Snail slime: Thai farmers, locals milking snails in the name of beauty

Snails used to be the bane of Thai farmers’ livelihoods, but now they’re milking them for all they’re worth.

The anti-aging and moisturizing properties of snail slime, known as mucin, have become a hot commodity in the global beauty world, so much so that the cosmetic secret is now worth an estimated $411 million, The Guardian reports.

At least 80 snail farms in the Nakhon Nayok province have sprung up over the past three years in response to the growing trend. And the discovery is not just benefiting the agriculturally inclined.

Phatinsiri Thangkeaw, a local teacher, purchases snails from rice farmers whose crops are at the mercy of the snails who ruin them.

“Farmers used to throw them on the road or in the rivers,” she explained to the publication. “But now they sell them to me to earn extra money.”

Thankeaw pays local farmers $1.30 for a kilogram of snails and has amassed more than 1,000 of the mollusks. She sells their secretions after milking them, a relatively humane (albeit seemingly tedious) process.

Only milked every three weeks to maintain the highest quality, slime harvesters drip water over the snails, which are fed a rich diet of vegetables and grains, encouraging them to secrete the liquid.

The raw mucin is then sold to Aden International, a Thai cosmetics company founded by Kitpong Puttarathuvanum, who then distributes it internationally as a serum or dried powder.

But this golden ticket to ageless, dewy skin actually isn’t new to the beauty world.

The use of snail secretions first emerged in the 1980s when Chilean breeders noticed how soft their hands were after handling their prized possessions. This discovery lead to the production of the first snail cream, followed by its wide usage in Korean and American skincare products.

Snail slime’s hypoallergenic nature, researchers said, makes it more appealing than most products containing laboratory-made chemicals.

“It prevents dryness and makes the skin look dewy, with fewer allergenic ingredients than our current anti-aging armamentarium,” Victoria Fu and Gloria Lu, the chemist duo behind Chemist Confessions, told New York Magazine’s The Strategist last year. “I actually recommend it over actives such as glycolic acid or retinoids.”

Elements in the slime — like glycoproteins, hyaluronic acid and glycolic acid — make for a natural product that slows signs of aging, heals acne and reduces scar tissue.

—

[email protected]

Source: Read Full Article

Nicole Kidman Had the Best Response to Keith Urban's Song About Their Sex Life

This A-list couple is keeping their marriage exciting. Nicole Kidman talked about Keith Urban’s sexy song “Gemini”, which happens to reveal a few intimate details about the couple’s sex life. The song was released last year and is featured on Urban’s album Graffiti U.

Kidman and Urban met at G’Day LA, an annual event meant to honor prominent Australians, in January 2005. On June 25, 2006, the couple married in an intimate ceremony at the St. Patrick’s Estate in Sydney. Since then, they’ve had two daughters, Sunday Rose, 11, and Faith Margaret, 8, via gestational surrogacy. Having been married well over a decade, the couple has always been candid about their relationship. But even this exchange was enough to make the Oscar winner blush.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BzJJmMeJpA4/

In an interview with “Breakfast With the Stars With Kyle and Jackie O”, the Big Little Lies actress was very honest about allowing her husband free reign over his artistic work. “I don’t censor his art,” Kidman shared with the co-hosts. “If I can be a muse for it.” The response came after the hosts asked Kidman about a line in “Gemini”, which describes her as a “maniac in the bed, but a braniac in her head.”

“It is embarrassing,” The Hours actress shared. “But at the same time, yes it’s better than saying, ‘God, I’m so bored… Make an effort, Nicole.’” Kidman was, however, a bit caught off guard when host Kyle brought up another line from the song, “She’s waking to make love in the middle of the night.” “Shut up. You’re making that up,” Kidman retorted when the lyric was brought up. “I’m not answering that. That’s outrageous.”

