"There was this young girl who dreamt of ice skating professionally but her evil arch nemesis, another girl, pushed her and broke her legs to ruin her career." My friend, 32 year-old Suzanna Atala, a jewellery designer from Mexico who lives in New York, is recounting the plot line from her favourite TV show as a child. "Right" I say, trying to gage Suzanna's grave tone. "How awful" is all I can sincerely muster. For those of you well versed in telenovela (Latin American soap operas) this plot line will sound very unremarkable.

Telenovela, for those not familiar with the word, or the genre, is a very particular type of South American television programming that has its roots in Brazilian culture, but is now a global phenomenon. The reach of telenovela is monolithic. As Dr. Janet McCabe, Senior Lecturer in Film and Television Studies at Birkbeck University levelled it to me, "programming can reach around 576million people in 163million TV homes." Often glibly compared to the American soap opera (more of that later) Telenovela is a fusion of two words: "television" and 'novel" and one of Brazil's most colourful cultural exports.

The programming is frequent and telenovelas have "a limited run, consisting of about 75-150 episodes and are broadcast over three-six months, usually daily, five or six days a week during prime-time," explained McCabe. The plot lines are sensational and explosive, and casts can reach around 80 members on one show.

The one thing all telenovela shows share is passion. Passion is the axis upon which all the Shakespearian plot-lines revolve; burning, hot, simpering passion that spans family feuds, trysts, missing persons, false identities and Machiavellian masterminds.

Occasionally, even the kick-off times for football matches are delayed due to telenovela scheduling.

The frequency of telenovela episodes mean producers are able to be agile in responding to cultural happenings, political developments and social trends like sex, religion, drugs, illness and crime –issues that are not being discussed elsewhere. Their stories make headlines and their scheduling means that occasionally even the kick-off times for football matches are delayed. Their characters' tribulations, triumphs and desires are relatable to both rich and poor; they're household names and they generate a large percentage of the country's celebrities.

McCabe told me that the show's content and story lines naturally vary from region to region although the "dominant trope of the genre is the fate of the individual in the social world." So typically, a show would see "a protagonist (normally a woman) leaving behind her family, as she moves from the countryside to the city to take a job." The narrative would traditionally follow an "ugly duckling story, with a plain girl falling in love with a handsome man (called a "galan") who eventually falls in love with her – but in the end, she’s discovered to be beautiful." Around the central plot line usually circulates other regular sub-themes like "class conflict between maids and rich wives, or, a search for ancestry linked to social mobility," added McCabe.

Generally, you'll identify "Brazilian (TV Globo) for its social, more issue-based telenovelas, that are more realistic, and often with historically based narratives. These have relatively higher production values and more complex plots. Colombian ones also have a hard edge and social context, but with more comedy and irony – and set in contemporary times. Mexican ones (Televisa) are more obviously melodramatic and sentimental in tone. An example of which can be seen in the American show Ugly Betty, with the Suarez family watching Mexican telenovelas. While Venezuelan productions are more emotional and share some of the baroque-ness of the Mexican ones."

Sua Vida Me Pertence, or, Your Life Belongs to Me was the first Brazilian telenovela to be aired in 1951. It was shown twice a week and featured Brazil's first televised kiss. The medium engulfed more than the expected target audience that was largely housewives, almost immediately. Peru's 1969 show, Simplemente Maria,saw 10,000 people show up to the character's wedding in Lima. The show was then rolled out in Venezuela and Mexico .

McCabe cited some seminal shows that followed the traditional unfurling. " Yo soy Betty, La Fea (1999) is the classic ugly duckling story. La Usurpadora (1998) is about twins separated at birth who meet (unknowingly) as adults; one is rich and evil, Paola, and other poor and good, Paulina. Then there's the modern Amigas y Rivales (2001), with a rich kids’ theme, complete with maid!"

Carla Estrada, one of the foremost and most celebrated producers of the genre, told the BBC that the script and plot line is crucial. "You need suspense, emotion, love and logic, in order to carry the story through 190 episodes."

It's easy to compare the telenovela to the American soap opera as a kind of mind-numbing escapism exercise, however, as many academics in the 1980s would later contest, the telenovela became a shiny and idiosyncratic emblem of native and domestic programming, clearly impacting and reflecting Latin America's cultural landscape.

Come the early 1990s, Soviet broadcasters were buying shows like Mexico's T ambién Lloran (The Rich Also Cry), starring Verónica Castro and Rogelio Guerra – a show from the late 1970s. Roughly 200million Russians tuned in to watch the finale. McCabe would argue a smooth adoption in countries like Russia is largely down to a shared "wealth divide between rich and poor, between rulers and the ruled, and a shared experience of established religious and familial structures. in Eastern Europe, the genre has been used to negotiate the shift from a communist to post-communist world."

Evidently, their appeal is still such, that in 2015, Netflix made the smart decision to bring Telenovela to a Western mainstream audience by buying 20 of Latin America's most popular Telenovela shows, including the 2010 series, Las Muñecas de la Mafia ( basically Mob Wives) and Para Volver a Amar(think SATC).

Telenovela, much like soap operas in the UK, while generating lots of interest, divides audiences and can often come under charges of trashiness, sentimentality and just sheer outlandishness. Sure that to dismiss the genre based on its tendencies towards hyperbole was unfair, we decided to speak to a cross-section of Latin Americans about the televisual novel and why they love it so much.

Filipa Corvacho, a Portuguese 26-year-old Graphic Designer living in East London, explained how essential the programmes had been to her formative years. "Since I can remember, I have always watched Brazilian telenovelas. Since the age of five, I have watched three shows a day. We have Portuguese telenovelas as well but I was always into the Brazilian ones."

It's actually a shame that they don't translate many of the programmes into english, because the world has no idea of what it is missing.

Anne Sophie Costa, a 30-year-old make up artist living in London, echoed Filipa's love of Brazilian TV. "Although I am Portuguese, I watched two-three Brazilian telenovela programmes a day when I was growing up."

"Brazilian people– I must say that they are incredible actors," Anne Sophie told me. "It's actually a shame that they don't translate many of the programmes into english, because the world has no idea of what it is missing. They do everything with so much passion. They really do live the character until the end, almost in the way they have psychological problems after their role has ended. Especially if their character is a very strong and mean one."

Anne Sophie told me that it's not just the romance that makes this kind of TV experience special. "They can be very high budget, and you have directors like George Moura, who makes every scene look like poetry."

I asked both women about their favourite shows. Fillipa liked Explode Coraçao, a series from the '90s " that was about the gypsy community, I love it. But my favourite character ever was Suelen from from Avenida Brasil." Anne Sophie admired O Rei Do Gado for its moral and social focus; "It's a very educational novela as it covers a lot of problems in Brazilian politics. The muse is Patricia Pillar, who is a beautiful, amazing actress and woman! For me she is the Brazilian Tilda Swinton."

It's not just women who watch the shows. Juan Romero, a 22-year-old Colombian working in retail in London, tells me that "cast members are like family members. You grow up with them and you feel their pains and their triumphs. We love them like sisters and brothers and cousins."

