The INSIDER Summary: 

• Michelle Obama spoke in front of an audience celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Women's Foundation of Colorado. 
• She admitted that the racist slurs her critics directed at her while she was in the White House still hurt to this day. 
• She also urged the audience not to be discouraged by the current political climate. 

Last night, Michelle Obama addressed a crowd of Denver women to admit publicly, for the first time, how hurtful it was to be the frequent target of racism as First Lady.

In her eight years as First Lady, Obama frequently struck a chord for her poise, humor, and outspokenness on issues of women’s health, education, and empowerment. All of these Michelle Obama trademarks were on display last night, in front of the audience of 8,500 people gathered to commemorate the Women’s Foundation of Colorado’s 30th anniversary.

But Obama showed a more vulnerable side too. The Denver Post reports that when asked by WFCO President and CEO Lauren Casteel about which “falling glass shards” cut her the deepest after breaking the glass ceiling of becoming the country’s first black First Lady, Obama gave a solemn — and heartbreakingly honest — reply.

“The shards that cut me deepest were the ones that intended to cut,” she replied, and went on to reference some of the racist slurs that her critics lobbed at her over her eight years in the White House, including (disgusting, unacceptable) comparisons to an ape. “Knowing that after eight years of working really hard for this country, there are people who won’t see me for what I am because of my skin color.”

Obama admitted that these jabs still hurt her to this day, and extended her experience to all women.

“Women, we endure those cuts in so many ways that we don’t even notice we’re cut,” she said. “We are living with small tiny cuts, and we are bleeding every single day. And we’re still getting up.”

If you’re not sobbing yet, Obama also encouraged audience members to not be discouraged by the current political climate in the most Michelle Obama way imaginable:

“The people in this country are universally good and kind and decent. Don’t be afraid of the country you live in. The folks here are good.”

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NOW WATCH: Michelle Obama revealed what she'll miss most about being first lady

The INSIDER Summary:

• A high school senior was told to retake her yearbook picture because her exposed shoulders broke the school's dress code.
• In response, Goble created a petition to change or repeal the dress code.
• The principal of her high school has since decided to include her original photo in the yearbook.
• The high school also will organize a group of students to revise and update the dress code.

Schools across the US are notorious for having strict andat times confusingdress codes.

But one high school senior from Illinois had enough after she was told she must retake her photo because her off-the-shoulder top showed her shoulders.

After being told the picture was inappropriate, rising senior Grace Goble, 17, drafted a petition to repeal her school's dress code, The Daily Mail reported. On July 24, she posted a petition she titled "Maine South High School: end the over-sexualization of young women's bodies" to Change.org.

"I have spent a good majority of my life wondering why exactly women's shoulders are so offensive," Goble wrote in the petition. "It is ridiculous that young women aren't allowed to wear the clothing that they wish to wear simply because it could possibly distract someone."

"Shaming women for wearing the things that make them feel comfortable and happy in their bodies is horribly sexist, and leads many girls to grow up believing that if another individual cannot control their actions around women, that the woman was at fault," she continued.

Goble said in the petition that her outfit specifically violated a part of the dress code which states that "students are expected to wear opaque clothing that covers them from shoulder to approximately mid-thigh."

"I don't know where the rule of having covered shoulders came from, but I knew it was well past time to get rid of it," Goble told INSIDER via email.

Goble also noted in the petition that there was nothing blatantly offensive about her sweater.

"As you can see, this photo is completely innocent, and the sweater that I am wearing is modest and covers my body very appropriately," she wrote. "This is a shirt which I have worn to school and to school events before, and no one has ever given it a second thought."

Goble's petition has been a success so far, receiving over 2,800 supportive signatures in less than a week.

The principal of Goble's high school also reached out to her the day the she posted the petition. She said that he informed her that she would not have to retake her photo and asked her to be on a team of students who will work to revise and modernize Maine South High School's dress code.

"I was pleasantly surprised [by] how willing my principal was to take actions and hear my thoughts. He's new to the school this year, so I had only briefly met him before this," she told INSIDER. "I'm proud that I was able to make a change, even if it was just at my school. I hope that others see the power of an individual standing up for what they believe in and do the same."

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NOW WATCH: This girl showed up to Tinder dates in a wedding dress

The INSIDER Summary:

• Celebrity chef and lifestyle guru Martha Stewart reveals her guilty pleasure is cheese.
• The chef satisfies midnight cravings with American cheese slices.
• Stewart also enjoys a spoon of organic peanut butter, pickled herring, and liverwurst.
• Martha Stewarthas been a fan of processed foods since she was a child.

Martha Stewart has been known for being not only a famous chef, but a lifestyle guru to everyone. However, contrary to what you would believe, Martha Stewart doesn't cook herself a sour cherry pie, a cheese Danish, or a Mediterranean-inspired dish whenever she is having those midnight cravings. 

Instead, she leans more towards lazier and more common ideas, like cheese slices. According to Martha, "I steal American slices sometimes — in the plastic, it’s so horrible. But it’s such a good snack". 

What even is inside those cheese slices?

Just by comparing the color of these slices and the color of milk, you just know that whatever American cheese is— it isn't something very natural. 

Each slice has 45 calories and 2.5 grams of fat. And not only that, but it has been said that the fewer ingredients a food had, the healthier it was. And needless to stay, the ingredient list of your average American cheese "reads like a novel".

