Could the pill for men balance the contraceptive burden?
Scientists have developed a male contraceptive that doesn’t target testosterone, avoiding unwanted side effects like weight gain and depression. After proving 99% effective at preventing pregnancy in mice, the drug is set for human trials. It looks as though birth control options for men may soon expand beyond condoms...
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How will the UK plastic packaging tax impact beauty?
From April 1, any company manufacturing or importing packaging containing less than 30% recycled materials will be taxed £200 per tonne. For an industry that’s renowned for its insurmountable reliance on plastic, this may well pose some issues. Earlier this month, ‘the most important international deal since the Paris...
What really happens when we throw our clothes away?
Chile’s Atacama Desert, one of the world’s largest ‘fashion graveyards’, is a stark reminder of where our clothing really ends up. We’re often told that our rubbish doesn’t just ‘disappear’. From an early age, I remember my mum scolding me for throwing litter on the floor, or wasting my food; ‘The...
Chic meets sustainable with SONNET155’s handbags
Made from post-industrial waste, these handbags offer a sophisticated and sustainable approach to traditional paper shopping bags. Move over, cloth tote bags. Fruit leather is in. Though cloth totes have taken the world by storm – they’re considered a staple for Gen-Z who has grown up abolishing single use plastic –...
You decide – is beauty glamourising drug culture?
Harry Styles’ long-awaited cosmetics brand just dropped a psychedelic-inspired collection. Aesthetic visuals aside, there may exist a wider issue with the way these products are being marketed. Whether we like it or not, psychedelics are having their moment. Permeating both mainstream media for their extraordinary medical potential and our social media...
People on Twitter are freaking out about adidas’ new bra campaign
When does marketing take things too far? According to many people online, showing uncensored, unfiltered pictures of real women’s bodies on Twitter is the answer. adidas has just announced its latest range of sports bras with a powerful, yet controversial campaign. The ad is for the brand’s line of 43 new...
A vision of vulvas: expanding knowledge and concepts of diversity
The body positive movement has exploded in the last decade. Now, it’s finally expanding to a much less talked about part of women's bodies - the vulva. The female anatomy has always been something of a spectacle. Early renaissance artists sculpted the dips and folds of women’s bellies, the curves of their spines, or the soft span of their collarbones. But when it comes to the space between women’s legs,...
Rihanna’s maternity style sparks debate on pregnancy beauty standards
In encouraging a new generation of expecting mothers to flaunt their bellies as they see fit, the singer-cum-business mogul is advocating the importance of rejecting societal expectations regarding what women should be wearing during those nine months. When those iconic pregnancy reveal pictures graced our feeds back in January, they were – for the most part – met with an overwhelming influx of adoration from die-hard fans and humble observers...
Beauty consumers now favour ingredients over brands
Life in isolation has provided us with time to reconsider our priorities when it comes to buying cosmetics and skincare. It seems we no longer care what the box says, rather what the product inside actually contains. If you’re partial to experimenting with makeup, or spent lockdown perfecting the ultimate skincare routine, likelihood is you’ve been swayed by aesthetic packaging or brand advertising at one point or another when buying...
Reproductive healthcare in England sees yet another setback
Marking a significant regression in the abortion rights of women across the country, the government has scrapped its ‘pills by post’ scheme, which has been celebrated as a game changing move that made terminating unwanted pregnancies safer and more accessible. Throughout the duration of Covid-19, attitudes towards the ever-contentious pro-choice/pro-life debate have shifted significantly across the globe. With the movement to secure women’s rights to abortion in flux (regardless of...
