On Manifestation TikTok — whether your technique of choice is Lucky Girl Syndrome, Delusional Eras, or reality shifting — anything is possible as long as you (literally) set your mind to it. @michellem_sc reports trib.al/KcNjuNQ
This isn’t a pandemic trend; it’s a signal of a post-lockdown reality. And it’s perhaps one of our most popular subcultures. With roots in New Age thinking and The Secret revivalism, it involves every possible flavor of controlling your own reality trib.al/LUvt9Vz
And for good reason: the proverbial times have given people online ample reason to hate reality and go on far-off quests for another one. After the onset of the pandemic, Google search trends for astrology, witchcraft, and spirituality skyrocketed trib.al/LUvt9Vz
It’s been a romantic day with your boyfriend. After he fixed your TV, you walked around the city: the Guggenheim, the waterfront, the Met. You'd like to end the day with cuddles, but you can’t — because your boyfriend is an AI bot. @sangeetaskurtz reports trib.al/ueF3Cjp
When the AI companion app Replika launched, it was marketed primarily toward isolated, horny men — the stereotypical audience for an AI sexbot. But half the app’s users are women, who have flocked there for the promise of safe relationships they control trib.al/ueF3Cjp
Many of the women @sangeetaskurtz spoke with say they created an AI out of curiosity, but were quickly seduced by the chatbots’ constant love, kindness, and emotional support trib.al/ueF3Cjp
#HowNotToFckUpYourFace: For @thisisvalmonroe, it’s hard to look at TikTok trends and not feel … well, out of touch. Partly because many are no longer relevant or physically possible. Partly because … well, you’ll see: trib.al/C8ZxFmK
On moon masking: You might as well swipe yourself with decomposing rubbish, says facial plastic surgeon and ENT Michelle Yagoda, M.D. Bottom line: A menstrual-blood face mask risks infection without any benefit to skin quality. Rating: Unacceptable trib.al/Y0dJWSx
On armpit masks: Lining your pits with clay or some other kind of mask won’t reduce the need for antiperspirant or deodorant. And if you’ve noticed an odd odor, pick up the phone, not clay, and book a dermatologist. Rating: Needs Improvement trib.al/Y0dJWSx
#AskABeautyEditor: Recently, TikTok was awash with allegations that clean beauty brand Kosas’s concealer and other products grew mold or caused reactions. So: are “clean” beauty brands less stringent on stability? @jenn_edit investigates trib.al/AJuSCRC
The U.S. doesn’t set standards for the use of preservatives in makeup or require expiration dates on cosmetics. Instead, TikTok has become a de facto (and highly unreliable) database for reporting concerns trib.al/Oltxgmk
Although no laws regulate how cosmetics are preserved or their shelf life, the FDA does require that all cosmetics manufacturers ensure safety. According to cosmetic chemist Krupa Koestline, clean and traditional are subject to the same standards and tests trib.al/Oltxgmk
In Korea, a growing movement of women is saying no: No to heterosexual marriage; no to childbirth; no to dating; no to heterosexual sexual relationships. They are choosing to stop fighting the patriarchy and instead leave it behind. @annalouiesuss reports trib.al/LY5Tgyu
The movement is commonly called “4B,” shorthand for the four nos above, four Korean words that all start with bi-, or “no”: bihon, bichulsan,, biyeonae, bisekseu. It is both an ideological stance and a lifestyle trib.al/F3b5gAC
Many women in the movement extend their boycott to nearly all the men in their lives, including distancing themselves from male friends trib.al/F3b5gAC
Presenting our Fall Fashion issue cover star: Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex.
She’s left the Firm behind. Harry’s found a polo team in Santa Barbara. The kids are doing great. Now she's ready for her own next act. @AllisonPDavis reports: thecut.io/3wBQut0
“Do you want to know a secret?” Meghan asks The Cut. For our Fall Fashion issue, the Duchess opens up about her new freedom, her new podcast, and her charming new California life. thecut.io/3cvnb4C
Meghan is still very aware that people see her as a princess: “It’s important to be thoughtful about it… there are little girls that I meet and they’re just like, ‘Oh my God, it’s a real-life princess.’” thecut.io/3cvnb4C