If you’re reading this article with your very own eyes, take a moment to appreciate the way they’re transmitting these wise words from your screen to your brain. (And maybe also the glasses or contact lenses that are helping them out!) We don’t often think about how much we rely on our vision, at least not until we find ourselves straining to see something that used to be in focus. Everyone’s eyesight naturally deteriorates over time, but here are five habits that can speed up that process. Snap out of them now and keep your eyes in tip-top shape for as long as possible.
1. Smoking: Yes, smokers, we know you probably feel like everyone is nagging you to quit these days, but your optometrist is on that list too. “Smoking increases the risk of cataracts, which cause the lens of the eye to go from clear to cloudy, and age-related macular degeneration, a condition affecting the macula (the part of the eye used for central vision) which can lead to vision loss,” explains Dr. Monica Nguyen, an optometrist practicing in New York City. “There is also research indicating a possible association between smoking and retinal ischemia, where blood vessels that course through the optic nerve to supply the eye are blocked up. Specifically, in central retinal vein occlusion, there is an obstruction of the central retinal vein to the optic nerve of the eye, causing loss of blood flow to the eye and vision loss.” At the very least, she adds, “Smoking also increases dry eye symptoms for the smoker and from secondhand smoke.” Just one more reason to ditch your cigarettes: If you’re struggling to quit, check out resources here. Your eyes will thank you.
2. Refusing to Wear Your Glasses: Maybe you suffered through years of taunts at school, or maybe you just can’t ever seem to remember where you left them. But wearers of glasses who want to protect their current eyesight should be committing to using them as needed to prevent eye strain. Dr. Ming Wang, an eye surgeon in Nashville, TN, urges, “Glasses with the correct prescription provide the most comfortable vision to reduce eye strain and over-focusing. Not wearing glasses can put eyes through unnecessary stress and lead to the development of headaches and eye fatigue.” You might also have heard that wearing glasses makes your eyes weaker, or that not wearing them when you need them forces your eyes to get stronger. “This is not the case,” Wang assures us. “Glasses are generally correcting for a mismatch between the curve on the front of the eye, the power of lens in the eye, and length of the eye. These physical parameters are relatively fixed after adolescence and are not significantly affected by wearing glasses or contact lens.”
You don’t necessarily have to wear your glasses all the time — just when you need them. Nguyen adds, “People who have a low, nearsighted prescription such as -2.00 may find they only need glasses for seeing things at a distance, but not for something close like looking at a computer, whereas people who are farsighted, such as +3.00, will find they need the glasses all the time for seeing things up close, because without them they have increased eye strain and blurry vision.”
While we’re talking about tools that help your eyesight, a bonus bad habit you’re going to want to break is accidentally leaving your contact lenses in overnight. Nguyen recommends taking them out at least an hour before bed: “Sleeping in contact lenses is a problem because it causes oxygen deprivation to the front surface of the eye, the cornea,” she advises. “It also causes corneal edema, or swelling of the cornea, and neovascularization, which is an increase in blood vessels that causes red eyes. These all can result in dryness, discomfort, redness, and blurry vision.” Please remind your 2am self of this, for the sake of your 10am self.
3. Neglecting Your Veggies: Specifically, veggies containing vitamins that provide antioxidants. Wang explains, “Antioxidants may help to delay the formation of cataracts, macular degeneration, and other eye conditions. Leafy green vegetables such as kale, spinach, and arugula, and colorful fruits such as blueberries, raspberries, cherries, and cranberries are excellent sources of these vitamins.” And while we’re sending you to the grocery store, throw in some sources of omega-3, especially if you’re prone to dry eyes. Dr. Jeff Anastasio and Dr. Shelly Anastasio, both optometrists at Louisiana Family Eyecare, confirm, “Omega-3 has a proven positive effect on dry eye. It’s found in a variety of products including fish oil, krill oil, and flaxseed oil. For someone with dry eyes, we recommend 1,000 to 2,000 mg a day, depending upon the severity of the condition.”
4. Forgetting Your Sunglasses: No matter the time of year, do yourself a favor and put on your UV-blocking shades before heading outside. Nguyen cautions, “Long-term exposure [to UV radiation] can cause growths on the front surface of the eyes called pterygiums; cataracts; macular degeneration; and damage to the retina. The sun can also cause cancerous growths on the eyelid and premature aging of skin structures surrounding the eye.” That damage can happen in winter too: 80 percent of the sun’s UV rays can pass through clouds, so you still need protection even on gray days. And if you’re somewhere snowy, you’re at risk of keratitis, AKA snow blindness, a temporary but painful condition caused by sunburn on your cornea. Much better to get into the habit of remembering your shades.