Suzanna told me that her mother used to forbid her from watching novelas, "but the service lady in my house who looked after me would let me watch them in secret with her." She tells me that her father certainly still watches cartel soap operas, "but he wouldn't admit that to you."

I ask Anne Sophie if she's ever followed a whole series over the course of several years. "I did with this one mini-series called Amores Roubados. Caua Reymond [a world famous novela actor and heartthrob] falls in love with a girl (Isis Valverde). I watched that from start to finish."

"Why?" I asked her. Anne Sophie pauses... "I will never forget this one intimate moment on a beach, and the feelings were so intense I was covered in goose bumps. I began to think this is actually love. A few months later I ended up discovering that both actors had fallen in love on set. It was real love after all. I think this is beautiful."

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

Kim Kardashian Just Burned Lindsay Lohan On Instagram

Unsolved Hollywood Murders That Are Still Lingering

Have You Seen This Video Of Nicole Kidman Eating Worms & Crickets With Chopsticks?

I recall a couple of years ago reading about a big study into the effects that smoking had on your appearance. I forget where I saw it, but I’m pretty sure it was the Daily Mail which loves nothing more than to encourage women to feel bad about their life choices.

It ran photographs of twins, side by side. One twin had smoked for most of her life while the other hadn’t touched cigarettes. ‘Look at the lines around the smoker’s mouth!', it pointed. ‘Beware the sagging eye area!’, it warned.

Of course, it was rather arresting to have such a visual on the damage that fags could do to you. The build up of tar in your lungs might be an invisible danger but those wrinkles couldn’t fool anyone.

I often wonder about my fictional non-smoking twin and what sort of life she would have led. Did she have as many good times? Did she make the same friends? Can you see her noble choices on her face?

I especially started thinking about this study when I didn’t smoke for a full 4 days, 21 hours and 58 minutes last week, one of the longest stretches of time during which a cigarette hasn’t touched my lips in about a decade. Seriously.

I had such an accurate time frame because I downloaded My Last Cigarette, a free app that shows you how long it’s been since you had a puff, as well as giving you updates about your circulation and nicotine levels. It also tells you how much money you’ve saved. Then, if you’re really struggling, you can even look up their graphic motivational ‘Daily Pic’ which makes the warning images found on cigarette packets look like children’s illustrations.

The app was great. Every time I felt weak, I merely glanced at it and as I saw the marker on ‘cravings’ slowly, slowly creep down, and the carbon monoxide levels fade away, I felt I would be mad to undo all my hard work. Well, that was until I went to a friend’s surprise birthday dinner on Friday night and eight of the nine guests smoked and, frankly, I hopped into the cigarettes faster than Katie Ledecky does a flip turn.

Still, it got me thinking. Using data about how long and how often you've smoked, the app also works out your risk of a heart attack compared to your risk before you quit, the same with lung cancer. I once again thought about my non-smoking twin. What were her chances of developing all those terrible diseases?

Because the thing about trying to quit smoking, especially with this app, is that it forces you to come to terms with the irreversible damage that you’ve done. You will never be the non-smoking twin, it’s too late. It’s a sobering exercise and, ultimately, one I have found helpful.

I’m pleased to report that I’ve completely stopped smoking during the day and any evening in which I don’t find myself with a glass of wine in hand. Unfortunately, as soon as I have a drink that comes with an ABV then I have a very real problem in keeping away from the cigs.

I’ve had to reset my smoking countdown clock on the app back to zero but I’m sticking with it. My non-smoking twin told me to.

Read the previous instalments of The Smoking Diaries:

Chapter One: Introduction

Chapter Two: Failure

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

9 Annoying Reasons Why Your Hair Is Falling Out

This Scientific Breakthrough Could Spell An End To Your Heavy Periods

This Is Probably Why Your Periods Are Irregular

The 2016 Rio Olympics has not been without its drama. Ellie Downie landed on her neck, Samir Ait Said had a Final Destination -style leg break and Louis Smith suffered a nasty pommel fall.

Pole vaulting, back flips, 10m dives, 100m in 10 seconds and other super-human activities are par for the course at the Olympics. It's quite easy, when you're sat on your sofa, to forget that the athletes on screen are real humans. But next time you reach down to retrieve a fleeing Revel and your knees crack, spare a moment for the athletes doing crunches in their sleep at the Olympic Village, or, maybe we should do as (the fake?) Bill Murray suggested on Twitter:

Every Olympic event should include one average person competing for reference.

— Bill Murray (@BiIIMurray) July 19, 2016

We sometimes fantasise that we could tumble off a diving board, roll up into a ball and pull off a bomb, or, if push came to shove, complete the 800m even if we sausage-rolled over the finish line. But never, ever, would we fancy our chances at floor work, pommel horse work, bar work, or any other activity falling under the word gymnasts. We can't touch our toes without omitting a moan, and if someone asked us to do a pull-up, we'd probably pay them off.

From our comfy position on the sofa eating humble pie, we've rounded up some of Rio's most elastic, bombastic, energetic and down-right flexible gymnastic routines from Rio 2016. Deep heat at the ready.

Simone Biles

You can't have consumed a single piece of Olympics coverage without reading Simone Biles' name. She is the first African-American to be world all-around champion, and with 14 medals, 10 of them gold, she's the most decorated American female gymnast in World Championship history. On Tuesday, she led the USA team to gold in the team gymnastics competition, and she's threatening to take all five single medals in the women's gymnastic competitions.

Dipa Karmakar

Dipa has already made history as the first Indian female gymnast ever to compete in the Olympics, and the first Indian contestant in this category for 52 years. She is a Produnova vault specialist – one of the hardest and most dangerous forms of the art.

Nile Wilson

In June, Wilson won gold at the high bar during the European Gymnastics and he's only 20 years old.

Wang Yan

Wang was a key player in China securing bronze in the team gymnastic round this summer in Brazil, coming behind Russia who lagged behind a jubilant USA team. Wang is only 16 and is gaining a reputation for her flawless floor work.

Kristian Thomas

The Wolverhampton gymnast is 5'11", which is incredibly tall for a gymnast. Bask in his elegance and poise.

Rebeca Andrade

Rebeca Andrade de Rodrigues is a Brazilian gymnast who this week went viral with her Beyoncé -themed floor routine which featured both "Crazy in Love" and "Single Ladies". Queen!

Max Whitlock

After team GB lost out to the team medals this week, 23-year-old Whitlock is one of our medal hopefuls in the men's singles rounds and with good reason – he snagged two bronzes at the London 2012 Olympics.

Aliya Mustafina

Mustafina is an all-rounder and a central component to Russia's team who ranked silver under USA's blockbuster gymnast team. Here she is smashing the uneven bars.

Claudia Fragapane

Claudia Fragapane is our supposed new Beth Tweddle but rumour has it she might be... better. Floor and Vault are her specialities, excuse the poor recording above, but we're sure you'll agree that you still get a good sense of her majesty!