Is this Martha's only guilty pleasure?

Not really, Martha Stewart's guilty pleasures extend to even more than just American cheese. 

In an interview with "Town & Country," the celebrity confessed all of her guilty pleasure and trust me, you'll continue to be even more shocked. This "domestic diva" also stated that she enjoys "a spoon of really good organic peanut butter", as well as pickled herring and liverwurst.

How did this happen? How did this role-model chef ended up prefering processed foods over her very own cookie dough brownies? Or even over her own sweet gelatin? Well, turns out Martha is just like us and has been a fan of processed foods since she was a child.

Growing up, there was nothing she would prefer than a good old-fashioned hot dog for dinner and a hot fudge sundae. And even though she has since made her own gourmet versions of these common foods, she still reserves a soft spot for those snacks. 

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NOW WATCH: What it’s like living in North Korea — according to a North Korean defector

The INSIDER Summary:

• Khloe Kardashian posted a post-workout selfie to Instagram on July 26.
• Now, she is being accused of Photoshopping her waist to appear slimmer.
• Kardashian has not responded to the accusations.
• We don't see the alleged Photoshop.
• Maybe it's time to just let Kardashian live her life.

Khloe Kardashian is notorious for her extreme diet and workout regimens as well as her alleged tendency to edit her photos with Photoshop to alter her appearance.

Now, the reality TV star is under fire for allegedly editing a post-workout selfie to make her waist appear slimmer. 

Here's the picture that has fans upset:

"I think I only workout so I can stuff my face for taco Tuesday!" Kardashian wrote in the caption. "PS- I have no idea why my abs look so strong in this pic but I had to post so I don't feel so guilty about gorging tonight!"

Kardashian is wearing high-waisted leggings and a sports bra in the pixelated, black and white mirror selfie she posted on July 26.

However, many of her followers have said that they think her waist looks suspicious in the photo. "Anyone else notice the Photoshop on the left side of her side?!" someone asked. "Obvious Photoshop on your left side lmao," another commenter agreed. "Omg look at that Photoshop," a third person wrote.

However, many of the comments were positive and praised Kardashian for her dedication to her strict diet and workout routine. One user even defended her. "Lord it's not Photoshop she's just leaning more to one side. Y'all wanna be mad so badly," they said.

Kardashian has not confirmed or denied the allegations, but the reality TV star has previously admitted to using Photoshop to edit her appearance in Instagram photos. 

Earlier this summer, Kardashian was also accused of Photoshopping this image:

Commenters said that Kardashian's legs looked disproportionate to her hips and lower back. She did not confirm or deny those accusations either. 

For what it's worth, it doesn't appear to INSIDER as though either photo was manipulated, and accusing people of using Photoshop to alter their body can be seen as body-shaming, which is extremely problematic.

And as Amy Odell pointed out in a recent article for Cosmopolitan, Instagram itself is a photo retouching app. Following that logic, almost every picture you scroll past on your feed has been edited in some way to enhance the way it looks — and there's really nothing wrong with that.

With that in mind, maybe the haters should just let Kardashian live.

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NOW WATCH: How designers around the world Photoshopped this model when they were told to make her beautiful

The INSIDER Summary:

• Laura Worthington owns Laura's Little Bakery in Liverpool.
• She gets tons of requests to make cakes for free in exchange for "exposure" on social media.
• She shared her frustration on Twitter and said "Exposure doesn't pay my bills."
• The tweet went viral, and other small business owners are applauding her.

Laura Worthington, owner of Laura's Little Bakery in Liverpool, doesn't mind making a free cake every once in a while as a "thank you." But weekly requests for freebies in exchange for "exposure" on social media are getting old.

"It happens all the time," she told INSIDER. "I constantly am going, 'No, these are my prices, this is it, I'm not doing anything cheap, if you don't like that price you can go somewhere else or go for a smaller option.' You just get sick and tired of it."

Worthington took to Twitter to express her frustration. Her response was simple: "Exposure doesn't pay my bills."

She shared screenshots of one exchange with a representative for Malin Andersson from "Love Island," who allegedly requested a free cake for Andersson's boyfriend's birthday party in exchange for posting pictures on social media.

She said "The X Factor" also came knocking, asking for a free cake in exchange for being featured on the show and free tickets to a taping.

INSIDER reached out to both parties for comment.

Worthington founded Laura's Little Cakes six years ago and has no shortage of high-profile customers — among them, Liverpool Football Club. Even when well-known people post about her creations on social media, she said whatever followers she gains and exposure she gets don't cover the cost of her time.

Small business owners from around the world reached out to thank her for speaking up.

"This whole culture of exposure for free stuff is just unfair to businesses like myself, and it seems to happen across the whole creative field," said Worthington. "It's all of our time that people take advantage of, and it just needs to stop, and I'll carry on shaming these people until they do."

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NOW WATCH: This artist makes the tiniest wedding cakes

The INSIDER Summary:

• Slam poet Aranya Johar pointed out that conversations about body positivity aren't mentioning race.
• That's why Johar made a video called "A Brown Girl's Guide to Beauty," which has since gone viral.
• She mentions the stigma of dark skin tones and shadeism.
• Johar hoped to start a conversation for men and women who face difficulties embracing their skin tones and bodies.