5. Staring at a Screen With No Breaks: If you’ve been staring at this screen for so long you can’t remember when you last looked at something in 3D, it’s time you took a break (right after you finish this article, of course). Dr. Justin Bazan, an optometrist and the health ambassador for The Vision Council (TVC), points to research by TVC which found that about 80 percent of American adults surveyed used digital devices for more than two hours a day, and 59 percent reported symptoms of eye strain caused by those devices. “After a couple of hours of looking at a digital device such as your computer or phone, your eyes become irritated and sore and feel fatigued, and vision blurs,” Bazan warns.
It’s not that screens specifically cause these symptoms, as the Anastasios explain: “The computer doesn’t actually create the eye strain; It’s looking at the same close object for such a long period of time.” To solve this, they recommend short but regular breaks: “Every 20 minutes, take a 20- to 30-second break from the screen to look at something further than 20 feet away.”
Another issue caused by regular screen usage is dry eye. “When focusing on your device for a long period of time, your blink rate is dramatically decreased,” the Anastasios caution. “This can cause a significant case of dry eye due to decreased tear production and decreased oil secretion by the Meibomian glands.” Fortunately, Nguyen reassures us, “Staring at a computer screen does not cause permanent damage to the eyes.” Break the habit, and give your eyes a break.
Do you have specs appeal? Show us your eyesight-saving shades @BritandCo.
(Photo via Getty)
Image via Niko Tavernise/Amazon MGM Studios
There is a lot of tension between Tashi, Art, and Patrick throughout the movie, and it all builds to the titular Challenger match. It's Art vs. Patrick, and they're playing for way more than just the title and the money (though of course, they're definitely playing for the title and the money) — this is one final chance to prove themselves to Tashi, who's sitting court-side looking very unimpressed.
Both men lose their cool during different sets, but it's in the third and final set that everything comes to a head. At the end of the match, Patrick confesses to sleeping with Tashi using a tennis ball and racket signal only Art recognizes. For a split second Art is is complete shock, and I expected him to completely lose it. And, technically, he does, but in a totally unexpected way. Rather than jump the net and punch Patrick in the face, Art channels his emotions into his tennis, and the fury he feels actually allows him break through whatever slump he's been stuck in.
Unable to have a conversation about Patrick's secret, Art and Patrick talk with their serves and returns. And because Tashi doesn't catch the signal, for the first time in the whole movie, she's cut out of the conversation.
Image via Niko Tavernise/Amazon MGM Studios
Tashi's been pulling the strings ever since she met Art and Patrick, and she's never not been in control. After Patrick sends the signal, she knows something is going on between them, she just doesn't know what — and it unnerves her. Thanks to Zendaya's expert subtlety, the twitch of her eyebrow or the particularly anxious way she grips her hands are the only things that give her away. But her confusion, and the men's anger, quickly turn to pure joy in the final moments of the movie.
Patrick and Art end up playing so intensely that they meet at the net and embrace, prompting Tashi's iconic tennis yell before she gives one of her first genuine laughs of the film and the screen cuts to black. The first time I saw the movie, I thought "What?!" but the more I think about it, the clearer the Challengers ending is.
Patrick and Art (whose relationship begins six or seven years before the movie opens) haven't spoken since the big fight surrounding Tashi's injury, and their hug proves they're just happy to be playing together again. It's what they've always loved, and their fight over Tashi almost ended it forever. Tashi's pure elation shows she's happy to watch some good tennis, especially after she failed to help Art break out of his rut.
We've only seen Tashi scream like that once before, when she admits to a perfect tennis match. While Tashi does care for Patrick and Art, the end of Challengers proves the characters' true love was never really each other — it was always the game.
What did you think of the Challengers ending? After you rewatch the movie (and then rewatch it again), check out the other Most-Anticipated Spring Movies For 2024.
Lead image via Niko Tavernise/Amazon MGM Studios
Accessories are the key to taking every outfit from basic to bombshell. Sure, our love affair with signet rings and statement earrings runs deep, but we especially live for eyewear for its practicality and fashion factor. And if anyone knows about stylish glasses, it’s identical twin designers Corianna and Brianna Dotson. Better known as Coco and Breezy, the pair launched their eyewear line in 2009 (at just 19 years old!) and have since designed for celebs including Beyoncé and Prince, all the while not-so-casually deejaying on the side. Keep reading to learn how the dynamic duo designed their first pair of frames, their own Parent Trap moments, and the styles people are always asking them about.
B+C: You both have incredible style, so why eyewear?