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

Kim Kardashian Just Burned Lindsay Lohan On Instagram

Unsolved Hollywood Murders That Are Still Lingering

Have You Seen This Video Of Nicole Kidman Eating Worms & Crickets With Chopsticks?

We may have lost the right to live and work in 27 other countries, but if there's one good thing to come out of the Brexit debacle for young people in the UK, it's that we may be more likely to be able to afford a property if we get a move on.

House price rises slowed to a three-year low in the three months leading up to July, according to a survey by the The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics).

The number of agreed sales and buyer enquiries also fell, as consumers were uncertain about how the EU referendum would affect the value of their property.

According to the survey, there was the fastest drop in the number of properties sold since the 2008 financial crisis, The Independent reported.

Furthermore, the number of surveyors reporting an increase in residential property prices dropped to its lowest in three years, the BBC reported.

This means just 5% more of those surveyed reported a rise in prices rather than a fall – compared to 15% in June.

Prices fell in London, East Anglia, the north of England and the West Midlands in the wake of the country's vote to leave, according to the survey.

However, the bad news is that this house price slowdown may only be short-lived.

Most surveyors expected prices to be higher and to be overseeing more housing sales in a year's time, the survey suggested.

Why? Because there simply aren't enough properties for sale in Britain, The Guardian reported.

But this growth probably won't be as high as it was in 2015 or at the start of 2016, when prices were increasing by up to 10% each year, the BBC reported.

The surveyors predicted prices will rise by 4% each year in London over the next five years, and 3% across the rest of the UK, The Independent reported.

So while housing prices won't necessarily go down, it's at least thought that they won't continue to rise as scarily fast as they have been in recent years. With the number of homeowners in England having hit a 30-year low recently, this is what we call "good news" in Brexit Britain.

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

A Plus-Size Model Just Reminded Us How Deceptive Retouching Can Be

Young Woman Searches For Stranger Who Left Her £100 While She Slept On Train

What The Newly Discovered "Kiss Hormone" Means For Our Sex Lives

"You smell like booze." Four words you didn't want to hear from your parents when you were 17 and sneaking home past midnight, and you probably don't want to hear from your boss (or anyone) today. Unless, that is, it's about your perfume and there's an "mmm" thrown in there.

You see, right now, in the world of perfume, it's all about notes of bourbon, rum, and even limoncello. (But no stale vodka — phew.) The resulting fragrances feel dark, warm, and sensual — whether you like to kick back with a whiskey or herbal tea's more your speed.

Ahead, click through to shop seven boozy, intoxicating (but never hangover-inducing) scents.

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

Is This The Future Of Fragrance?

10 Things People Who Smell Good Always Do

Read This Before You Ask For A New Fragrance This Christmas

Women have been reportedly banned from swimming in a gym's pool while they are on their period.

A sign in the women's changing rooms at the Vake Swimming Pool and Fitness Club in Tbilisi, Georgia, read: "Dear Ladies! Do not go to the pool during periods," ITV News reported.

One gym member took to social media to express her outrage at the sign. Sophie Tabatadze posted an image of the sign on Facebook and accused the centre of misogyny.

"Do you even realise how offensive this is?" she posted, before asking whether women would be eligible for a discount if they are forbidden from using the pool for up to six days each month.

"And, by the way, since according to your rules we are not allowed to use a swimming pool 5-6 days each month, do we get a preferential price compared with men? ‪#‎mysogyny‬ ‪#‎mysogynyinaction‬ [sic]"

One Facebook commenter said the sign had been there for eight years.

Any woman with a period will know that wearing a tampon or menstrual cup while swimming is generally a seamless process and rarely results in leakage.

Not to mention the fact that for many women, swimming is an effective and safe way to ease menstrual cramps and other pain caused by periods.

However, responding to Tabatadze's allegations of sexism, the gym said it was "protecting" members after an incident in which a woman “contaminated” the pool with menstrual blood, ITV News reported.

Tabatadze said menstruation has "nothing to do with hygiene", adding that: "When you go into a public swimming pool you should accept certain level of germs. And since when are men exemplary clean creatures?" reported ITV News.

Periods should be the least of our worries when it comes to swimming pool hygiene. According to research, the average person contributes at least 0.14 grams of "fecal matter" to the water, and tests show it's awash with sweat, urine and beauty products.

Time to start saving for a personal swimming pool.

Tell me, how will this period ban be implemented? Bears at the pool entrance? https://t.co/adhjXxaw8b pic.twitter.com/lMuqR40BuO

— Hanna Flint (@HannaFlint) August 11, 2016

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

A Plus-Size Model Just Reminded Us How Deceptive Retouching Can Be

Young Woman Searches For Stranger Who Left Her £100 While She Slept On Train

What The Newly Discovered "Kiss Hormone" Means For Our Sex Lives

I felt pangs of anxiety as I sat in aesthetician Mary Schook 's office, waiting for what would be one of the more unexpected beauty treatments I had ever undergone. I couldn't help but think: This woman is about to exfoliate my face with a razor...w hat if she slips? Then, my name was called.

To buy myself a bit more time, I masked my nervousness in a shroud of professional curiosity and proceeded to ask Schook a laundry list of questions about what I could expect from dermaplaning — a treatment that involves exfoliating one's face with a sharp razor.

Thankfully, my anxiety waned as she broke it down for me and I settled into her plush operating chair. To be clear, my nerves weren't for a lack of trust: Schook's a licensed aesthetician, product formulator, founder of M.S. Apothecary, and bona fide "face whisperer." (The latter is according to a former colleague.) But still, a razor? Well, it turns out, the procedure is actually pretty simple and totally pain-free.

To begin, Schook cleansed and moisturised my skin. Once my skin was prepped, she applied a light layer of emollient gel to my skin — this provided the necessary "slippage" for smooth dermaplaning. So basically, a very fancy shaving cream. Then, Schook brought out the pièce de résistance: a slender, sanitised razor.

She used this razor to gently scrape the surface of my skin, taking bits of dead skin and dirt away with each motion. I learned that if all goes well, this procedure is meant to give me smoother, brighter, and more even skin — not to mention eliminate all unwanted peach fuzz and facial hair. "After dermaplaning, your skin-care products absorb better and your follicles are less likely to fill up with dead skin, oil, and debris," she explained.

The entire process took less than 40 minutes and Schook was very careful to use feather-like strokes to avoid irritating my sensitive visage. But there were still a few bumps in the road — namely, my acne. Dermaplaning over any acne can further irritate it and spread bacteria, causing pimples to become more red and inflamed. This is why she avoided any areas of my face with fully formed or budding zits.

Once Schook was satisfied with my skin, she rubbed an antibacterial serum and moisturiser onto my visage. When I looked in the mirror, I was shocked at how smooth my skin looked. The change wasn't drastic, but the texture of my skin had definitely improved.

At home, my aftercare was simple: Avoid makeup for the rest of the day, stick to a gentle cleansing routine, and keep the skin hydrated. Heeding her advice, that evening, I washed my face with a gentle clay cleanser, slapped on a bit of Pixi's Glow Tonic toner (it contains witch hazel to disinfect skin and aloe vera to soothe it), and finished off with a light layer of hydrating rosehip oil. In the morning, I noticed my skin looked more radiant and my makeup went on smoother and more even than the day before.