Body positivity has become a popular idea lately. No matter where we look in the media, we’re being told a different way to be more forgiving of, and develop a more affirming attitude toward, our bodies. On the surface, this isn’t a bad thing, but for 18-year-old slam poet Aranya Johar, most conversations about body positivity tended to be missing one key aspect of beauty standards: race. And so, she decided to make a video about it. That video, which she shared to Unerase Poetry, has earned her a massive following.

In Johar’s three-minute video titled “A Brown Girl’s Guide to Beauty,” she touches upon the problematic stigma of dark skin tones and shadeism, and how prejudices about skin color are as deeply ingrained in us as ideas of the perfect body shape.

“It’s important we talk about these issues, as we’ve been taught to be silent about our entire life,” explained Johar in an email interview. “I think the concept of being ‘Ideal’ has been ingrained in us since a young age, either through our own interactions, media, and culture. It is time we broadened our definition of beautiful.”

During her own childhood, Johar said she felt herself disassociating from these topics and comparing herself to Bollywood actresses, hoping she would look more like them. “I know this was unhealthy, and surprisingly was encouraged by my peer group to base so much of our value off our resemblance to Western models,” Johar shared.

By filming “A Brown Girl’s Guide to Beauty,” Johar was hoping to start a conversation for both men and women who face difficulties day-in and day-out embracing their skin tones and bodies. “I just want people to adjust their definition of beauty to, in some way, include themselves,” she said. “I just want people to look upon themselves with pride and confidence, and my hope would be to have my piece help them do that.”

Her performance has definitely touched a chord with the audience. Johar has had many women reach out saying they finally feel at home in their skin and men thanking her for mentioning the hardships that they also face too, in the name of beauty. To date, her video has been watched over 600,000 times since it was published on July 7.

While this video is just the start of smashing Eurocentric beauty standards, Johar thinks we should create a platform and space for all kinds of body types and skin tones, explaining, “We need more magazines with plus-sized women, more magazines with brown girls in bindis, more cover pages with flabby but happy men, more coverage of black women with their natural hair. We need to create a platform for all kinds of beauty!” We are here for it!

Join the conversation about this story »

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The INSIDER Summary: 

• Elizabeth Olsen and Aubrey Plaza showed up to their movie premiere in the same Marc Jacobs dress.
• Though this is usually a fashion nightmare, the two planned the matching outfits as an homage to their characters in the film. 
• The only difference was the embroidery — Olsen wore a silver version while Plaza went for gold.

Mary-Kate and Ashley may be the official twins of the Olsen family, but baby sis Elizabeth just got to experience a twinning moment of her own when she showed up to the premiere of "Ingrid Goes West" Thursday night in the exact same outfit as co-star Aubrey Plaza, right down to their sparkle-accent heels.

Lest you think this was a stylist’s worst nightmare, however, you should probably know that the pair were actually paying homage to their characters in the flick, which sees an overzealous Instagram fan (Plaza) stalking her favorite social media star (Olsen).

The ensemble in question was a long-sleeve Marc Jacobs mini with circle embroidery, a pair of black Sophia Webster heels, and Anita Ko jewels, with the only (subtle) difference being the color of the frock’s embroidery: Plaza wore gold while Olsen went for silver.

The gals were all too happy to pose for goofy pics, holding each other prom style and sandwiching their co-stars like matching bookends.

Olsen, for one, who’s no stranger to a red carpet malfunction, was delighted with the result, writing, “A couple that dresses together, stays together,” over on Instagram, which she says she recently joined to broaden her branding opportunities.

Plaza seemed no less thrilled with their fashion rebellion, writing, “Still can’t believe we wore the same thing! Guess this means we should be best friend twinsies forever. (Obvs).”

Check out the trailer for "Ingrid Goes West" below.

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NOW WATCH: Brie Larson had the perfect response to a question about her Oscar dress

The INSIDER Summary: 

• Rihanna is the latest in a string of famous women to be criticized for their body.
• Someone posted an Instagram video of Rihanna shopping in the snack aisle — and negative comments about her weight started pouring in. 
• Rihanna responded by commenting, "Somebody called me too fat?" followed by three crying-while-laughing emojis.

Oh, look. Another famous woman is being criticized for her body and eating habits by some faceless online troll. But like Kelly Clarkson and so many before her, Rihanna is not having it.

It all started when someone posted an Instagram video of the 29-year-old singer shopping in the snack aisle of a grocery store (honestly, one of RiRi’s most relatable moments ever). That’s when the comments started pouring in about the number and quality of Rihanna’s snacks, followed by a call not to judge her.

The fan who posted the video did in fact have Rihanna’s back, telling people who have compared her body to Rob Kardashian’s to mind their own business. But that didn’t stop Ms. RiRi herself from weighing in, commenting “Somebody called me too fat?” followed by three of the crying-while-laughing emojis.

My thoughts exactly, Rihanna. Healthy, beautiful bodies come in all shapes and sizes.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Rihanna's new album is like nothing we've heard from her

The INSIDER Summary:

• Former royal chef Darren McGrady revealed the food that Queen Elizabeth II won't eat.
• When she's eating by herself, the queen avoids starches.
• From potatoes to out-of-season fruit, these are the 9 foods Queen Elizabeth II won't eat.

