Alexandra Mosier was standing at the alter in her mermaid-cut lace wedding gown when she began to suspect she’d been swindled. The Appleton, Wisconsin, videographer she’d hired should have clipped a hidden lavalier behind the white rose boutonniere of her soon-to-be husband’s tux to capture audio from the ceremony, but as they stood across from

Dear E. Jean: What do you do about a guy who constantly uses the phrase “Why are we even together?” as a means to end a discussion? He said “I love you” after a month of dating but still dangles our budding relationship over the trash whenever he becomes frustrated. Is there a way to

Dear E. Jean: How do I stop procrastinating? Please give me real concrete methods. —I Even Put Off Writing This Question! Dear Miss I Put Off: And I put off answering it. Because the truth is, everybody procrastinates, so here’s Auntie Eeee’s guide for Fooling Yourself Into Getting Things Done: 1. Experts tell you to

Making friends as an adult can be hard. From childhood through our early 20s, the opportunities to meet like-minded people are plentiful: Recess! After-school clubs! College! But once you get into the rhythm of a 9 to 5 job, it can be difficult to go outside your immediate circle and have meaningful conversations with anyone

Dear E. Jean: I’m scared to death of divorce— or rather, life after divorce. My husband is an active-duty army recruiter stationed in Florida. He wants me to continue living in Michigan, where I have a great job and my parents help take care of our three-year-old son. This past spring, he visited Michigan for

Mommy brain. I bristle every time I hear the phrase. First, its cutesiness reads as immediately condescending, an instant linguistic dismissal. Then there’s the notion that giving birth somehow renders women less equipped to do mental heavy-lifting—a dangerous assumption to which I hesitate to add fuel, especially at a time when discrimination against pregnant women

Cassandra Grey is a curator. She curates spaces, people and, most influentially, the luxury beauty store Violet Grey. Online and on Melrose Place, Violet Grey sells only products that are beloved by celebrities and their makeup artists, stringently edited in accordance with Grey’s own beauty philosophy: less but better. Grey, who started the company in

Dear E. Jean: I’m not the richest or most glamorous girl on the block. I’m not able to buy whatever I please on a whim, such as the Jimmy Choo bag I’ve been saving for, but I dress stylishly and receive lots of compliments. My best friend, whom I adore, means well, but she can

When I was 24 years old, I had just moved into my own apartment, was working at my dream job, and was settling into a serious relationship with my boyfriend of three years. And then, a curveball: In October 2017, I was diagnosed with an extremely rare type of cancer called ovarian germ cell cancer.

Dear E. Jean: Three weeks ago, I got a very short pixie cut. It didn’t turn out well. It was not empowering. I was struggling to feel beautiful when I went out with a guy who told me, “If you had long hair, you would be too hot for me.” I know it was a

Roger JacksonGetty Images . Some dates good; most dates bad. In ELLE.com’s Dates of Wrath column, anonymous daters share true stories of their very worst rendezvous. This week: He asked me to play with his nipple ring after 10 minutes. It was my first real date, from OkCupid, way back when. He totally looked like

Athleta Vacation will always be about unwinding, unpacking, and unthinking about the stressors of everyday life. An intriguing catch-22 is coming up regarding that last point though. While more and more travelers are deciding to book a plane ticket to forget about their own worries and responsibilities, they’re opting in regarding those of others. Along

Dear E. Jean: I’m a 25-year-old marine biologist researching dolphins in Southern California. This past year, I met a man and have fallen very deeply in love. (I didn’t think I was capable of it!) He’s extremely kind, generous, considerate, passionate, thoughtful, attractive, outdoorsy, and adventurous. But he is soon moving to Colorado to pursue

Dear E. Jean: My husband and I read your column religiously. When we’re having a glass of wine, we enjoy guessing how you will respond to the questions. My husband suggested that I write to you about my problem, and well, here it is! We just had a beautiful baby girl (now three months old).

The couple with two decades between them When you’re 26 and with a man nearly twice your age with kids just about your age, it’s hard to get friends and family to buy into your relationship. That, Allie and Bill say, isn’t worth paying any mind to. “Don’t worry about what you think people might

Setting relationship goals can be a good thing. It can help you get to know yourself, identify what’s vital emotionally and physically, and find a partner who is really suited for you. But placing specific demands on your love life can also create a super toxic cycle of disappointment, unfulfilled expectations, and feeling like a

Having a different kind of Sure, DTR-ing will still be a thing, but after you’ve determined what exactly you “are,” it’s time to have a different talk: birth control. Whether it’s condoms, daily pills, or an IUD, it’s important that you’re both on the same page when it comes to avoiding unplanned pregnancies. While the

Dear E. Jean: I’ve got a money problem, and I’m really ticked right now. While I toil away at my just-out-of-college first job, my boyfriend, who has been working for four years, makes a lot more money than I do. I’m trying to stick to a budget, but my boyfriend makes it hard. I’ve cut

The benefits of adopting a trusted birth control system would fill up a nice-sized laundry list, but, unfortunately, so would the myths surrounding it. We asked OB-GYNs Dr. Michelle Moniz and Dr. Alyssa Dweck to debunk the most common ones. “You gain weight when you’re on the pill.” There’s nothing wrong with wondering how a

Right now, 60 percent of women who are currently in their reproductive years use some form of birth control. The reasons are varied, from managing cramps or skin conditions to simple pregnancy prevention. But there are other long-term benefits to birth control you may not have considered. According to the Guttmacher Institute, when women have

Dear E. Jean: I’ve always struggled with self-confidence, at least professionally. Fortunately, I’m pleased that my career is flourishing at a prestigious law firm. However, I have a female colleague who publicly maligns my ideas. (This has been a running theme for an entire year.) She approves of nothing I do and barely hides her

Whether you’re starting to use birth control for the first time or just want to switch up your method, the best place to look for answers for any questions you might have is at your gynecologist’s office. There are a lot of options—and lots of misinformation—floating around, so seeking the advice of a trusted healthcare

Dear E. Jean: Serious question: Does life actually get better after you get past your twenties? Success was already starting to happen to the Brontë sisters by the time they reached my age: 23. I’m falling behind my peers and feel I can’t catch up! Please tell me the thirties are better. —Your Wilting Gardenia

Dear E. Jean: Do you have a guide to having fun? I’m 26. I think I’m missing out. I speak five languages, keep fit, eat healthy, volunteer, and work. I work a lot. And I feel miserable because I don’t know how to have fun. If someone invites me for drinks, I don’t see the

Dear E. Jean: I am not a traditional woman. I like being the breadwinner and go-getter in our marriage. I make a very generous salary and take pleasure in my career, and I realize that my dilemma is a privileged one, E. Jean, but I struggle with feeling that I always “wear the pants.” A

David TurnleyGetty Images . Some dates good; most dates bad. In ELLE.com’s Dates of Wrath column, anonymous daters share true stories of their very worst rendezvous. This week: He said he waited for me for an hour, but I was totally there the whole time. It’s actually one of the weirdest things that’s happened to

Dear E. Jean: What’s the best course of action after being fired? With six great years at a company, I was canned because I played a practical joke. (I hid my supervisor’s glue stick. Yes. It’s utterly ridiculous.) The supervisor, who I thought was my friend and someone I could joke with, decided to make

Once social media became an everyday part of our lives, nothing was safe. Even the relatively mundane—like the inside of our refrigerators—could be styled, zhushed, or otherwise made to look aesthetically pleasing. LA-based influencer Megan Batoon invited us into her home to share her camera-ready kitchen, as well as secrets on how she keeps her