok, so if you’re going out on New Year’s Eve, do yourself a favor and make this soup one or two days before the festive first, and …

Regular pot smokers have shrunken brains, study says

Experimental mice have been telling us this for years, but pot-smoking humans didn't want to believe it could happen to them: Compared with a person who never smoked marijuana, someone who uses marijuana regularly has, on average, less gray matter in his orbital frontal cortex, a region that is a …

The Latest Ways to Anti-Age Your Eyes

The newest in-office procedures and products.<p>Concealer can hide only so much. Want to actually turn back the clock? Read on for the latest options.<p><b>MINIMIZE DARK SHADOWS</b><p>If you suffer from dark circles caused by hollowness under your eyes, ask your doctor about Belotero, a hyaluronic acid injectable …

9 Of The Best Beauty Buys At Net-A-Porter For Under $100

Not many people know how to pronounce Net-A-Porter or are aware that this high-fashion online retailer is also a beauty mecca. But beyond its well-curated categories of luxury handbags, stilettos and lingerie, is an impressive line-up of makeup, skincare and hair products (including brands you …

9 Secrets to a Salon-Worthy Pedicure at Home

<i>Every Monday we tap an industry expert for tips that only insiders know. This week, JINsoon nail polish founder and New York Times Magazine-dubbed "nail guru" Jin Soon Choi—whose three NYC salons boast celeb clientele like Sarah Jessica Parker—explains how to pamper your feet at home with a no-fail</i> …

17 Products Hairstylists Hoard

According to Hollywood's top hairstylists, celebrity clients get sticky fingers when it comes to these no-fail products.<p>According to Hollywood's top hairstylists, celebrity clients get sticky fingers when it comes to these no-fail products.<p>Courtesy Christophe Robin

20 Concealer Hacks Every Woman Should Know

From the editors of Cosmopolitan.com, life-changing ways to cover under-eye circles, blemishes, and more.<p><b>1) If you use foundation, apply it first, and then apply your concealer.</b><p>If you apply your foundation first, you'll find that you don't need to use as much concealer. If you apply concealer …

The sad, twisted truth about conservative Christianity’s effect on the mind

Some religious beliefs may alter brain function, making us more prone to anxiety and depression<p>“<i>I am 30 years old and I am struggling to find sanity. Between the Christian schools, homeschooling, the Christian group home (indoctrinating work camp) and different churches in different cities, I am a</i> …

Oregon's Cheap Legal Weed Could Starve Washington's Market

Could Oregon’s legal marijuana market starve Washington’s?<p>Voters in Oregon decide on Tuesday whether or not to legalize recreational marijuana. If the measure passes, Oregon and Washington will boast the first shared border in the world of legal retail pot.<p>Yet the two states will have very …

A Kitchy Kitchen Recipe: Salted Caramels

Caramels are one of my favorite candies. That melt-in-your-mouth honeyed flavor with a subtle punch of salt is so addictive, and the perfect canvas for creating delicious Halloween candies. I love making batches of these to keep in bowls at costume parties and get-togethers. Enjoy!<p><b>SALTED …

The 9 Habits of People Who Never Have to Clean Their Homes

A maid isn't needed, just some better habits.<p><b>1. They put away their clothes every night.</b>When you're changing into your pajamas, it might be tempting to just toss your clothes on a chair or even on the floor, but don't fall prey to that lazy trap. It takes a couple of seconds to put them in your …

Meat Has Seasons, Just Like Produce. And Here's How Factory Farming Has Messed With That.

By now most of us are in tune with the idea of eating seasonal produce. Tomatoes are best late in the summer, apples are tastiest in the fall. Even if you don't practice it, most people have at least heard of the principle. But what about meat? A trip to the supermarket tells us that beef, pork, …

The Best Pencils For Faking Fuller Brows

Our 11 favorite brow pencils for whipping sad, sparse brows into shape.<p>Our 11 favorite brow pencils for whipping sad, sparse brows into shape.

How to Get Faux-Looking Lashes Using Baby Powder

False lashes are a godsend...if you're going to a wedding or a New Year's Eve bash. But while many of us covet that Kim Kardashian-level of fabulous fringe on the regular, they're not a practical option outside of more formal affairs, and certainly not<p>False lashes are a godsend...if you're going to …

10 Healthy Two-Ingredient Avocado Recipes

From the editors of Cosmopolitan.com, make dessert, smoothies, milkshakes, and more in five minutes flat.<p>The world's most perfect berry — yes, avocados are classified as berries — doesn't need much to taste delicious. A little salt is all you really need. But when you're feeling a little fancier, …

21 Problems You Can Solve With Baking Soda

Seriously, store a box of this stuff in every room of your house.<p>Sure, it's a pro at making chewy chocolate chip cookies, but baking soda's real claim-to-fame is its power to freshen and clean many spots in your home. It's a super-effective (but gentle) abrasive and is a great natural deodorizer, …

10 Ways to Tone Up Without Killing Yourself at the Gym

<i>Every Monday we tap an industry expert for tips that only insiders know. This week Brooke Siler, Pilates pioneer and author of 'The New York Times' best-seller 'The Pilates Body: The Ultimate At-Home Guide to Strengthening, Lengthening and Toning Your Body- Without Machines', explains that it is</i> …

The Hemsley Sisters on Their Perfect Day of Eating

Jasmine and Melissa Hemsley, the sister duo behind 'The Art of Eating Well,' share their healthy outlook.<p><b>What would the perfect Hemsley-approved day of eating consist of?</b><p><i>On waking</i>: warm water with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice or an herbal tea<p><i>Breakfast</i>: Our anytime eggs (for a sit down breakfast …

The Only 5 Juice Recipes You'll Ever Need

The founders of LA's Pressed Juicery release their first book and share their secret recipes with BAZAAR.<p>If you're cool and you live in LA—or your name is Jessica Alba, Madonna, Mary-Kate Olsen, Ashley Olsen, Nicole Richie or Emma Roberts—then you're probably a huge fan of the Pressed Juicery, a …

The Power of Meaning (and Applying It to What Really Matters)

<b>Do you ever stop and wonder why certain things matter to you? Why you do the things you do or work so hard for the things you work for? Do you ever question who decided something was meaningful, important, or stylish? Or do you assume there must be a reason everyone else is doing it?</b><p>When I was …

17 Life-Changing Cooking Tricks

From the editors at Cosmo.com, these kitchen tricks will make cooking so much easier.<p><b>1. Use two plates to safely cut a lot of little tomatoes at once.</b><p>Lay the tomatoes you wish to slice in half on a small plate. Place another plate on top and then run a very sharp knife through the gap between the …

Gardening 101: How to Water an Air Plant

Pity the poor tillandsia. With its affable, low-maintenance personality, your little friend tends to get ignored on a bookshelf. Its nickname–air …

13 DIY Decor Solutions That Will Make Your Life Easier

13 Dangerous Household Items You Should Quit Using Immediately

Common items in your home that are putting you at risk.<p>There are many unknown dangers around our home, most of which we have no control over. In a world of "going green" it's hard to tell which products produce a threat to your health and which are simply natural alternatives. Here's a list of …

#TheLIST: 10 Affordable Luxuries

You don't have to spend a ton of money for great looking clothes and accessories. Here, we rounded up 10 editor-approved basics that say luxe without breaking the bank.<p>You don't have to spend a ton of money for great looking clothes and accessories. Here, we rounded up 10 editor-approved basics …