When she’s eating lunch alone, Queen Elizabeth II won’t let herself eat starches, formal Royal chef Darren McGrady tells RecipesPlus. That means no pasta for Her Majesty. Instead, she chows down on a big salad, or grilled fish or chicken with two veggies on the side. If you're showing signs of eating too many carbs, you might want to follow her lead.

Pasta

When she’s eating lunch alone, Queen Elizabeth II won’t let herself eat starches, formal Royal chef Darren McGrady tells RecipesPlus. That means no pasta for Her Majesty. Instead, she chows down on a big salad, or grilled fish or chicken with two veggies on the side. If you're showing signs of eating too many carbs, you might want to follow her lead.

Potatoes

The Queen doesn’t just resist pasta and bread—she also turns down potatoes because of their starch factor. But don't follow suit just yet; learn why potatoes and other foods don't deserve their bad reputation.

Rare meat

Think a rare steak makes you look sophisticated? The Queen would dare to disagree. Her Highness prefers her meat well done, says McGrady. If Her Majesty is grossed out by the "bloody" look, she should learn what that red juice in steak really is.

The INSIDER Summary: 

• Not every former "Bachelor" star looks back fondly at their experience.
• Some contestants, like Emily Maynard, felt embarrassed by their time on the popular series.
• Others, like Juan Pablo Galavis, said they wouldn't do it again if they had the chance.  

There is a dark underbelly to "The Bachelor" and "The Bachelorette," which is less concerned with love and more concerned with ratings. As such, many of the franchise's stars have spoken out over the years, calling into question the morality of the show. Thanks to fictional television shows like "UnREAL," which highlight the danger of reality TV tactics, viewers have begun to understand that it isn't all love and roses. Not surprisingly, a lot of past contestants have since decided to separate themselves from Bachelor Nation. 

Now, with the recent sexual assault allegations during the filming of "Bachelor in Paradise" Season 4, even more questions have come to light, not just about the morality but about the safety of the show. The investigation ultimately concluded there was no assault, and both parties involved, Corinne Olympios and DeMario Jackson have agreed to return for the reunion special. 

But that hasn't gotten rid of the tension just yet. Scroll through to find out which former "Bachelor" stars have since spoken out against the show.

Andi Dorfman

After Andi Dorfman left Juan Pablo's season of "The Bachelor," she became The Bachelorette for Season 10. Unfortunately, that journey also ended in heartbreak. She left the show engaged to Josh Murray, but the couple later broke up, and Dorfman accused him of emotionally abusing her throughout the relationship.

In her book "It's Not Okay," Dorfman revealed the dark times she experienced on "The Bachelor," writing, "It's freezing cold, everyone is cold and nervous standing on these risers, and you could hear the teeth chattering and the deep breaths. And I watch Juan Pablo come in with a stack of roses, and I'm thinking, 'This is the stupidest thing I've ever been a part of. I'm standing here cold, my feet hurt, and I'm waiting for a dude I don't know to give me a rose.'"

Ben Flajnik

Flajnik was rejected by Ashley Hebert in Season 7 of "The Bachelorette" after getting down on one knee. He then became The Bachelor for Season 16 and ended the show happily engaged to Courtney Robertson. Their on-again, off-again relationship ultimately didn't end well. Flajnik later tweeted, "I still can't believe I ever did this s---. It's amazing. #TheBachelor"

Emily Maynard

Emily Maynard first appeared in Brad Womack's Season 15 of the show. Womack proposed to Maynard at the end of the season, but their engagement didn't last long. After they split, Maynard decided to give the show another go and took on the role as "The Bachelorette" for Season 8. She once again found herself engaged at the end of the season, this time to Jef Holm. The two split a few months later. 

Maynard then published a tell-all book, "I Said Yes," in which she said "The Bachelor" franchise left her feeling "empty and utterly embarrassed" after two failed proposals.

The INSIDER Summary:

• Supermodel Chrissy Teigen just got real about her struggle with pimples.
• In a video uploaded to Twitter, Teigen showed off her blemishes, saying "this is my skin on my period."
• The video has been liked by over 17,000 users.

No matter who you are, pimples are never fun — neither is adult acne. 

Recently, avid Twitter user Chrissy Teigen shared her skincare woes with the world with a makeup-free video, and fans are loving it.

While pointing to her nose, Teigen shows off various areas on her face where breakouts have surfaced. 

"This is my skin on my period," Teigen says in the video, which she tweeted out on July 31. "Look at it. So angry."

The video appears to have been recorded through Snapchat and includes the caption: "Period skin. So mad."

Almost immediately, Twitter users replied to Teigen with many of them praising the supermodel for being honest.

Others saw the video as an opportunity to comment on their skin issues as well. 

Chrissy Teigen proves once again she's just like the rest of us.

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NOW WATCH: The science behind why you shouldn't pop your pimples

The INSIDER Summary: 

• The French tabloid Voici recently published the first photos of George and Amal Clooney's infant twins.
• The Clooneys have released a statement saying they will pursue legal action against the magazine, the photographers and the agency.
• The statement also claims that the photographers scaled their fences and climbed a tree to snap the photos inside their home.
• The magazine has defended their actions by saying the Clooneys are a topic of public interest and their children were never in danger.

