Latest news with #Sowden
7NEWS
08-08-2025
- Entertainment
- 7NEWS
Kim Kardashian's new SKIMS shapewear for your face has everyone including Hollywood actor Anthony Hopkins talking
When reality star Kim Kardashian's brand, SKIMS, dropped its latest range of shapewear the internet was quick to attack but also snap up their new Seamless Sculpt Face Wrap. On July 29, the brand unveiled the compression garment that wraps the cheeks, chin and throat for $88 on its website. Now sold out, SKIMS says, 'This must-have face wrap boasts our signature sculpting fabric and features collagen yarns for ultra-soft jaw support.' 'Velcro closures at the top and nape of the neck allow for easy, everyday wear.' While SKIMS doesn't specify the exact benefits, the wording suggests wearing the wrap could result in contouring the face or tightening the skin. Registered nurse Kate Sowden, co-founder of BeautyFULL Cosmetic Medical Clinic, shared her opinion on the latest beauty trend. 'The face mask would work on the principle of compression and contouring, using tension to temporarily sculpt the jawline and reduce puffiness, much like a waist trainer for your face,' Sowden told 'The collagen-infused yarn is more about marketing than delivering medical-grade results, as topical collagen doesn't penetrate deep enough to impact skin structure in a lasting way.' Wearing the mask may result in short-term improvements, such as a slightly firmer jawline or reduced morning puffiness. But Sowden — whose clinic offers non-surgical cosmetic procedures — added the results would be temporary and superficial. 'It's great ahead of a night out or an event, but it's not a replacement for more targeted skin tightening treatments,' the beauty expert explained. Celebrities have also shared their views on the face wrap, with even actor Anthony Hopkins joining the shapewear debate with a playful nod to his past. The 81-year-old likened the new face wrap to the muzzle he wore as Hannibal Lecter in the iconic 1991 horror film The Silence Of The Lambs. Hopkins posted a video of himself on Instagram wearing the face wrap. 'Hello Kim, I'm already feeling 10 years younger,' Hopkins said in Lecter's eerie voice before reviving the character's iconic slurping sound. He paired the video with the caption, 'Thank you, Kim. Don't be afraid to come over for dinner.' Kardashian seemed to embrace Hopkins poking fun at her, later posting his video on her Instagram story, writing 'I'M SCREAMING!!!!!' Australian comedian Celeste Barber, who found global fame for her Instagram parodies of A-listers, posted about the face wraps on Wednesday. 'Skims — a company so successful at making us hate our body, they've now moved onto our face,' she said. Hundreds of comments left on the SKIMS Instagram post have accused the new product of profiting off people's insecurities. 'If by innovation, you mean oppression, then yeah. Never ends. How about you just let us BE,' one person wrote. 'Wake up babe, a new tool designed to restrain women and punish their bodies just dropped. God forbid Kim K from continuing to profit over female body-shaming,' another said. The SKIMS face shapewear isn't the first time Kardashian's products have caught the internet's attention. In 2023, the company released bras with built-in nipples that drew both criticism and praise. Kardashian's new face wrap range taps into the 'morning shed' trend on TikTok, where influencers show off the wide range of face, skin and jaw-enhancing accessories they wear at night including jawline-lifting straps, overnight sheet masks and mouth tape. Mouth taping 'Mouth taping has become popular for snoring and even face-slimming claims, but from a clinical perspective, it's not a recommended cosmetic practice,' Sowden said. 'There's no evidence it changes facial structure, with the potential to even be risky for people with underlying breathing issues.' Slugging 'Slugging — applying thick layers of product on the face — with products like Vaseline can be great for ultra-dry or compromised skin barriers, especially in winter,' the beauty expert revealed. 'But it's not for everyone. 'If you're acne-prone or using actives like retinol, slugging can trap bacteria or irritants.' Face-lifting tape and chin straps 'These tools offer instant visual 'snatch' for photos or events, but they don't deliver long-term lifting,' Sowden added. 'In some cases, they can even cause skin irritation or sagging over time due to the repeated pulling of the skin.'