Coco: Our love for eyewear stemmed from when we were young and used to collect it all the time. Growing up in Minnesota, there were people that were very prejudiced, and we were bullied. Wearing eyewear was a really big shield for us. We wore sunglasses in class because we felt like when we put them on we were our alter egos, Coco and Breezy, who were fearless and ready to conquer the world. But whenever we had to make eye contact with people without glasses on, we were really insecure and super shy. Once we figured out that glasses weren’t just for protection, we not only wanted to make people look stylish but also protect their eyes from UV rays and really focus on eye health.
B+C: What was the very first pair you designed?
Breezy: The very first pair we designed was in our mom’s living room. I took a stud off of one of my personal studded belts with pliers and then glued it onto some safety goggles. I thought it was the coolest sh*t ever at the time.
B+C: Which of your favorite styles are people obsessed with right now?
Breezy: The Chaska ($249). I have these gold transition lenses, so it’s super cool that inside they’re clear and when I go outside they turn into this beautiful, mirrored lens.
Coco: The Richfield ($249). The best part about them is that the frame is so gold that I really don’t have to think about my outfit too much. I can throw on a white T-shirt and some jeans, and then my shiny gold frames are my jewelry piece.
B+C: Which celeb was the most exciting to work with?
Coco: Prince. It was very impactful because we got to spend a lot of time with him. We worked with him to make 200 limited-edition third-eye sunglasses. He wore them on his last few TV appearances and an album cover.
B+C: What personal style mantra do you live by?
Breezy: Do it for yourself. With social media there’s a lot of pressure, especially with young girls, to look a certain way or to have their bodies a certain way, or to feel like they have to wear certain brands.
Coco: Mentally we need to just erase that pressure of social media and truly do things that make you happy. It’s not about the brands you wear but how you mix and match pieces.
B+C: What’s your favorite part about being twins?
Breezy: When you’re going through the journey of being an entrepreneur, you have so many ups and downs and so many emotions going. If you have a twin, you have someone there that can just bring you up and can read you.
What item are people always asking you about? ‘Gram what’s good and tag us @BritandCo!
(Photos via Denzel Golatt)
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While it's always nice to see something realistic represented in our favorite TV shows, there are few things more painful than watching a TV breakup. Even when we don't actually know fictional characters IRL, it's absolutely devastating to see them break each other's hearts. (Although, it's equally as bad as never seeing your favorite prospective couple get together — I will never forgive The 100 for what they did to Clarke and Bellamy!!).
Keep reading to see some of our most heartbreaking splits — and then check outWhat Being Team Conrad Or Jeremiah Says About Your Dream TV Boyfriendto put a smile back on your face.
Image via NBC
Friends is one of the most iconic sitcoms of all times, and Ross and Rachel is definitely one of the most devastating TV breakups. In season 3, this iconic couple decides to take a break in and in "The One with the Morning After," Ross wakes up with another woman named Chloe at the exact moment Rachel shows up at his door. Rachel finds out about the affair, and after a fight in Monica's living room, the couple calls it quits.
Regardless of how you feel about Ross claiming they "were on a break" when he slept with Chloe, seeing Rachel's reaction (and knowing the trust between them was broken) is one of the worst moments in the whole show. Just thinking about it makes my stomach bottom out!
Image via The CW/WB
This is one of my personal most-devastating TV breakups because it seems like, out of all of Rory's boyfriends, Rory and Jess are just perfect for each other when they start dating. Not only does their love of books bring them closer together, but their personalities are so compatible. But when Jess leaves for California at the end of season 3 — without saying anything to Rory, I might add — is unacceptable! It breaks my heart, and based on the final look he gives Rory during A Year in the Life, he also regrets it BIG TIME.
Image via The CW/WB
This Vampire Diaries couple was truly endgame, and the will-they-won't-they of it all was one of my favorite things about the show. So when they broke up (to my horror), I was devastated.
Damon and Elena admit they're bad for each other in the season 5 episode "While You Were Sleeping" (then Damon tells her he doesn't even want to be friends. Ouch!!), but it's the season finale, "Home," that makes me extra emotional. When Damon gets stuck with Bonnie on the Other Side, he says goodbye to Elena, who's begging him not to leave but can neither see nor hear him. Say it with me: gut! wrenching!
Image via Erika Doss/Prime Video
The Summer I Turned Pretty fans are PASSIONATE about whether they're team Conrad or team Jeremiah (trick question, my OTP is Taylor and Stephen), and even the most dedicated Conrad stan hates the prom scene. You know, when he breaks up with Belly at her prom, in the rain. I know he just thinks Belly deserves better, but it's still very painful to watch.
