Body hair might be a concern in the summer, as you strip down to a bikini or bask on the beach. But, as new research from Dove reveals 62% of us feel insecure about our underarms, here’s why these three women are choosing to grow out or whip off their armpit hair, defying the weight of societal expectation. Content creator and author, Megan Crabbe What are you doing with your armpit hair this summer? “I won’t be shaving my armpits this summer. I spent so many years shaving my underarm hair on auto-pilot – every shower from the age of 11 onwards came with a shave. I realised there was this part of my body that grows naturally. Letting my underarms grow is another small way of reclaiming my body in the face of misogynistic beauty standards,” says content creator and Dove ambassador Crabbe. What do you think society expects? “People expect women’s underarms to be smooth, hairless, and bright – that’s all we’ve seen for so long in advertising and media. I remember seeing so many magazine covers of slim white women with their arms up and barely an indent where their armpit should be, let alone any sign of hair or discolouration. “If I’m in feminist or queer company, I know there will be less judgement, because those spaces are more understanding of bodily autonomy and letting go of societal expectations. ” How do you see your summer body? “I embrace seeing my body from all angles, in all forms, in any season, but it’s taken me a long time to get here. These days, I can see an image of myself in a bikini with visible cellulite, a stomach that isn’t flat and underarm hair flourishing and think, ‘Hey, that’s cute!’ “This particular body represents all of the battles I’ve fought – against diet culture, against anorexia, against beauty standards – and won.” Content creator and makeup artist, Shahira Allen What are you doing with your armpit hair this summer? “This summer, I will be doing whatever the mood calls for with my armpits! Sometimes, I let the hair grow and other times, I like it smooth and clean-shaven. Either way, it will be my choice and I’ll make sure I feel confident and fabulous about my underarms this summer,” the creator explains. What do you think society expects? “A long time ago, society elevated women’s insecurities and made us believe no body hair on a woman is the way to be feminine. I think society expects me to spend money ‘maintaining my body’ in the most unrealistic way possible,” she says. How do you see your summer body? “I’m still learning to see my body in my 30s and it’s been a long journey. Some days, I love what I see and other days, I struggle with a roll, lump or bump. I deserve to soak up the sun and be happy, and I know there’s a young person out there who needs to see people like me being happy and thriving in our natural bodies.” Body-positive content creator and LGBTQ+ activist, Katie Budenberg What are you doing with your armpit hair this summer?“I will be doing whatever I fancy on a day-to-day basis. Sometimes, I enjoy the feeling of smooth armpits and sometimes I think I look cool with bushes under each pit. I have been tempted to dye my armpits with the lesbian flag for Pride Month,” Budenberg laughs. What do you think society expects? “Society would rather not see me at all, and if they have to lay eyes on me, then I must be hairless from the eyebrows down – like a newborn baby, even though I’m a 25-year-old woman. “Women are constantly made to feel like they have to be small, weak and hairless, and I refuse to satisfy this anymore; I will take up space, be unapologetically me, and hairy if I want to be,” she says. How do you see your summer body? “My summer body is ready to go. It’s Fed-Girl-Summer this year, where we satisfy our hunger cues, don’t worry about looking bloated and no longer feel the need to suck in our stomachs. I will never let cellulite, body hair or insecurities dictate whether I have a fun time or not again.”

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Demi Moore flaunts her toned body as she celebrates motherhood by posting pictures of her daughter, Rumer Willis, and her granddaughter, Lou