George Clooney and Amal Clooney are out for blood after a French tabloid recently published photos it said were the first shots of the Clooneys' infant twins. The "Money Monster" actor and his successful attorney wife released a statement after the publication of the images. The Clooneys described the dubious methods the magazine's photographers supposedly employed to capture photos of Alexander and Ella Clooney. The statement said:

"Over the last week, photographers from Voici magazine scaled our fence, climbed our tree and illegally took pictures of our infants inside our home. Make no mistake the photographers, the agency and the magazine will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. The safety of our children demands it."

SEE ALSO: George Clooney and the Coen brothers combine forces for the dark comedy 'Suburbicon' — watch the trailer

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NOW WATCH: Amal Clooney opens up about her family — refugees much like the ones flooding into Europe now

The INSIDER Summary: 

• A recent photo of Evan Rachel Wood and Avril Lavigne on Instagram has everyone seeing double.
• Their similar glasses and bone structure make the pair look almost like twins. 
• Lavigne joked that she had found her "long lost sister."

There are some celebrity “twins” that jump right out at you (Katy Perry and Zooey Deschanel come to mind). But the latest lookalikes in Hollywood are a pair we never would’ve ever thought to link: Evan Rachel Wood and Avril Lavigne!

Though we’re not sure why or under what circumstances the universe gifted us with their union, the Westworld actress and the “Let Me Go” singer took an Instagram snap together that pretty much had us squealing with delight.

“I finally found the carrier of the other pendant I was given at birth,” Wood joked of a photo of the two girls looking eerily similar in specs. With their blue eyes, blonde hair, and exquisite bone structure, the two could EASILY pass for identical twins.

“I finally found my long lost sister,” Lavigne wrote of the same shot.

HOW did we never see this before!? Now all we need is a photo of the two of them donning matching outfits, like Aubrey Plaza and Elizabeth Olsen did over the weekend, and we’ll be all set. Please? Pretty please? With a cherry on top?!

Join the conversation about this story »

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The INSIDER Summary:

• I was given the opportunity to be a stock photo model for the day.
• It was a lot harder than I thought it would be. 
• It also made me rethink my long-held belief that all stock photos are cheesy and unnatural.

As a reporter I spend a lot of time looking for just the right image to accompany a story. That means I spend a lot of time browsing stock photo websites that have some pretty corny photos.

And while I used to look down on stock photography, my perception completely changed when I got the chance to be a stock photo model. 

One day — completely out of the blue — I got an email from a representative for Shutterstock, a popular collection of nearly 150 million stock images and a service that we use very frequently here at INSIDER.

Shutterstock is just one of many stock photo databases where reporters like me can find generic photos of just about anything, including food, people, landscapes, and everyday objects. They're sold online in large databases, and while they're incredibly useful, stock photos also have a reputation for being unnatural, awkward, and just plain confusing.

Consider, for example, real stock photos like "Cyber corn woman,""Weird businessman in a rubber bird mask pretending to fly," and "Handsome young black teenager sitting on a potato."

So when the Shutterstock rep asked if I wanted to try being a stock model for the day, I said yes immediately. I take INSIDER's motto ("life is an adventure!") very seriously — but I was also genuinely curious what it would be like.

Donald Bowers, the New York City–based pro photographer who volunteered to take part, said the photo shoot should feature me doing some kind of physical activity, like running, biking, or dancing. At first, I panicked. My last gym automatically canceled my membership after I didn't show up for four months straight. How on earth could I pass as a fitness model — even a temporary one?

But I am a trained dancer, I told Donald, and I occasionally struggle through yoga videos that I find on YouTube. That sounded good enough to him, so we made a plan to meet in Central Park on a boiling mid-July afternoon. 

We started the photo shoot with a little yoga.  

Our plan was to spend two hours shooting various dance and yoga poses. Then Donald would go through the photos, choose the best ones, edit them, and submit them to Shutterstock for consideration. The final photos would be available on Shutterstock for literally anyone to purchase. Though real stock models make around $75 to $100 an hour (or up to $1,000 a day if they're repped by an agency), I would be modeling for free. 

Once we picked the perfect grassy spot in the park, I rolled out my mat and held a series of poses (warrior II, camel, child's) while Donald snapped away. Within minutes, I was covered in sweat. But before I had a moment to pity myself, I noticed that Donald was working just as hard as I was.

 While I held poses, he crouched down in the grass, shuffling back and forth on his knees — sometimes on his elbows — just to get the perfect angle. It seemed like he never paused for more than three consecutive seconds. 

"Stock is great for photographers who are restless," he told me when we took a water break a bit later. 

Donald was also decisive in directing me, reminding me that a soft smile looked better than a determined, furrowed brow, and urging me to really straighten my knees in some of the dance shots. He must have noticed me grimace, because the next thing he said was, "The more it hurts, the better it looks."

I remember how much pain I was in while posing for this photo, and I have to admit it came out pretty well. 

While we shot the dance photos, in particular, people stopped, gawked briefly, and snapped pictures of me on their phones. Perhaps, seeing all the pro camera equipment, they assumed I was someone important, rather than a rapidly aging office worker already calculating the number of Advil she will need to take the next morning after all this sustained athletic posing. 