After dermaplaning, your skin-care products absorb better and your follicles are less likely to fill up with dead skin, oil, and debris.

According to Schook, dermaplaning in New York City can cost anywhere between $150 (£115) and $250 (£195) — which can get expensive fast, seeing as Schook recommends having the procedure done once a week for optimal results. "A weekly regimen will guarantee better skin after four weeks," she says.

That doesn't mean you can't get the same results at home — you just have to be very careful. Schook is a fan of the Dermaflash Facial Exfoliating Device, an at-home dermaplaning gadget. "They have a pre- and post-care [cream] that prevents troubled skin," she says.

She also has clients who perform their own dermaplaning using brow razors, but it's not really the same thing, as a professional experience will provide a slightly deeper exfoliation due to the sharp carbon or carbon-steel blades that most doctors, nurses, and aestheticians use.

Whether you've opted for a professional or at-home treatment, be sure to take excellent care of your skin after having it done. Avoid putting on any makeup directly after you've dermaplaned and be sure to effectively cleanse and moisturise skin daily and nightly. It's also important to remember that dermaplaning is your weekly exfoliation. This means you should avoid using any manual or chemical exfoliants, as this could irritate your skin.

At the end of the day, dermaplaning is essentially just a fancy word for face shaving. According to Schook, men who shave regularly experience a host of skin benefits due to the exfoliation performed by their razors. When done safely, this can be an effective way to achieve brighter, smother, fuzz-free skin.

Personally, due to the fact that I still have consistent acne flare-ups on my cheeks and chin, this procedure isn't one I'd shell out for or perform on myself weekly. But for anyone who has clearer skin and feels the need for a little brightening action, this treatment will definitely deliver.

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

The Farm-To-Face Beauty Brands To Add To Your Bathroom Shelves Now

Apple Cider Vinegar, Honey & Turmeric: Why Beauty Is Going Natural & Homemade

Are You Actually Breaking Out — Or Is Your Skin Just Purging?

Update: Not only are quite a few Rio Olympians on Tinder, they're also getting in lots of swiping action at the Olympic Village. In an interview with The Associated Press, Tinder spokeswoman Rosette Pambakian said that matches in the Olympic Village, where most athletes live and eat during the games, were up by 129% over the weekend. Whether or not any of these matches blossom into gold-medal worthy romances remains to be seen.

This article was originally published on August 8, 2016.

If you think that celebrities are exempt from a dating world dominated by swiping left and right and inventing witty opening messages, you are mistaken.

First, Zac Efron shocked the world when he revealed that he had a Tinder account (and no one matched with him). And now, there's an Instagram account with the sole purpose of showing which pro athletes have Tinder and Bumble profiles.

@Sportsswipe, also known as "Tinder Athletes," says that all images on its account were taken directly from Tinder and Bumble — and they do look convincingly real. (The account also links out to a Rio-specific account called @Rioswipe, which covers Tinder in the Rio Olympic Athlete Village.)

The beached bunkered Tinder profile for the colorful and charismatic World Top ten golfer #rickiefowler as spotted at the Rio Olympic village. More extensive Rio coverage at the link in bio and tag in photo. #golf #rio #teamusa

A photo posted by Tinder Athletes (@sportsswipe) on Aug 8, 2016 at 12:22pm PDT

The accounts raise some inevitable questions. First, when do these world-class athletes have time to swipe and send messages back and forth? And second, is it a breach of privacy for an Instagram account to expose their profiles?

That second question is one that will likely remain contested. On the one hand, these athletes deserve their privacy, even if their accounts do exist on a public app. At the same time, maybe Sportsswipe will lead to some Olympic matches made in heaven.

Either way, it's hard to believe that Olympians have trouble getting a date. And yes, for anyone wondering, Ryan Lochte does have a verified Tinder account.

The Rio Olympic Tinder profile of talented Aussie tennis star #thanasikokkinakis . If, like Thanasi, you arrive in Rio without your tennis bags, Olympic Village Tinder seems a good way to spend the wait. Alternative page linked in Bio and tagged here has more comprehensive Tinder Rio coverage. #tennis #tinder #rio #riodejaneiro #teamaustralia #oneteam #roadtorio #olympics #olympics2016 #rio2016 #greenandgold #aussie #tennisaus #adelaide

A photo posted by Tinder Athletes (@sportsswipe) on Aug 3, 2016 at 2:32pm PDT

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

Bitmoji Does What Everyone Has Been Asking Of Emoji For Years

A New Online Tool Aims To Help Domestic Violence Survivors Get Compensation

A Female-Led Gaming Company Is Flipping The Script On Princess Stories

Eating breakfast in the morning has become something of a luxury. We're so rushed trying to get to work that even adding one more step to our routine can make us late . Maybe we'll grab a bite when we manage to find an extra 10 minutes to whip up a meal or buy something on the way to the office. But, there is a better solution to our breakfast woes — jars!

Just take a few minutes to prep (which you can even do the night before) and then bring one with you to eat at the office. Hardly any time lost and, plus, now breakfast will pair perfectly with the jars we've already been obsessively making for snacks and lunch. Ahead, find five Mason jar breakfasts that will change your mornings for the better.

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

Winter Date Night Spots Sure To Warm Your SO's Heart

3 Meals You Can Cook For Just One Person

London's Best Bottomless Brunches

You can't hide anything from an aesthetician. Every single time I go for a facial, they wash my makeup off, examine my bare face, and they know. There's no point in lying: They know I'm not really "prone to ingrowns" between my brows (I just pick the skin). They can tell the dark circles under my eyes are exacerbated by my wine consumption. And they always, always call out the clogged pores I've tried to extract myself.

That was the case last weekend, when I went for a facial at the Erno Laszlo Institute. (P.S.: If you ever get the chance, GO. It was the most thorough, relaxing treatment of my life.) Eliana Restrepo, the aesthetician tending to my skin, immediately zeroed in on a small whitehead on the bridge of my nose. "You tried to get this," she said matter-of-factly.

"No, I mean, I just barely squeezed..." I trailed off. I had thought the evidence of my aggressive late-night surgery on the thing with an extraction tool had disappeared, but Restrepo said that since I had ripped the skin, but hadn't succeeded in getting all the sebum out, she'd now have to make it worse to make it better. Oops.

In the grand scheme of understanding extractions, Restrepo explained that the first thing to know is that our pores are actually hair follicles. While we don't think of the ones on our face as being the same as the ones on our scalp or legs, since the hair is soft and often imperceptible, they actually are. "Hair grows in all different directions, but when you squeeze a clogged pore yourself in front of the mirror, you only squeeze horizontally. When a professional does it, they can tell what angle to go at it from," she said. Makes total sense.

In my defence, I've had plenty of derms and facialists tell me it's never a good idea to do my own extractions — I get it, I do — but I'm being realistic here: If something pops up, I'm going to pick it. Blackhead extraction tools, I figured, are a better alternative to my fingers, right? "Maybe," says Restrepo, "but no one uses them correctly."