The Spinoff
18-06-2025
- Business
- The Spinoff
Census scrapped as Stats NZ eyes cheaper data future
The government has announced a major overhaul of population data collection, but experts say the new approach carries serious risks, writes Catherine McGregor in today's extract from The Bulletin. See ya, census After nearly 175 years, New Zealand's national census is coming to an end, reports Kelly Dennett in The Post (paywalled). Statistics minister Shane Reti confirmed that the five-yearly population count will be replaced with an annual survey model from 2030, which will mainly rely on data already collected by government agencies, known in the trade as administrative data. Reti says the move reflects the need for more timely and cost-effective insights, pointing to the $325 million cost of the 2023 census and an expected $400m for the next. Under the new model, a smaller sample survey will be combined with existing government datasets – from tax records to school enrolments – to produce population statistics on an annual basis. Reti described the overhaul as a reset of Stats NZ's priorities, saying it would 'get back to basics – measuring what matters'. He also provided details of the plan to start delivering a monthly Consumer Price Index from 2027, which was announced in Budget 2025. The government will invest $16.5 million to adjust the CPI from quarterly to monthly, 'bringing New Zealand into line with other advanced economies'. A troubled recent history The census has played a central role in shaping New Zealand's social and political landscape since 1851, albeit one that initially excluded Māori. But its recent history has been plagued by controversy. The failed digital-first approach of the 2018 census produced the lowest response rates in decades, especially among Māori and Pasifika, and government statistician Liz MacPherson resigned amid the fallout. Five years later, the 2023 census saw a marginally improved response, but was marred by a data breach involving subcontracted collectors at Manurewa Marae. A public apology followed, and chief executive Mark Sowden stepped down. The repeated controversies have shaken confidence in the census, laying the groundwork for its eventual demise. Bridging the trust deficit Despite a 99.1% total population coverage in 2023 thanks to the inclusion of administrative data, the census response rate sat at just 88.3% – well below the 95.1% recorded in 2006. So-called 'hard refusals' more than doubled from 2018 to over 10,000 in 2023, with anti-government sentiment cited by over a quarter of those refusing to participate, reported Laura Walters in Newsroom. 'People are busier… there is suspicion about giving their data to Government Inc,' Sowden told a select committee last year. The anti-government sentiment was likely magnified by the 2022 Parliament protest and the proximity of the Covid-19 pandemic, he said. The huge increase in cost between the 2018 census ($123m) and the 2023 version ($326m) was directly attributable to the challenges of getting people to take part, Sowden said. Stats NZ needed to double the number of field workers, and did about five times as much community engagement. Though Stats NZ has legal powers to fine non-compliers, it chose not to issue infringement notices in 2023, citing resource constraints. A bold experiment with high stakes Writing in Newsroom, former government statistician Len Cook warns that the shift to a survey-based model carries serious risks. Unlike countries such as the Netherlands or Israel, which use surveys alongside compulsory population registration, New Zealand has never maintained a formal population register and does not issue identity cards. As a result, Stats NZ will struggle to ensure data quality is maintained – yet it's vitally important that the government has the demographic data it needs. Leaving policy settings as they are in the face of falling fertility and rising life expectancy 'will have the same effect as a fall in government revenue of more than 30% by 2045', Cook warns. 'Almost all publicly funded services will face pressures of a far greater magnitude than we are currently seeing. Without regular knowledge we can trust, we will have little information to plan with.'