But at a certain point I think I tuned out everything that wasn't Donald's direction. I got into a zone. For a few minutes I ceased to be Caroline. Instead I was "Young Caucasian Brunette Woman Performs Hip Hop Dance Wearing Athleisure," as I'm now currently described in the Shutterstock database. 

I knew modeling wouldn't be easy, but I was stunned by how physically and mentally difficult it was.

Every moment was hard: Holding poses, weathering the stares of strangers, trying to figure out the difference between a smirk and a soft smile and a smolder.

It gave me a new appreciation for the models who must commit to wacky poses, expressions, and concepts. (I feel for you, wherever you are, Handsome young black teenager sitting on a potato.)

Donald took nearly 600 photos of me over two and a half hours, and the final collection was culled to exactly 53. That gives you a good idea of my skills as a model — but it also proves that making good stock photos takes a lot of effort from both photographer and subject.

At the very end of our session, I asked Donald for one last thing — the universally mocked stock photo of "woman laughing with salad."

Back in 2011, writer Edith Zimmerman noticed that there were a ton of stock photos showing minor variations of the exact same scene: A woman eating a salad alone and laughing. The photos are bizarre and unnatural — the quintessential bad stock image. Zimmerman blogged about the photos and her post went viral. The woman-laughing-alone-with-salad even became a meme.

I knew I had to have a salad stock photo of my own, so asked Donald to snap a few shots of me fake-eating and fake-laughing. I'm happy to report that he said yes.

Donald admitted that stock photography has a bad reputation — but he also said it's getting better. 

Donald told me that some of the worst stock images — like the infamous woman-with-salad trope — reflect a temporary low point in the industry's history. 

Stock photography actually dates back to the 1920s, Shutterstock explains on its website. Back then, stock photos were outtakes from commercial photo shoots, sold at a discounted rate for customers who needed imagery on a budget. By the 1980s, however, stock photography had grown into its own industry. It wasn't just a place to pawn off leftover photos — now, photographers were taking pictures for the specific purpose of creating stock imagery.  

But around 15 years ago, Donald explained, stock photography was inundated with more amateur, lower-quality images, partly because technology like digital cameras became cheaper and more accessible. 

"In the early 2000s, it was getting poor, and too predictable," he said. 

But today, he argues, stock agencies have less imagery and stronger imagery. When I browse through Donald's gallery of work on Shutterstock, I have to agree. 

His best-selling Shutterstock photo doesn't feature models at all but his young twin nephews goofing off, unprompted. In fact, Donald's gallery is full of photos of his son and other family members, captured in a natural state of play or relaxation. These days, Donald said, he's frequently using the keyword "authentic" to label his stock photos. 

Donald isn't alone in identifying this trend.

"People’s savviness to what makes a good or inspiring photo has raised the bar in expectations," Brianna Wettlaufer, the CEO and co-founder of Stocksy told Creative Boom in an interview about the increasing demand for more "real" stock photos. "We’ve found clients [...] want an updated look and feel where you can relate and trust the realness of the people in the photos."

True, the cyber corn women of the stock photo world will always be out there. But maybe the balance will keep tipping toward the authentic, as Donald is predicting. I can confirm, at the very least, that this goofy face seen on the right was not one bit staged. As someone who's spent hours scrolling stock photo search results, desperate to find a model with a natural-looking smile, I have to admit that I'm glad it exists.

See more of Donald Bowers' Shutterstock photography right here. 

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The INSIDER Summary:

• "Bachelor" alum Britt Nilsson revealed that she struggled with bulimia while on the show.
• She appeared on season 19 of the show, which starred Chris Soules as "The Bachelor."
• A fight on the show triggered a relapse of her binge-eating disorder and bulimia. 
• She was also dealing with an addiction to drugs and alcohol at the time.
• Thankfully, she's been sober for two years and is newly engaged.

Former "Bachelor" contestant Britt Nilsson is opening up about her experience on the show — and the struggles she kept hidden from the camera — in a very personal way. The reality TV alum, who competed with Kaitlyn Bristowe to be the season 11 Bachelorette, revealed in a new vlog that she was battling an eating disorder while on "The Bachelor."

In a video the 30-year-old shared to her YouTube channel, Nilsson opened up about her struggles with bulimia, as well as her problems with addiction to drugs and alcohol.

Specifically, she revealed the fight she faced while competing on Chris Soules’ season of "The Bachelor," explaining that being on the show triggered a relapse of her binge-eating disorder and bulimia. “For me, having tons of food everywhere [on "The Bachelor"]… it just became too much. I would just eat to shove down — I had pain and anxiety, I felt insecure, I didn’t feel pretty enough, I didn’t know what was going on, I missed my family. And I hadn’t acted out that way in a long time.”

Addressing the fact that contestants wear microphones throughout filming (24/7, in fact), she admitted that she was scared she would be found out. “I was totally terrified that it was going to be caught on a mic and that millions of people were going to know that I just couldn’t control myself,” she shared. “I would take my mic off and try to hide it under towels so they wouldn’t hear me throw up, because then that was going to be on the show and that was going to be a plot line. How horrible would that be, to be the girl who has an eating disorder, who can’t stop eating and throwing up?”

These days, Nilsson is engaged and sober and has made a vow to never make herself throw up again. She’s kept that promise for two years.