So, what are we doing wrong? "People have a tendency to be too aggressive in trying to remove debris and end up causing a lot of inflammation, which makes acne look worse," says dermatologist Elizabeth Tanzi, MD, and founder and director of Capital Laser & Skin Care. "The key is to not put too much pressure on the skin by dragging the tool across the surface of the skin, which can cause tearing of the skin."

Instead, gently press down around the clogged pore using the smallest loop. If the blackhead or whitehead doesn't budge, Dr. Tanzi recommends leaving it alone and using a product with retinol to help loosen it.

Now, back to the smallest loop detail. That's the only end you should be using if you insist on using the tool, says Restrepo. "The larger one is for bigger areas, like the back." (Which you shouldn't attempt, because you don't know which direction, and how far back, the blockage is starting from.) As for that sharp lance, meant to pierce whiteheads, we can't emphasise it enough: Stay away! You should never do anything that will break the skin.

Facialist Joanna Vargas, founder of Joanna Vargas Salon and Skincare, isn't a big fan of the tool, either. Instead, she recommends showering to soften blackheads and whiteheads, and then applying gentle pressure around the pore using two cotton swabs. Vargas' other tip: "Baking soda is awesome for getting rid of blackheads when mixed with water. You can put the mixture on the nose after the shower and all the blackheads come right out!"

The moral of the story is: By all means, get a blackhead extractor, but be damn confident in your impulse control and pressure gauge beforehand — and never use the lance!

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

Coconut Oil: Is It A Beauty Miracle?

Cult Beauty Brand Kate Somerville Has Arrived In The UK

Apple Cider Vinegar, Honey & Turmeric: Why Beauty Is Going Natural & Homemade

"People think that I’m saving myself," Lesli tells me. There's both amusement and exasperation in her voice. "Typically, it’s tied to Jesus, which, you know, him and I are friends, I don’t really have a problem with him...[but] that's not what I'm doing."

Lesli is a 25-year-old Texas native, incoming law school student, abortion rights activist, and Beyoncé fan. She has also never been sexually active, and this fact about her has a tendency to overshadow the others. "I don’t have a problem telling people that I’m a virgin," she says. "I feel like other people have a problem with it, therefore I don’t talk about it that much, because I've had a lot of people be like, ' You? But you’re in law school and and you wear makeup.'"

"I can possess a hymen and still know how to do a cat eye!" she adds.

I first connected with Lesli after I wrote a column on how losing my virginity taught me that sex doesn't have to be unwanted to be not the sex you want. In other words, my first time wasn't great. My 19-year-old response was to dye my light hair jet-black in a friend's bathroom sink a few days later (change your hair, change your life?), but this adjustment didn't erase my impression that I had squandered some precious, irretrievable commodity on an undeserving recipient; that process took time and perspective and the thoroughly good sex I fortunately went on to have. Part of moving on was telling myself that first times are very often endured instead of enjoyed, and that they open the door to more fulfilling sexual experiences. That's exactly what Lesli reached out to tell me she doesn't want. She is a virgin — what she calls a "secular virgin" — for a very simple reason: not because she has taken a vow of abstinence or has never been presented with a sexual opportunity, but because she has never been presented with a sexual opportunity that appealed to her. And she sees no reason to act on one that doesn't.

In our generation, she is far from alone in abstaining. A study published last week in the journal Archives of Sexual Behaviour rocked the internet with its finding that millennials born in the 1990s are twice as likely as the preceding generation to have had zero sexual partners in young adulthood, or since turning 18. The drop in sexual activity is particularly pronounced among women, with the percentage of women who have been sexually inactive in young adulthood tripling between Gen X women and 1990s-born millennial and "iGen" women. Experts have pointed to a handful of potential reasons: We spend more time behind screens and less time interacting IRL; we are more focused on academic and professional achievements than sexual conquests; we are wary of STIs and rape. Another possible explanation: Young people are pickier than our predecessors about the sexual activity in which we engage. We're waiting for people or situations we really like.

Sometimes, we're looking in the wrong place, as Katie Heaney, author of the book Never Have I Ever: My Life So Far Without A Date, now knows she once was. Just after the book, Heaney's account of her lifelong single status, was published in 2014, Heaney shared her feelings about being a 27-year-old virgin on the podcast "Death, Sex & Money": "I really don't like it," she said. "And I also hate that I don’t like it. Because that feels like conceding that it bothers me and that I am susceptible to the opinions of others." Last month, Katie returned to the podcast to update listeners on her love life, which has taken a positive turn: Katie realised that she is gay, and she is now dating a woman. She has never had intercourse — "my girlfriend's like, 'Well technically that makes you a gold star,' which is a lesbian who has never had sex with men," she said — but she understandably no longer identifies as a virgin. "Now, I feel like I can be like, 'Well, I was not pleased with the offerings,'" she said. "I was not into what I thought was available to me."

And here's the thing: Not only women who are attracted to women, but also women who are attracted to men, can lack enthusiasm about the offerings. On its face, virginity is obvious. You are a virgin if you've never "had sex." It's when you ask what constitutes sex that things get murky. Are you a virgin if you engage in everything but intercourse (or, perhaps, "half a virgin," as Mean Girls ' Regina George put it)? Or are you only one if, like Lesli, you have never engaged in any kind of sex — manual, oral, or vaginal? Are women who have sex with women and don't have intercourse "virgins"? The fact that this seems absurd suggests that virginity is defined, at least in part, by context. "Virgin" is that rare label we assign based on what someone doesn't do instead of what they do; we have no equivalent phrase for the opposite, for a sex-haver, because we don't assume that a single label could possibly describe all of the many people having many kinds of sex.

But there are many — perhaps just as many — ways of not having sex as having it, and the stereotypes we have developed about abstinence and those who engage in it are cripplingly narrow. When you think of a "virgin," who springs to mind? Is she hyper-religious, wearing a purity ring and a judgmental frown? Is he anxious and awkward, sacrificing social interaction for action figures à la Steve Carrell's Andy Stitzer in The 40-Year-Old Virgin?

And then there's the assumption that people who are abstinent must also be devoid of desire. "It’s almost like people tie virginity with asexuality," Lesli notes. "While asexuality is something that is real for a lot of people, it's not for me... I just haven’t found somebody." Nor has Lesli experienced same-sex attraction, she says, and yes, she has been in love, thank you for asking, but she didn't feel ready to express that love sexually. Sexually repressed? It's not that, either. "I masturbate," she says. "I really enjoy being at one with my nakedness — I’m very pro-naked. I like seeing my body... I know what kind of sex I want to have, and therefore I know I couldn’t have had that type of sex when I was 18, 21, 22. It just wasn’t possible."

"Virgin" is a label you shed by doing something that there are countless reasons you might not want or might not be able to do. Maybe you're queer and you haven't yet had the opportunity to express your sexual identity; maybe you're asexual and you're already expressing it. Maybe you have chosen to wait for marriage; maybe you are struggling with a mental health problem, or you are differently abled and can't physically have intercourse.