Image via FOX
When I hear "devastating TV breakup" I IMMEDIATELY think of Schmidt and Cece from New Girl. Schmidt gets away with a lot of ridiculous things throughout this show, but dating two girls at one time is not one of them. After Nick has a hard time keeping Schmidt's love life a secret, Schmidt finally comes clean to Cece in "Double Date," leaving both her and me in tears. No matter how many times you rewatch the show, it truly feels like their relationship (and maybe even the friend group) will never recover.
Image via BBC/Prime Video
In the history of TV, I don't think I've ever heard anything as heartbreaking as "I love you," "It'll pass." Like, who approved that line?! The viral moment comes at the end of the Fleabag series finale, when Fleabag is sitting with The Priest at the bus stop. Over the course of the series, we not only see how much these two care about each other, but how well they know each other (like how The Priest recognizes when Fleabag zones out). To be loved is to be known, and that's what makes this devastating TV breakup even more devastating.
Image via HBO
After so much back and forth, it's hard to accept Carrie and Aidan's final breakup on SATC. But in season 4's "Change of a Dress," Carrie realizes she's not ready for marriage and Aidan realizes he doesn't trust her after her affair with Big. The combo of broken trust and being at two different life stages makes this extra painful to watch, and I don't think any amount of rewatches (or And Just Like That binges) is going to change that.
What's YOUR most devastating TV breakup? Let us know on Facebook!
Lead image via The CW/The WB
Sophia Bush and Ashlyn Harris caused quite a stir at Elton John's Oscars afterparty, but for good reason! After dodging dating rumors for quite awhile, they dressed to impress and made their first public debut as a couple! Sophia even wore her best accessory — a mega-watt smile — that further confirms this blissful pair.
While some people love to know whencelebrity couples fell in love, the details about Sophia Bush and Ashlyn Harris' relationship have people wondering when this couple actually got together. Well, our wait is over because Sophia decided to open about what led to her romance with Ashlyn Harris and why certain rumors hold no merit!
Since we're clearly tuned in to this love story, here's everything you need to know about Sophia Bush and Ashlyn Harris's relationship!
Image via Robin L Marshall/Getty Images
Sophia Bush has had a lengthy career as an actress, and she's most recognized for her portrayal of Brooke Davis in the hit TV series One Tree Hill. She's also appeared in Nip/Tuck, Chicago Fire, Incredibles 2, and John Tucker Must Die. When she's not showing off her acting chops, she hosts the Drama Queens podcast alongside former One Tree Hill castmates Hilarie Burton and Bethany Joy Lenz!
Image via Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for W Magazine
Ashlyn Harris is a former U.S. soccer player who had a successful run — no pun intended — as a goalkeeper during the career. She also won the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada and continued making an impressionable mark. However, she announced her retirementin 2022 and — per her Instagrampage — has gone on to become the Global Creative Advisor for Gotham FC and Adidas Football.
Image via Frazer Harrison/Getty Images and Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Rumors about a possible connection between Sophia Bush and Ashlyn Harris swirled last summer when Cosmopolitanreported they were on a panel at Cannes Lion International Festival of Creativity. Sophia shared a pic of the two at the festival on Instagramand wrote, "Love you @ashlynharris24 and @sophieannkelly" towards the end of her caption.
A source told Page Six, "It’s very new...They are definitely a couple.” But, Sophia Bush and Ashlyn Harris didn't confirm or deny anything at that time.
Image via Leigh Vogel/Getty Images
A couple of months after Sophia Bush and Ashlyn Harris were seen getting cozy together, Sophia filed for divorce from her former husband Grant Hughes. Peopleshared that they were only married for a little over a year — 13 months — but didn't end on a bad terms. A source then told Entertainment Tonight, "Grant and Sophia are better off as friends and they weren’t getting enough time with each other before their breakup."
Image via Roy Rochlin/Getty Images
While things seemed to quiet down, Ashlyn Harris soon filed for divorce from Ali Krieger after getting married towards the end of 2019. What's interesting is that a source told Peoplethis decision wasn't surprising. "Although it’s new information to the public, Ashlyn and Ali’s divorce began months ago and they have been living apart since the summer,” the source said.
This is also around the time it was speculated Sophia Bush and Ashlyn Harris had their first official date. A rep told People, "Grant will always want the best for Sophia, and is supportive of all that makes her happy and fulfilled." We guess it helps he and Sophia had a solid friendship before getting married!