In an interview with Rolling Stone, Urban credited his co-writer and fellow musician Julia Michaels for the lyric in question. “My first reaction was, ‘Oh, I don’t know if I’d say that.’ And she goes, ‘You pretty much just did,’” he recalled, referencing the making of “Gemini.” “Again, it’s really one of the things I love about the way she writes. It’s unfiltered. It’s pure. It’s truth. It was such a playful song, that in the context of that kind of song, which is super sexy to begin with, it just went together for me.”

After 13 years of marriage, we still love seeing Kidman and Urban dote on each other and keep their marriage fun and flirty.

Source: Read Full Article

Nicole Kidman Is a Little Embarrassed About These Keith Urban Lyrics

In addition to its all-star female cast of great actresses, Big Little Lies boasts some of the worst husbands on television. But in real life, at least, Nicole Kidman is being well taken care of by her musician husband Keith Urban. To the point that he writes an embarrassing song about how great their sex is.

On his song "Gemini," Urban sings, "she's a maniac in the bed, but a brainiac in the head," which he confirmed months ago is about his wife. Today, the hosts of KIIS FM's "Kyle And Jackie O show" in Kidman's native Australia were bold enough to ask the Oscar winner for her reaction to the lyric. "I don't sensor his art, but it is a little embarrassing," said Kidman, according to Entertainment Tonight. She also gave herself a little credit, adding, "It's better than saying 'God, I'm so bored. Make an effort, Nicole!'"

Co-host Kyle Sandilands brought up another line from the track, "She's waking to make love in the middle of the night," and while we couldn't see the actress' face through the radio, we have to imagine it made her blush. "No, what?! You're making that up, Kyle. Shut up. I'm not answering that, that's outrageous," Kidman responded. For the record, that is the lyric, Nicole. As is "Strong on her strong opinions, I'm weak for it," which is pretty great, as far as lyrics about your spouse go.

Speaking of cute and supportive, in honor of last night's Big Little Lies finale, Urban rocked a themed sweatshirt on Kidman's Instagram. He modeled the black pullover emblazoned with the names of the "Monterey Five," with Madeline's "n" moved below so that the phrase ends on "lie." Clever, clever. Kidman captioned the post with simply a heart emoji, and we can imagine that applies to the man pictures and the women referenced. Her co-star Laura Dern commented, "How did we get so lucky that this human would be the Monterey Five’s fiercest champion?! FYI, Renata is an obsessive Keith Urban fan." Sorry, Renata! Keith is most certainly spoken for.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B0Mvh44JbRn/

View on Instagram

Kidman and Urban married in 2006 and have two daughters together. And according to our sources, they still find time to wake to make love in the middle of the night.

Related: Nicole Kidman Reveals the Romantic Gesture That Convinced Her to Marry Keith Urban















Naomi Campbell, born May 22nd, photographed by Steven Klein for W Magazine.

Source: Read Full Article

Oliver Stone Said Russia's "Anti-Gay Propaganda" Law Seems "Sensible"

In a lengthy sit-down interview with Russian president Vladimir Putin, award-winning director Oliver Stone said that a widely-criticized Russian law designed to keep pro-LGBTQ material away from minors seems “sensible.”

The law, put into place in 2013, in theory only bans “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relationships to minors.” In practice, however, it has been used to justify a broader crackdown on LGBTQ support, including blocking protests, arresting activists, and fining users for posting LGBTQ-friendly material on Facebook.

“I don’t know what is going on with the American culture. It’s very strange right now,” Stone said during the interview, conducted in June but only released in the form of a transcript on the Kremlin’s website on Friday.

After citing his past as a “rebel,” the Hollywood mainstay lamented that “[s]o much of the argument, so much of the thinking, so much of the newspaper, television commentaries about gender, people identify themselves, and social media, this and that, I’m male, I’m female, I’m transgender, I’m cisgender.”

“It goes on forever, and there is a big fight about who is who,” Stone continued. “It seems like we miss the bigger point.”