And maybe you just don't think it's too much to ask that your first time be enjoyable, and you haven't found a prospective partner who makes you feel confident it will be. I had my first kiss at junior prom — a little later than my friends, but at a pivotal American Teen Moment nonetheless, and during a slow song, exactly the way movies had instructed me to — because I didn't want to be The Girl Who Has Never Been Kissed. I had sex for the first time because I didn't want to be The Girl Who Has Never Had Sex. I followed the scripts, and I didn't much enjoy either experience. And I admire the choice to hold out for something more fulfilling: not marriage or love, necessarily, but pleasure, reciprocity, agency, and yes, maybe even romance. "I still want the person I have sex with to give me flowers," Lesli says. "It almost is kind of lame to be like, 'I want the fairy tale,' but it’s also kind of super empowering to be like, ‘I want the fairy tale, because I have masturbated on my own and I know what I like and I know what I would be excited to try.'"

"I feel like sometimes as women, or just people who don’t identify as straight, cis men, we’re kind of expected to get what you get and then keep moving forward until you get what you want," she adds, "and it’s like, 'Well, can’t I just get what I want the first time around?'"

In response to the idea that Lesli should "just get it over with," or that the first time is "never good," she's asking, But why? "People who are sexually active get this wide variety of narratives, all of these really awesome intersectional narratives and identities that weave into their lives and are very exciting to see expressed," Lesli points out, but "the sexual revolution also includes me. I may not include somebody else in my revolution, but I’m still active. I still engage with sexuality. I still engage with sexual expression." That kind of critical engagement with the sexual scripts we're handed deserves respect. The idea that someone's decision to abstain from sex implies any one set of character traits, meanwhile, is not only misguided, it is silencing. And ultimately, the more license we give others to set the terms of their sex lives — whatever they do or don't include — the more permission we give ourselves to do the same.

The Bed Post is a series that explores what holds us back from sex and love with whom we want, when we want, where we want, and how we want — because we all deserve sex and love lives that are not only free of evils, but full of what is good. Follow me on Twitter at @hlmacmillen or email me at hayley.macmillen@refinery29 — I’d love to hear from you.

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

13 Valentine's Day Sex Ideas Worth Planning For (Quickies Not Included)

What It's Really Like To Be A Gay Teenager In Oklahoma

The Internet Helped Me Fall In Love, But Not In The Way You Think

According to statistics from the charity Rape Crisis, approximately 85,000 women and 12,000 men are raped in England and Wales each year, which works out at roughly 11 rapes (per adult) every hour. Moreover, approximately half a million adults are survivors of sexual assault. In 2012-13, 22,654 cases of rape and sexual assault committed against minors were reported, although the NSPCC believe the unreported numbers of sex crimes to be much higher.

Shockingly, only around 15% of sexual assaults are ever reported to the police – with that figure falling to an even lower percentage the younger the victim. Approximately 90% of survivors of sexual assault know their attacker – meaning, rather depressingly – friends, family members, work colleagues and acquaintances are more of a danger to us than the proverbial stranger in a dark alleyway.

Sadly, familiarity with one’s attacker is often the biggest culprit behind the low incidence of reporting sex crimes. Officially telling someone can be a harrowing and difficult prospect – sometimes more so when the perpetrator is known to them.

Joanna*, 23, was raped by her older brother’s best friend of twenty-five years when he walked her home from a boozy barbecue last summer. The attack happened in her flat when he invited himself in for a nightcap.

She recalls: “I’d known S* literally my whole life. He was like an older brother to me. We’d been on family holidays and grown up together. He spent so much time at our family home, he had his own set of keys. The night he raped me, things were no different to how they’d ever been. One minute we were laughing and joking about the football, the next he was on top of me. I tried desperately to talk him out of it, even joking with him at first, but it did no good.”

After hiding the assault for 24 hours (a critical window for obtaining physical evidence), Judy confessed it to her mum. Added to the trauma of reporting the rape, Joanna also felt enormous guilt at her brother’s anguish – he blamed himself.

She admits, “I might have thought twice about reporting it if I hadn’t been sure my family would have believed and supported me. But still, it’s made a massive crack in my family, and though I know I’m the victim, I feel terrible about it.”

When you talk to those who have experienced sex crimes, fear and guilt seem to be very common reactions, which is rather telling about how society often views these types of crime – rarely do victims who have been, say, mugged express guilt or worry they were responsible. Moreover, if we had our mobile phone or wallet stolen, very few of us would be hesitant to report it to the police. Another common fear victims of sex crimes have, is the fear they either won’t be believed and/or will either be dismissed by or treated badly by the police.

There are still many myths and misconceptions about what happens in police custody and beyond when you report a sex crime, so I went to speak to DI Neil J. Smithson who works in the Sapphire Unit at the Met Police in London. The Sapphire Unit deals with allegations of rape and serious sexual offences (i.e. assault by penetration.) The Sapphire Unit is specifically affiliated to sex crimes committed in London, although every city will have their own equivalent unit.

The initial reporting of sex crimes most commonly happens in one of two ways: the victim will go directly into a police station to report it, or it will be referred to the police via a second party like The Havens or Rape Crisis. In the first instance the victim will speak to a uniformed officer, who will just want to establish the who/what/when/how of the crime.

From there, Sapphire (or the equivalent) will be contacted and the victim will be assigned a SOIT (Sexual Offences Investigative Techniques) Officer who will both support the victim and give them advice. If the crime has occurred in the last seven days, the victim will be offered a forensic examination at a Haven – specialist centres for victims of sex crimes. Smithson is keen to emphasise these centres are “not cold and clinical” and “very sympathetic to the needs of the victim.” There are specialists who specifically deal with LGBT victims, sex workers, men, mothers etc. – so Haven certainly does what it can to recognise the individual needs of each victim.

What happens next in the process is largely down to the victim – sometimes they decline to have the case taken further. The reasons behind this are varied and complex: reluctance to because the crime took place in a domestic setting at the hands of someone known to them, fear of the court process, low conviction rates, or feeling like reporting it was cathartic enough.

However, if the victim does want to take the case further, the DI (Detective Inspector) attached to the case has to make the decision whether to submit the case to the courts. DI Smithson approximates only 20% of sex crime cases ever make it to court, which does seem very low, but the conviction process is a complex business. The most common reason for a sex crime not making it to court is down to the person who has been raped’s decision not to take it forward, but there is also sometimes a "realistic prospect of prosecution" test applied. In the cases where the DI feels there is little chance of prosecution, they might decline to submit the case to court.

Giving evidence in court is undoubtedly stressful for the victim. They are expected to give detailed evidence of the crime and questions deemed to be relevant will get asked. It is common for the person who has been raped to be cross-examined on how much alcohol or drugs were consumed (if relevant), their relationship with the perpetrator (if relevant) and so on. However, Smithson is keen to emphasise how much the rules have been tightened up in recent years regarding cross examination. Character assassinations of the alleged victim are not allowed, and questions not pertinent to the case are prohibited – for example, irrelevant questions about sexual history.