Knowing that others can relate to her struggles, Nilsson said she hopes that her honesty can encourage her fans to seek the help they might need. “I want to be totally vulnerable here, so if you’re going through the same thing, I know what that feels like — to feel completely out of control and ashamed and scared at the same time,” she said in her video. “I know exactly what that is. But there is hope.”

See Nilsson’s full video below.

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The INSIDER Summary: 

• 8-year-old Roxy Getter is now the youngest female to summit Mount Kilimanjaro.
• Getter climbed the mountain alongside her 10-year-old brother and her parents. 
• The family prepared by climbing up and down stairs at local parking garages, stadiums and bridges. 
• Keats Boyd previously became the youngest person to ever summit Mount Kilimanjaro when he was 7 years old.

While the rest of us spent our weekend lounging about, binge-watching our favorite television shows, and taking a nap or two, 8-year-old Roxy Getter was busy becoming the youngest woman ever to summit Mount Kilimanjaro.

“Day one was one of the hardest days…it was like the second hardest…because you had to go like up down and up and down and then you had to do the steep stair,” Getter told CBS.

Getter climbed the famed 19,341-foot mountain in Tanzania alongside her 10-year-old brother, Ben, and her parents, Sarah and Bobby.

“They were amazing,” Sarah Getter told WINK of her resilient offspring. “They did not complain, they just kept going, one step in front of the other.”

The entire family trained for the climb in their home state of Florida by climbing up and down stairs at local parking garages, stadiums, and bridges.

“You see them in front of you and you’re just, you can barely do it yourself, and then there they are,” Bobby Getter told WINK. “We’re so proud of them.”

Sarah also noted that it was just seven degrees at the mountain’s summit, but that didn’t stop the family from experiencing pure joy and pride at their accomplishment.

“When we got to the top, we just started tearing up. They were in front of us walking and we both just held hands,” she said.

To make this story even more unbelievable, the trek was actually the first time the Getter children ever spent the night at a campsite. This is a truly remarkable feat for an 8-year-old, as it’s estimated that 25,000 people climb the mountain each year, but only 66 percent of them make it to the top.

Getter now joins Los Angeles resident Keats Boyd in the history books. Boyd reached the summit of Kilimanjaro at just 7 years old, according to Climb Kilimanjaro Guide, and remains the youngest person ever to summit. And at 86 years and 267 days old, Russian Angela Vorobeva holds the record as the oldest person to climb Mount Kilimanjaro.

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The INSIDER Summary:

• OBGYN Amanda Hess delivered a baby minutes before her own contractions started.
• Hess was preparing to have her labor induced when she overheard nurses preparing to deliver a baby in distress.
• The patient didn't realize that Hess was in labor because she was so focused.

Here’s your dose of badassery for the day: A Kentucky doctor delivered a baby right before going into labor. That’s right, literally minutes before her own contractions started, this doctor was helping another mom bring her kid into the world. Talk about dedication to one’s patients!

On Sunday, OBGYN Amanda Hess was at Frankfort Regional Medical Center, preparing to have her labor induced to deliver her second child when she saw a need for help. According to a Facebook post by Dr. Hala Sabry, founder of the Physician Moms Group, Hess “overheard the nurses preparing for a woman in active labor who needed to deliver immediately because the baby was in distress — that baby was coming and needed help!” The patient’s physician was en route, but Hess knew that she couldn’t wait for help to arrive. “So, in her own words, she ‘put another gown on to cover my backside, put some splash boots on over my flip flops’ and delivered that baby!” Sabry wrote. According to NBC, Hess began having her own contractions only minutes after delivering the patient’s baby.

“I had actually taken a call the day before, so I thought really that I was working up to the last minute. But this was literally 'til the last second,” Hess told NBC affiliate WLEX-18.

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The INSIDER Summary:

• Kate Middleton has been known to repeat some of her chicest looks.
• But this time, the Duchess debuted an elegant white Catherine Walker coat dress while in Belgium.
• The little white dress has been Middleton's go-to for the summer.
  

We love when Kate Middleton repeats her looks. After all, her clothes are too chic to only wear once! But it’s definitely exciting when she debuts a new look, like she did in Belgium on Monday, July 31. The royal mom of two continued her summer of the LWD with striking coat dress by one of her go-to designers.

The Duchess of Cambridge looked elegant in a white Catherine Walker “Melrose” coat with silver lace embroidery detailing while attending a ceremony to honor the fallen soldiers of World War I at Tyne Cot Cemetery in Ypres. Middleton kept her accessories to a minimum with beige, suede pumps, a small hat with bow detail, a pearl brooch, and dainty pearl drop earrings.

She joined Prince William, Prince Charles, and Prime Minister Theresa May in commemorating the 100-year anniversary of the battle of Passchendaele, which is thought to be the bloodiest battle of WWI. Prince Charles addressed the crowd of 4,000 descendants of casualties of the battle, and Kate Middleton put a wreath of flowers on the grave of the unknown soldier.

Middleton, like Prince William, Prince Charles and many other attendees at the ceremony, accessorized with poppies, a symbol for the sacrifice soldiers made in WWI.

Yesterday, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge began the trip with a commemoration for the fallen soldiers at Menin Gate in Ypres. The duchess wore the same white Alexander McQueen skirt suit from Charlotte’s christening.