Harry Kane said that it “hurt” to watch his England teammates winning titles and going the distance in the Champions League, as he insists the Premier League goalscoring record was never a motivation. The new Bayern Munich signing said that the fact that it was “the one thing missing” from his career hung over him, and that was ultimately why he left Tottenham Hotspur. Kane said he is enjoying the pressure of having to win every Bundesliga match convincingly, compared to how two Spurs games without winning “wasn’t a disaster”. “As a competitor, when the boys are playing the Champions League and I am just sitting at home watching it, I would be lying if I said there wasn’t a part of me that hurt,” Kane said, as Kyle Walker’s incredible medal record was put to him. “Of course, I want them to do well - Kyle and all those guys to win when they are in competitions I am not in - but a part of me wants to have those experiences. With the other players in the team having done that, I am not sure jealous is the right word, but it does motivate me to go on and try to push myself towards some of those trophies the guys have got.” He also stressed the Premier League record never factored into his thinking. “I think there was a lot of talk about it and the fact I was getting closer to it but I have never been anybody who has chased individual honours ahead of team awards. “I have said before in interviews, ultimately it comes down to me to see how good I can be and I felt like I had to be playing Champions League football and competing for titles each year. Bayern Munich definitely gives me that. “The record of course would be amazing and it might be amazing if one day I do end up breaking it. But it is not why I play football and my move shows that.” Kane has already been struck by how exacting it is at Bayern, something he relishes. “It’s definitely a different pressure compared to what I felt at Spurs. Of course we wanted to win things at Spurs but if you went a couple of games without winning then it wasn’t a disaster. The feeling at Bayern is that you have to win every game. We won the first two games 4-0 and 3-1 and there was still talk about not being too happy about the way we played. That’s part and parcel of being at one of the biggest clubs in the world. But we’ve had a good start and I’m enjoying feeling those different emotions and that’s part of the reason that I wanted to go. And we start the Champions League campaign when we get back, which they expect to win – or have a good chance of winning. So you’re going into those games with maybe a different feeling to what I’ve had in the past.” Kane meanwhile said it had been pointed out to him how the 2024 Champions League final is at Wembley, that he could potentially win with his German club, and that the Euro 2024 final is in Berlin that he could win with England. “Yes! I have been told about the Champions League final in Wembley, for sure. I know the Euros are in Germany next summer so if there’s someone out there writing a movie, I will try and do my best to make it happen! It’s hard. There’s so much time to go I don’t want to think about it too much, but if it did happen it would be incredible.”

The rate of inflation in the U.K. fell sharply in July to a 17-month low largely on the back of lower energy prices

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Real Madrid confirmed the signing of Jude Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund on a six-year deal on Wednesday, with the English international costing over...

SEOUL, South Korea--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 9, 2023--

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Erik ten Hag says Manchester United need to start making life easier for themselves after his under-fire side secured a much-needed victory against promoted Luton before the international break. United could ill-afford another shock as Luton came to Old Trafford on Saturday afternoon (11 November), when a mixture of poor finishing and fine goalkeeping by Thomas Kaminski frustrated the hosts. Rasmus Hojlund, Alejandro Garncho and Marcus Rashford all had good chances, but in the end defender Victor Lindelof was the unlikely match winner in a 1-0 Premier League triumph.

The sunny holiday weekend (and its plethora of sales) is nearly here — but that doesn’t mean you have to wait for it to take advantage of its deals. Lucky for you, there are some early bird Memorial Day sales available to shop all over the internet. If you’re in the market for big deals on things like the best mattresses with sky-high reviews or the most coveted Dyson vacuums, then it’s time to make those big purchases for less — especially for anyone who, instead of sale sleuthing, needs to catch up on some WFH e-mails after a long weekend of chillin’ by the pool. On top of premium beds and cleaning gadgets, there are plenty of excellent fashion Memorial Day sales, marked-down sex toys, and more worthwhile steals on offer. We’ve taken stock of all of the best sales you should shop — and listed out all the live promos within our Quick Links section below for fast and easy access to the final [dis]countdown. Go forth and fill your virtual baskets with a bounty of summer staples on super sale — and feel content in knowing that you definitely scored that coveted Satvaa bestselling mattress for the lowest price possible. We’ll just be here, behind this screen, keeping tabs on the best early Memorial Day sales that are available to shop.