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
‘A true hero'; Cavs honor 16-year-old who saved kids, mom from house fire
A 16-year-old boy who helped save a family from a fire was honored by the Cleveland Cavaliers. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Tyler Sowden received a standing ovation at Sunday's game as he was recognized for his selflessness and care. Cavs Care posted a picture and video on social media. As previously reported by News Center 7, Sowden rescued a family from a house fire on March 28. TRENDING STORIES: Many detained, arrested after large brawl at local high school Cedarville University mourning sudden death of longtime professor Childhood actor, star of 'Dennis the Menace,' dies at 73 He told CBS affiliate WOIO TV in Cleveland that he heard screaming and saw a kid on the roof of a burning home. Sowden used his dad's ladder to help a mom and her kids from the roof of the house. Another 12-year-old boy jumped from the second floor of the back of the home 'A true hero in our Cleveland community!' Cavs Care said on both Facebook and X. Donovan Mitchell and his foundation hosted Sowden at Sunday's Cleveland-Sacramento game. The Kings beat the Cavaliers, 120-113. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Cavaliers honoring teen hero who saved Cleveland family from burning home
CLEVELAND (WJW) – Video of Friday's rescue of a Cleveland family from their burning home by a 16-year-old boy has gone viral, and young Tyler Sowden is now being hailed far and wide as a hometown hero. The teen is very modest and unassuming, so all of the attention is a little overwhelming. The dramatic video showed Sowden carrying a ladder that he grabbed from his garage and running to a burning home in Cleveland's West Park neighborhood. Sowden climbed up and down the ladder to help rescue members of the family, two small children and their mother. Are you cereal!? The nostalgic new Hershey's Kisses flavor The video has inspired Northeast Ohioans and touched the hearts of people all over the country. 'I'm glad I could help. I was glad that I was there because it could have really gone wrong,' Sowden said. Many people are amazed by the way Sowden, a 10th grader at Old Brook High School in Old Brooklyn, climbed up and down the ladder so decisively before the house became fully engulfed in flames. It turns out he does construction work with his stepfather and he feels he was in that place, at that time, for a reason. 'I do a lot of work like that. I actually manned a ladder that morning and then I ended up going home,' he said. Sowden said he did not realize the impact of his actions until members of the family he saved asked to meet him. While there was a language barrier, he said their emotions spoke volumes. A 12-year-old boy, who jumped from a second-story window in the rear of the house, served as an interpreter and conveyed the family's gratitude. 'He was telling me how proud he was and how happy he was and the dad, I hugged him a couple of times and he gave a really heart-touching hug. It felt some type of way, I almost teared up,' said Sowden. New arguments filed to block Browns move to Brook Park The city of Cleveland is now planning a ceremony is honor him for his quick thinking and heroic actions. The rescue video also caught the attention of Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell, who spoke for many Northeast Ohioans on Tuesday. 'When you see something like that, you know, there's two different things. It's kind of you're there, you panic or you leave, or you kind of go out there and find a way to help and for it to be a 16-year-old kid to go out there and find a way to do the job of a firefighter until they actually showed up, that takes a lot of guts,' the NBA All-Star said. 'It takes a lot of heart. That takes a lot of self-respect and that's ultimately what being in the community is about, helping the next person that you see.' Sowden said the nod of approval from the Cavs star is a surreal experience for a 16-year-old. 'That's wild, that's crazy. It makes me feel good, it makes me feel proud of myself,' he said. The Cavs are now planning to honor Sowden before their home game on Sunday, and he will get a chance to meet some of his favorite players, including Mitchell. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Yahoo
Teen rescues family from roof of burning home
A Cleveland teen rescued a family from a house fire in the Jefferson neighborhood Friday, originally reported by our news partner 19 News in Cleveland. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] The Cleveland Fire Department responded to two house fires in west Cleveland around 11 a.m. on Sacramento Avenue, 19 News says. Tyler Sowden, 16, says he heard screaming and saw a kid on the roof of the burning home, according to 19 News. TRENDING STORIES: Ohio lacrosse team escapes bus fire while returning from spring break Inmate dies in local jail custody; family's attorneys leaving 'no stone unturned' in investigation 1 dead after being hit by car; OSHP searching for driver Sowden used his dad's ladder to help a mom and her kids from the roof of the house, 19 News says. Another 12-year-old boy jumped from the second floor of the back of the home, according to 19 News. 19 News says the whole family was transported by EMS in stable condition. Cleveland Fire thanked Sowden and Cleveland police officers on social media for their saves, 19 News says. Officers James Bellomy and Kerry Adams saved an elderly neighbor and their dog, the post says. The fire was heavy, downed power lines and took 60 firefighters to put the fire out, 19 News says. The Red Cross is assisting two adults and three children who were displaced by the fire, according to 19 News. The damage to one house is $170,000 and the other house's damage is around $10,000, according to 19 News. 19 News says the cause of the fire is still under investigation. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