Stone reminded Putin that when they’d spoken previously, the longtime leader said that Russia doesn’t propagate homosexuality. “Not exactly,” Putin replied. “We have a law banning propaganda among minors.”

“Yes, that’s the one,” Stone agreed. “It seems like maybe that’s a sensible law.”

“It is aimed at allowing people to reach maturity and then decide who they are and how they want to live,” Putin said. “There are no restrictions at all after this.”

But in 2017, Europe’s top human rights court ruled that the Russian law actually violates several international agreements written to protect free speech and prohibit discrimination.

“Above all, by adopting such laws the Court found that the authorities had reinforced stigma and prejudice and encouraged homophobia, which was incompatible with the values – of equality, pluralism and tolerance – of a democratic society,” the European Court of Human Rights wrote in its decision.

It is not clear as of yet why Stone was in Moscow to chat with Putin. Showtime, which aired Stone’s four-part series “The Putin Interviews” in 2017, did not immediately respond to a BuzzFeed News email asking whether the footage is for a follow-up series.

During the wide-ranging interview, Putin said that he believes that Russia and Ukraine is actually one nation — a throwback to his support for an expanded Novorossiya after annexing Crimea in 2014 — and all but agreed to serve as a godfather to Stone’s daughter.

Stone also attempted to get Putin to talk about the 2016 election and whether the real collusion was between the Democrats and Ukraine. But the president mostly demurred, saying once again that despite the Mueller report’s documentation of the Moscow-backed interference campaign, there was no way Russia could have influenced the US election.

“No matter what our bloggers – or whoever’s job it is to comment on the internet – might say about the situation in the US, this could not have played a decisive role. It is sheer nonsense,” Putin said. “But our sympathies were with him because he said he wanted to restore normal relations with Russia. What is bad about that? Of course, we can only welcome this position.”

This isn’t first time Stone has interviewed the Russian president. Two years ago, when talking about Russia’s battle against ISIS in Syria, Putin showed Stone what he claimed was footage of the Russian military bombarding militants’ positions. That video, it turns out, was footage of a US bombing run in Afghanistan, dubbed over with Russian voices.

More on Russia's anti-LGBTQ law

  • Russia’s "Gay Propaganda" Ban Violates International Law, Top Human Rights Court RulesJ. Lester Feder · June 20, 2017
  • People Love These Activists Who Secretly Took Rainbow Photos In RussiaRachael Krishna · July 9, 2018
  • This Is What Happened When A Young Russian Came Out As Gay On YouTubePatrick Strudwick · April 14, 2017
  • This Russian Woman Is Being Fined 50,000 Rubles For Sharing Posts On FacebookHayes Brown · Sept. 15, 2017
  1. Russia

  • Hayes Brown is a world news editor and reporter for BuzzFeed News and is based in New York.

    Contact Hayes Brown at [email protected]

    Got a confidential tip? Submit it here.

Source: Read Full Article

The most expensive rental in the Hamptons costs $1 million per month — and it includes a private spa and a baseball field. Take a look inside.

  • The most expensive home for rent in the Hamptons is located in Bridgehampton, New York and costs $1 million to rent for a month, according to real-estate listing platform Out East.
  • In 2012, Beyonce and Jay-Z stayed in the home,Out East confirmed to Business Insider.
  • The property boastsoutrageous amenities including a two-lane bowling alley and a baseball field.
  • Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.

The most expensive rental in the Hamptons this summer will set you back a cool $1 million a month, according to real-estate listing platformOut East.

The Hamptons, a series of beach towns dotting easternLong Island, New York, is known to be a popularvacation spot for America’s wealthiest.

Read more: Inside the most expensive property for sale in the Hamptons, which is listed for $150 million and costs 75 times more than the swanky area’s median home

Located in Bridgehampton, New York, 612 Halsey Lane is also known as “The Sandcastle.” The home is popular among A-listers, including Beyonce and Jay-Z, who stayed there in 2012, according toOut East.

The11.5-acre property spans 21,000 square feet and boastsoutrageous amenities including a two-lane bowling alley and a baseball field.