As for Ali Krieger, she basically let the world know things were business as usual with an Instagrampost. She captioned a pic of her playing soccer with, "Preparing for playoffs while in my Beyoncé lemonade era." A comment from user @lgbtlfg said, "the fact that a lot of players in these comment’s usually mind their business and stay out of drama but are supporting ali should tell everyone all they need to know."
The only thing Ashlyn said about it on Instagramis that she never intended for her and Ali's divorce to be made a public matter. A portion of her note says, "This process is never easy, but we were making our way through."
Image via Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for Tequila Don Julio
Besides showing up to Elton John's Oscars afterparty together, Sophia Bush and Ashlyn Harris were previously tight-lipped about their relationship. The only hint Sophia offered was much more of a reflective post about 2023 on Instagramat the beginning of January. She said, "This year taught me to listen to myself and no one else. To let go of expectation that wounds and grasp possibility that frees. To not care about optics and instead invest in honesty."
But, she's since chosen to own where she is in life.
Image via Lauren Dukoff/Glamour Magazine
Sophia Bush on the cover of Glamour Magazine
Sophia Bush has now reached a point where she's publicly ready to stand in her truth regarding her life and her relationship status so much that she penned her own cover story for Glamour. The first thing she did was open up about how she really felt about her marriage and fertility struggles.
She wrote, "But after the wedding I found myself in the depths and heartbreak of the fertility process, which was the most clarifying experience of my life. It feels like society is finally making space for brutally honest conversations about how hard and painful any fertility journey is, but I kept mine private. I was trying to get through months of endless ultrasounds, hormone shots, so many blood draws that I have scar tissue in my veins, and retrieval after retrieval, while simultaneously realizing the person I had chosen to be my partner didn’t necessarily speak the same emotional language I did.”
Image via Lauren Dukoff/Glamour Magazine
As far as her relationship with Ashlyn Harris is concerned, the star is enjoying the love that exists between them. Contrary to alleged rumors, their initial relationship was a platonic one that stemmed from a place of understanding and support.
She told Glamour,“I didn’t expect to find love in this support system. I don’t know how else to say it other than: I didn’t see it until I saw it. And I think it’s very easy not to see something that’s been in front of your face for a long time when you’d never looked at it as an option and you had never been looked at as an option. What I saw was a friend with her big, happy life. And now I know she thought the same thing about me.”
She also added, "A lot of effort was made to be graceful with other people’s processing, their time and obligations, and their feelings. What felt like seconds after I started to see what was in front of me, the online rumor mill began to spit in the ugliest ways. There were blatant lies. Violent threats. There were the accusations of being a home-wrecker. The ones who said I’d left my ex because I suddenly realized I wanted to be with women—my partners have known what I’m into for as long as I have (so that’s not it, y’all, sorry!).”
Image via Lauren Dukoff/Glamour Magazine
It's safe to say that Sophia Bush is thoroughly comfortable with her love life and identity as a queer woman. She said, "I’ve experienced so much safety, respect, and love in the queer community, as an ally all of my life, that, as I came into myself, I already felt it was my home. I think I’ve always known that my sexuality exists on a spectrum. Right now I think the word that best defines it is queer. I can’t say it without smiling, actually. And that feels pretty great.”
And this is what it looks like to reclaim your narrative when so many people are looking at a brief glimpse of the lives of celebrities. We love that Sophia Bush and Ashlyn Harris are loving each other on their terms without feeling pressured to share anything before they were ready to. Our hope is that their love story continues to unfold beautifully.
Be sure to watch Sophia Bush's interview with Glamour's Editor-in-Chief Samantha Barry here!
Full Credits From Glamour Magazine:
Writer: Sophia Bush
Photographer: Lauren Dukoff
Stylist: Deborah Afshani
Hair: Matthew Collins
Makeup: Afton Williams
Manicure: Brittney Boyce
Image via Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images for Kimball Stroud & Associates
Per Glamour, Sophia Bush and Ashlyn made their official red carpet debut as a couple on Friday. They attended the White House Correspondent's dinner where they were dressed to impress in complementing black ensembles.
It's easy to see the glowing couple couldn't stop laughing and smiling as they posed for pictures that seemed to capture every good angle of their faces and style.
Image via Paul Morigi/Getty Images
After the dinner, Sophia Bush and Ashlyn Harris posed for more pictures on the red carpet leading to the Correspondent's after-party. Now that we're able to see their full faces, we have to talk about how well their hair and makeup complements their outfits. It's clear that Ashlyn's contour and bronzer were expertly applied to her face while Sophia's blush gave her a natural flush.
*Sigh* Their smiles are the only confirmation we need that they're enjoying the bliss of being a couple.
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This article has been updated.
Lead image via Paul Morigi/Getty Images