How both the police and courts deal with sex crimes is never going to be either simple or perfect. The nature of sex crime usually means it is one person’s word against another, and unless there is a confession (which is rare), it then involves a complex gathering of evidence and statements. This can include everything from forensic evidence, witness statements, CCTV footage, which together will influence whether the case is submitted to the courts.

My morning with the police gave me the distinct impression the police are very ‘pro-victim’ and keen to significantly increase reporting and conviction rates in the UK.

Smithson explains current improvements being made to the court system, which make it less stressful for the rape survivor giving evidence, including applying (to the judge) for a screen for the survivor to give evidence behind, or giving evidence via video link. Indeed, there is currently a pilot scheme being tested in one London court where the survivor can give evidence and be cross-examined upfront and by video, which precludes them from attending the trial in person.

However, perhaps the biggest change that needs to be made to encourage people who have been through sex crimes to come forward is universal better education and information. Young (and older) people need to be educated around important issues like consent, what constitutes a sex crime, grooming and good online behaviour. As a society as a whole, we could perhaps do better in seeing "victims" of sex crimes as victims, and not finding ways to blame them. We need to understand that sex crimes are complex, and one does not need to include violence, a dark alley or a terrifying stranger for it to be taken seriously as a crime.

Over the last few years, things have certainly improved, and survivors of sex crimes are treated far more fairly and humanely – but the statistics speak an undeniable truth – we still have a long way to go in getting more convictions for sex crimes.

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

The 5 Things That Make Londoners Happier Than Having Sex

Why Hot People Vote Tory

A Plus-Size Model Just Reminded Us How Deceptive Retouching Can Be

WHEN: May 19th, 1997

WHERE: Angel Oresanz Synagogue, NYC

WHAT HAPPENED: Before the age of Manolos and Mr. Big, SJP was best known as the ex of Robert Downey Jr. and for small but hilarious performances in The First Wives Club and Mars Attacks! The older millennials out there may also remember her as that angel-voiced flirty witch we all wanted to be in Hocus Pocus. Broderick was the brat-pack star who had moved on to a big career on Broadway. The couple met when they worked at the same theatre company (natch) and hit it off immediately. Shunning the spotlight, their nuptials took place on a Monday night: a very low-key civil ceremony in one of New York’s oldest, deconsecrated synagogues. Broderick’s sister, an episcopalian priest, performed the vows.

THE DRESS: Once confessing to Marie Claire that she was "too embarrassed to get married in white", Parker shunned convention and opted for a black, ruffled Morgane Le Fay dress paired with teal velvet Robert Clergerie shoes. No Westwood or bird headpiece in sight!

THE GUESTS: Keeping all details meticulously under wraps, a select group of 100 guests turned up at the venue expecting a party and instead were surprised with a wedding. No reported celebrity guests but apparently in a nod to the couples’ Broadway credentials, show tunes were sung very loudly until 2am.

HAPPILY EVER AFTER? Abso-fuckin-lutely! Although they’ve remained famously tight-lipped about the inner goings on of their relationship, Broderick and Parker are still heralded as one of Hollywood’s strongest partnerships, having been married 19 years with three children and a fabulous array of homes in New York’s West Village, The Hamptons and Ireland. The secret to their success? Broderick once revealed in an interview: "We really are friends beyond everything else.”

A year ago on my birthday . And nothing has changed. Thanks husband for a perfect day. X, sj

A photo posted by SJP (@sarahjessicaparker) on Mar 25, 2016 at 5:31pm PDT

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

Money Diary: 26-Year-Old Nurse In Newcastle Upon Tyne On 25k

17 Beautiful Ideas For Your Daith Piercing

Bitmoji Does What Everyone Has Been Asking Of Emoji For Years

Bottom line, girls with naturally fine hair usually wish it was thicker and girls with naturally thick hair usually wish it was finer. Sigh. But if you’re on the flat-fighting side and have had a major falling out with your hair recently because it’s too sleek, too fine, too lifeless, too URGH, take a deep breath and step away from the mirror (and razor?) for a minute.

While we can’t change the natural texture of your hair, we can give you some useful tips on how to make it look thicker than it really is. Some might see this as cheating. We like to call it essential information for flat-haired girls on the edge. From how to style it up(wards) to the sneaky snip tricks to ask for at the salon, read on to discover how easy it is to give fine hair a boost and why your natural texture is actually pretty cool.

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

Why Hollywood's Buzziest Hairstylist Puts Curls First

The Trending Haircut Technique That Works On Any Length Or Texture

I Tried This Major Hair Transformation — & This Is What I Learned

At least four people have died and many have been injured after a series of co-ordinated bomb blasts in Thailand tourist hotspots.

Four bombs exploded in Hua Hin, a town south of Bangkok, in the last 24 hours, where two people have died, the BBC reported.

One person has been announced dead in Surat Thani, which was hit by two explosions, and another person has been announced dead in Trang after an explosion there. There have been blasts in the beach province of Phang Nga.

Several explosions have also been reported on the island of Phuket, a major tourist destination.

It's unclear who carried out the attacks but, according to the BBC, people are likely to point the finger at separatist insurgents. Police have ruled out international terrorism.

Thai prime minister Prayut Chan-o-cha called for security to be stepped up across popular tourist and urban areas, The Guardian reported.

Tourists have been advised to be cautious in the country. The British and Spanish governments advised travellers to avoid public places, reported The Guardian.

This is a breaking news story which will be updated with more details as they emerge.

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

The 5 Things That Make Londoners Happier Than Having Sex

Why Hot People Vote Tory

A Plus-Size Model Just Reminded Us How Deceptive Retouching Can Be

The Yorkshire Ripper, who murdered 13 women and attempted to kill seven more, has spent 32 years in Broadmoor psychiatric hospital after being diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia in 1984.

But Peter Sutcliffe, who now calls himself Peter Coonan, is to be transferred to a prison after being deemed no longer mentally ill, the BBC reported.

Sutcliffe targeted women in Greater Manchester and Yorkshire for five years in the late 1970s. Most of his victims were prostitutes, who he mutilated before beating them to death.

Sutcliffe, a former lorry driver, was caught after police found him in his car with a prostitute, a fake licence plate and weapons including a screwdriver and hammer.

He was given 20 life sentences for his crimes in 1981 and spent three years in a prison on the Isle of Wight before receiving his mental illness diagnosis and being transferred to high-security Broadmoor. He has been there ever since.

At the time of his trial, three psychiatrists who assessed him said his illness drove him to kill, along with a belief that he was on a “divine mission ".

However, a mental health tribunal has now said the 70-year-old is sane enough to return to prison.

Some have previously pointed out that there is no cure for schizophrenia, only treatment to manage the symptoms, and there is no guarantee Sutcliffe won't become unwell again. He will likely need to be closely monitored by mental health professionals during the transition between institutions.

Others weren't surprised by the tribunal ruling to move Sutcliffe back to prison.

Dr Stephen Shaw, a retired criminal psychiatrist who interviewed Sutcliffe after his arrest, told the BBC he saw him in Armley, a prison in Leeds, when he was on remand.