If you’re not looking to spend a million dollars this summer, the home can be rented for $550,000 for two weeks.

Keep reading for a look inside.

Bridgehampton, New York is a popular vacation spot for celebrities including Beyonce, Jay-Z, and Bethenny Frankel.

Source:Out East

612 Halsey Lane is the most expensive rental available in the Hamptons, according to Out East.

Source:Out East

The 11.5-acre property costs $1 million to rent from August through Labor Day.

Source:Out East

The main residence spans 17,000 square feet …

Source:Out East

… and includes a library, a 10-seat theater, and 2,000 square feet of covered porches. According to the listing, the kitchen is replete with a walk-in refrigerator and a wine room.

Source:Out East

The main residence includes 11 bedrooms …

Source:Out East

… 10 full bathrooms, and five half bathrooms.

Source:Out East

Amenities throughout the property include a two-lane bowling alley …

Source:Out East

… a basketball court …

Source:Out East

… a private spa …

Source:Out East

… and a 10-seat theater.

Source:Out East

Outdoors, there’s a tennis court …

Source:Out East

… a baseball field …

Source:Out East

… and a pool.

Source:Out East

The property also includes a separate apartment with two bedrooms, and a pool house.

Source:Out East

SEE ALSO:A massive California ranch that may be the biggest piece of land for sale in the state is on the market for $72 million — here's a look inside

Source: Read Full Article

People Are Furious at Kylie Jenner for Parking in a Disability Access Spot

After a luxe vacation with her best friends, Kylie Jenner has been reunited with boyfriend Travis Scott — but their sweet reunion photo is causing a stir among fans.

On Sunday, the youngest KarJenner posted a photo of herself cuddling with Scott next to a car in a parking lot, and some commenters pointed out that it looked like their car was parked in a spot reserved for persons with a disability. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/B0MY1WAnUEI/

The post sparked comments like, "Are they parked in disabled parking?" "And u park at the handicap parking.. no wonder," and "last time I checked neither them were handicapped." 

Her sister Kendall Jenner also was the subject of controversy for supposedly parking in a disability access spot last year, though at the time, her spokesperson said that the valet driver was the one who had parked the car, telling Daily Mail, "The valet parked Kendall’s car in the handicap spot. Kendall ran and jumped in the car when she saw the paparazzi instead of waiting for valet to bring her car to her."

Hopefully Kylie and Travis realized their error not long after the photo was taken, and moved their car accordingly. 

Source: Read Full Article

Sara Bareilles & ‘Waitress’ Cast Support ‘#DateMe’ Opening Night!

Sara Bareilles flashes a smile while posing for a photograph at the opening night for #DateMe: An OKCupid Experiment held at the Westside Theatre on Sunday evening (July 21) in New York City.

The Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter was joined at the event by cast members of Waitress – Gavin Creel and boyfriend Henry Gottfried, and Lorin Latarro – as well as Prom star Isabelle McCalla.

PHOTOS: Check out the latest pics of Sara Bareilles

Sara Bareilles is behind the Waitress music and lyrics, and also starred in the leading role.

#DateMe: An OkCupid Experiment is the perfect show for people looking for love, already in love, or who want to laugh… with love.

As a scientific experiment about the online search for love, 38 “undateable” profiles were placed on the world’s most popular online dating site to see if anyone would engage with them. The online conversations and interactions that followed were tracked, measured, and documented. The outcome of this experiment is the hilarious and shocking new show, #DateMe – Get your tickets here!

Source: Read Full Article

The Chobani billionaire who turned a $3,000 loan into a yogurt empire calls himself an 'anti-CEO' and thinks other CEOs should do the same

  • Chobani CEO Hamdi Ulukaya believes that businesses should prioritize keeping their customers happy over the desires of the board, he said in an AprilTED talk.
  • Ulukaya refers to himself as an “anti-CEO” because he rejects traditional business practices like aiming to maximize value forshareholders, he said in theTED talk.
  • Chobani’s success has made Ulukaya abillionaire. He has a net worth of $2 billion,Forbes estimates.
  • Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.