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The INSIDER Summary:

• Queen Elizabeth II drinks four cocktails a day, including one before lunch.
• The queen celebrates mid-morning with a glass of gin and Dubonnet on the rocks with a slice of lemon.
• She follows it up with a glass of wine at lunch and then a dry martini.
• Queen Elizabeth sips on a glass of Champagne before bed.

I never expected the queen to make me feel like a lightweight, but here we are.

A recent look into her diet, which mostly involves fairly simple and nutritious foods like fish, vegetables and whole-grain cereal, revealed a big surprise — the queen regularly imbibes four drinks a day, including one before lunch.

Now, I don't know about you, but if I have a cocktail before noon, it usually means I'll be in bed with a headache by 3 p.m. (a lesson I'll probably never learn thanks to a little thing called brunch).

But Queen Elizabeth celebrates midmorning with a glass of gin and Dubonnet on the rocks with a slice of lemon, something a lot stronger than the cup of tea you'd think she might reach for. That's followed by a glass of wine with lunch, and according to her a cousin, a dry martini.

Before bed, she'll sip a glass of fine Champagne, which is a lot classier than anything I would manage to do — in general, the more I drink the less refined my palate becomes, so if anything, I'd start my day with the Champagne and end it with a cup of gin (yes, I said cup and not glass, because I'm being realistic here, people).

Now, normally I'd look askance at someone who told me they have four drinks a day, but seeing that Queen Elizabeth is 91 and still a total baller who meets elephants, drives Jaguars and rules a country as though it were nothing, she definitely gets a pass.

If four drinks a day is the magic secret to her longevity and happiness, maybe we should all take a page out of her book. Well, maybe that doesn't seem like a good blanket recommendation, but I think we can all agree on this — find what works for you and stick to it, no matter what the haters say. Oh, and always wear a fabulous hat. There's a blanket recommendation for being more queenly that everyone can benefit from.

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The INSIDER Summary:

• The wealth of the British royal family is quite substantial.
• While their net worth is still large, Kate Middleton and Prince Philip are on the lower side of the family.
• Prince George and Princess Charlotte have the highest net worth solely based off their value to the UK economy.

Whether you admire them for their established birthrights or myriad of leadership qualities, the esteemed British family is revered throughout countless nations. Royals seem to have it all—power, prestige, and perhaps most importantly, money. From gargantuan oil supplies to significant charitable donations, the wealth of the British royal family is quite substantial. Surprisingly, most of the money used to fund the British monarchy doesn't actually come from the taxpayer—the royal family are all wealthy on their own. With the combined sums of inheritances, crown estates, and allowances, these royals are able to spare no expense when it comes to enjoying the better things in life. Although we can’t directly indulge ourselves in the abundant realm of high jewelry, impeccable art, and acres of land that comprise their lifestyle, we can revel in their considerable net worths to a cup of herbal tea—with our pinkies raised in the air of course. (Here are 14 other etiquette rules that everyone in the royal family must follow).

Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge

Net worth: $10 million

Middleton's story has often been overplayed as a rags-to-riches ascent to royalty, but that’s actually far from the case; her family held substantial holdings with a collective net worth of $50 million. Most of this derives from an online party supply business called Party Pieces, which Breakthrough Branding has dubbed "the U.K.'s leading online and catalog party company." Prince Charles also covers her official staff and wardrobe expenses, and some of her travel costs are often funded by the countries she visits, which means she gets to keep most of her personal money in the bank—one of the many benefits of having a prince for a husband, we assume. Although her net worth is estimated to be around $10 million over the years in terms of savings, her national worth with clothing sales and tourism revenue is rumored to be much higher. (Check out these 18 times Kate Middleton and Princess Diana basically wore the same outfit). In any case, her combined wealth with husband Prince William is said to increase once Prince Charles ascends to the throne.

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh

Net worth: $30 million 

Although he never took on the title of king due to strict monarchy regulations, royalty still pumps through his blood. This is pretty sweet considering that he receives just over $442,000 a year as determined by the Sovereign Grant just for his royal title. According to a U.K. Government site, Prince Philip receives an annual Parliamentary annuity of £359,000 in order “to meet the expenses of carrying out his public duties in support of the Queen.” (Have you seen these photos of Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh?)

Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and Prince Harry of Wales

Net worth: $40 million each 

According to The Richest, Prince William and his younger brother Prince Harry gathered most of their wealth on their 30th birthdays through an inheritance—£13m in trust and estate from their late mother,  Diana, Princess of Wales. At the age of 21, the two sons gained access to a lavish $450,000 per year investment profit. They also receive an “allowance” from the Duchy of Cornwall, which is managed by their father. This isn’t the typical allowance we remember from our parents however; it was reported to be a total $4.6 million in 2015. This grand sum covers most of their staff, travel, and wardrobe expenses. Despite their inherent royal status, both princes crank out their own paychecks as well. Prince William also works as a helicopter pilot for East Anglian Air Ambulance, but donates his entire $62,000 annual salary to charity. Prince Harry earns his own salary as an officer in the Army Air Corps until his departure from the service—as captain, he was said to earn an additional $45,000 a year. It's good to know the two princes have their morals in check; check out how they try to keep the memory of Princess Diana alive 20 years after her death.