"He was no more a schizophrenic than I was. I thought this guy was not mentally ill," Shaw added.

The mental health tribunal's decision will need to be approved by the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) before the murderer can be moved.

"Peter Coonan will remain locked up and will never be released for his evil crimes," said a spokesman from the MOJ.

"Decisions over whether prisoners are to be sent back to prison from secure hospitals are based on clinical assessments made by independent medical staff.

"The High Court ordered in 2010 that Peter Coonan should never be released. This was upheld by the Court of Appeal.

"Our thoughts are with Coonan's victims and their families," the spokesman added.

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

The 5 Things That Make Londoners Happier Than Having Sex

Why Hot People Vote Tory

A Plus-Size Model Just Reminded Us How Deceptive Retouching Can Be

Camila Coutinho was Brazil’s first fashion blogger, starting Garotas Estupidas in 2006 – the same year Twitter launched. On the vanguard of style and culture, Camila’s blog now receives 8.7 million views per year, and she’s become an international authority on chic living.

Currently in Rio acting as Coca-Cola’s digital ambassador for the 2016 Games, Camila is also a general ambassador for the likes of MAC, Net-a-Porter and Diane Von Furstenberg. Suffice to say, she’s a well-connected woman. And, expectedly, a wonderful hostess, as we found out following her personalised Refinery29 guide to eating, drinking and unwinding in the hottest city in the world right now.

@camilacoutinho

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

Money Diary: 26-Year-Old Nurse In Newcastle Upon Tyne On 25k

17 Beautiful Ideas For Your Daith Piercing

Bitmoji Does What Everyone Has Been Asking Of Emoji For Years

We know you've been there. Watching a husband or wife cheat on their significant other in a TV show, tsk tsk'ing them out loud, shaking your head in disbelief that they would dare break their vows and stoop so low.

And then, secretly: You cheer on the cheaters, hoping the affair lasts as long as possible because more cheating means more irresistibly hot sex scenes.

We get it. Morally and IRL, there isn't much worse than adultery (and of course, we don't condone it). But... we must admit, it sure does make for good entertainment. So each week, we'll be rounding up some of the steamiest, hot-and-heavy small screen affairs. Go ahead, you know you want to. Click through the slideshow. We won't tell.

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

See The Kardashians & Jenners As Disney Princesses (You Know You Want To)

Cole Sprouse's New Film Has A Couple That Could Rival Bughead

The Forbidden Loves Of Cinema We’ll Always Be Rooting For

“In this day and age the feminist zealots really do want women to have their cake and eat it.

“They fight for their version of equality on all the things that suit women – but are very quick to point out that women need special protections and treatment on other things.”

No, this isn't a spotty men's rights activist talking to his 20 Youtube subscribers from his childhood bedroom.

These are the remarks of Philip Davies, the Conservative MP for Shipley, who recently spoke at a men's rights conference hosted by an anti-feminism political party, The Guardian revealed.

The MP, who represents nearly 70,000 people in parliament, also said the legal system in Britain discriminates against men and is biased towards women. Even in the face of stark evidence to the contrary.

Worryingly, Davies sits on the Justice Select Committee, which scrutinises the policies of the Ministry of Justice and how it is run.

“I don’t believe there’s an issue between men and women. The problem is being stirred up by those who can be described as militant feminists and the politically correct males who pander to this nonsense," he said.

“It seems to me that this has led to an ‘equality but only when it suits’ agenda that applies to women. The drive for women to have so-called equality on all the things that suit the politically correct agenda but not other things that don’t is of increasing concern to me."

Davies's parliamentary voting record shows he has consistently voted against policies promoting equality. He voted against workplace equality targets and in 2002 presented a private member’s bill that would have repealed the Sex Discrimination Act 2002, reported The Guardian.

People are aghast at his laughably outdated views and the fact he had the temerity to air them publicly as an MP for a mainstream party.

I am proud to call myself a feminist. Philip Davies' remarks are truly ignorant. https://t.co/CDL7BS1YCX

— Tim Farron (@timfarron) August 12, 2016

Cake I baked for Tory MP Philip Davies, as he's obviously so jealous of women having theirs and eating it too: pic.twitter.com/KL3APdSRqB

— Nick Norton (@OnlyForKoolKids) August 12, 2016

Whereas the men's movement want to be able to rape women and then blame them for it. https://t.co/ilgMsJKYH6

— Dan Rebellato (@DanRebellato) August 12, 2016

Many women made light of his depressing comments by tweeting photos of themselves with cake.

Oh hey @PhilipDaviesMP here are some feminists having their cake & eating it #philipdavies #feministseatcake pic.twitter.com/7GjzrwvSKP

— Alice Stride (@AliceJRStride) August 12, 2016

Having my cake and eating it Philip Davies !! #whinyfeministofthemonth @PhilipDaviesMP @guardian pic.twitter.com/xzm8ZZYsa6

— Grace Wyld (@GraceWyld) August 12, 2016

No apologies to @PhilipDaviesMP for having cake and eating it! #feministzealot #letthemeatcake pic.twitter.com/EpvMNGBvg9

— Hanna Thomas (@hannathomas) August 12, 2016

Treating myself to some cake today inspired by @PhilipDaviesMP #feministzealot #letthemeatcake @MissEllieMae pic.twitter.com/tYZZCSg8HR

— Carys Afoko (@carysafoko) August 12, 2016

The conference at which Davies spoke, known as the "International Conference on Men’s Issues ", was organised by the Justice for Men and Boys party (J4MB).

The party was founded in 2013 by retired business consultant Mike Buchanan to oppose feminism.

"Only a small minority of women are feminists," according to the party's Wordpress blog. "They seek gender supremacy, regardless of the impact on men, women, boys, girls, families, public institutions, and wider society. They are driven by misandry (the hatred of men)."

OK then.

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

Twitter Won't Stop Sharing Memes About "Very Stable Genius" Donald Trump

New Research Says Trump Is The Least Popular Recent President — By Much More Than We Thought

Melania Trump Wants To Get Away From It All & We're Here To Help

I remember exactly where I was on my 19th birthday: teaching summer school to rising first-graders, in a room with no AC, just box fans. Which is to say, pretty much the opposite of how Kylie Jenner commemorated her big day. Or should I say big month?

I, along with the rest of Kylie's millions of followers, got a front-row seat to the celebrations, thanks to Snapchat and Instagram. And let me just say, it was a far cry from my day spent corralling 6-year-olds. In true Jenner-Kardashian fashion, Kylie spared no expense. The birthday girl has been in full-on party mode for the past few weeks, with everything from new puppies to new cars to mark the occasion.

So how much does a 19th birthday cost when you're a Jenner? Click through to see what we've tallied up for just some of Kylie's amazing birthday presents. Just one question: What the heck is she going to do to celebrate turning 21?

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

Money Diary: 26-Year-Old Nurse In Newcastle Upon Tyne On 25k

A Week In Washington, D.C., On A £40,058 Salary

Keep The Receipts: A 29-Year-Old Woman Dating Post-Divorce