If you picked up a container of Chobani in 2007, there was a phone number on the back that you could call if you had a problem with the now best-selling Greek yogurt.

That number was CEO Hamdi Ulukaya’s direct line, Ulukaya said in aTED talk filmed in April and published on YouTube on June 20. Ulukaya said he believed that businesses existed to serve customers.

“Today’s playbook says the CEO reports to the board,” Ulukaya said. “In my opinion, the CEO reports to the consumer.”

Ulukaya refers to himself as an “anti-CEO” because he rejects traditional business practices like aiming to maximize value for shareholders, he said in theTED talk. According to Ulukaya, business leaders should also ask how they can help struggling communities instead of trying to get perks for their companies.

Ulukaya is not the only CEO to credit a business’ success to a focus on customers. Amazon’s founder and CEO,Jeff Bezos, said in June that prioritizing customers’ desires also helped businesses craft a stable corporate strategy,Business Insider’s Julie Bort reported.

“You can work on those things with the confidence to know that all the energy you put into them today is still going to be paying you dividends 10 years from now,” Bezos said.

Read more:A legendary venture capitalist who made early investments in Twitter and Skype explains why he turned down Netflix — and what he learned from it

Ulukaya, 46, founded Chobani after immigrating to New York from Turkey to study English in 1994, according toForbes. Ulukaya received a $3,000 loan from the Small Business Administration in 2007 and used it to buy an old yogurt plant in Norwich, New York. Chobani now sells over $1 billion of yogurt annually and is America’s most popular brand of Greek yogurt,Forbes reports.

“If you’re right with your people, if you’re right with your community, if you’re right with your product, you’ll be more profitable, more innovative, and you will have more passionate people working for you and a community that supports you,” Ulukaya said.

Source: Read Full Article

Tom Hanks Transforms Into Mister Rogers in the A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood Trailer

The trailer for A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood has arrived! And yes, it’ll likely make you cry buckets.

The first look at the biopic starring Tom Hanks as the iconic children’s show star gives us a peek into the real-life friendship that bloomed between Fred Rogers and journalist Tom Junod (The Americans star Matthew Rhys). The true story recounts how the jaded magazine writer sent to do a story on Rogers and his beloved TV series in Pittsburgh began to form a bond with Fred, hearing his lessons on overcoming cynicism in favor of kindness and empathy, ultimately transforming both of their lives.

Watch the incredibly sweet trailer for the film — which also stars Susan Kelechi Watson
and Chris Cooper, and was directed by Marielle Heller — above before it arrives in theaters this Thanksgiving.

Source: Read Full Article

The British Army: Prince George wish him a happy sixth birthday

British Army shares unseen photo of the Duke of Cambridge with his three children on a family day out to the polo as they wish Prince George a happy sixth birthday

  • The British Army shared a sweet photo of Prince George at the polo recently 
  • They posted the snap to wish the youngster a happy sixth birthday today  
  • George, 6, Charlotte, 4, and Louis, 1, posed alongside Prince William, 37
  • The Irish Guards’ Wolfhound mascot also present in the snap taken in Berkshire 

The British Army have shared a sweet photo of Prince George posing alongside the Irish Guards – including their Wolfhound mascot – to celebrate his sixth birthday today. 

The snap shows George, 6, Charlotte, 4, and Louis, 1, posing alongside Prince William, 37, at the polo in Wokingham, Berkshire, at the beginning of the month. 

Posting the picture to their official Twitter account, they wrote: ‘The Army In London, including the Irish Guards’ Wolfhound mascot Domhnall, is wishing HRH Prince George a very happy 6th birthday today. Our Soldiers are always on duty, ready to serve!’

The British Army have shared a sweet photo of Prince George posing alongside the Irish Guards – including their Wolfhound mascot – to celebrate his sixth birthday today

The snap shows George, 6, Charlotte, 4, and Louis, 1, posing alongside Prince William, 37, at the polo in Wokingham, Berkshire, at the beginning of the month

The pictures show another glimpse at a family day out on July 10, attended by Prince William and Prince Harry, and their families. 

The occasion was the first time Meghan and Archie were pictured with Kate and her children, since the Duchess of Sussex gave birth in May. 

The Duchesses were seen supporting William and Harry, who were playing on opposite teams for the King Power Royal Charity Polo Day at Billingbear Polo Club,  held in honour of late Leicester City owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha.

Today’s picture came as new photos released showed Prince George beaming in an England football shirt, to celebrate his sixth birthday today.

Kensington Palace shared three photographs to mark the occasion on Monday, all taken recently by his mother, Kate, Duchess of Cambridge.

In one snap, the future king laughs as he lies playfully in the garden of their home at Kensington Palace – clad in the white England football home shirt.

A second photograph again shows George in the shirt, grinning gleefully at the camera.

Prince George takes part in lots of outdoors activities (Duke and Duchess of Cambridge/PA)

The third picture shows the young prince, third in line to the throne, on a family holiday.

Wearing a green polo shirt and striped blue and white shorts, the prince is stood outdoors in front of a leafy backdrop.

Prince George Alexander Louis of Cambridge was born in the private Lindo Wing of St Mary’s Hospital, Paddington, at 4.24pm on July 22 2013, weighing 8lb 6oz.

He made his public debut in front of the world’s media on the hospital steps one day later, wrapped in a white merino wool shawl, cradled in his proud parents’ arms.

A great-grandchild to the Queen, he will be the 43rd monarch since William the Conqueror obtained the crown of England if, as expected, he follows the reigns of his grandfather, the Prince of Wales, and then his father, William.

Prince William’s eldest child has appeared on the Buckingham Palace balcony over the past year and explored Kate’s Chelsea Flower Show garden.

George has also been revealed as a fledgling tennis player – after having a lesson from one of the sport’s superstars.

Prince George on a family holiday (Duke and Duchess of Cambridge/PA)

Roger Federer – George’s favourite player – visited the prince at the home of Kate’s parents in Bucklebury, Berkshire, and said “cute” George had a “good” technique.

Kate, who is a passionate tennis fan, is patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (AELTC), the organisation which stages Wimbledon.

George and younger siblings Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis enjoy an outdoorsy life, with Kate promoting the health benefits of spending time in the fresh air.

The duchess told Blue Peter presenter Lindsey Russell while launching a competition for the children’s television show: “Rain or shine, they’re dragged outside.”

George helped provide inspiration for Kate’s Chelsea Flower Show Back To Nature garden in May, requesting stepping stones over a mini pool.

The three pictures of George were taken by his mother (The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge/PA)

The prince has completed Year 1 at Thomas’s Battersea school and this September will begin Year 2 – his final year in the Lower School, before he moves to the Middle School.

Charlotte will be joining her older brother at the private school, where the most important rule is to be kind.

Yearly fees for George are £19,287 while Charlotte is given a slight discount for being a second child at £18,915.

The new school year will bring a few changes for George, with Thomas’s asking Year 2 children to become more responsible, including recording their own homework in their diaries, so the “increasing independence allows for a smooth transition to the Prep School”.

Ten minutes’ reading homework will be set every night and a spelling rule sent home each week, and other 20-minute tasks issued on occasion.


The pictures show another glimpse at a family day out on July 10, attended by Prince William and Prince Harry, and their families. The occasion was the first time Meghan and Archie were pictured with Kate and her children, since the Duchess of Sussex gave birth in May

The Duchesses were seen supporting William and Harry, who were playing on opposite teams for the King Power Royal Charity Polo Day at Billingbear Polo Club, held in honour of late Leicester City owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha 

Source: Read Full Article