Venus Williams Talks Body Confidence in Women’s Sports + More Beauty News

Venus Williams addresses the body confidence problem in women’s sports at a conference in Toronto

In 2023, Dove and Nike partnered up to launch the Body Confident Sport Program, a groundbreaking initiative aiming to boost body confidence in girls who play sports all across the world. In a time where, according to Dove, 47 per cent of adolescent girls in Canada are dropping out of sports by the age of 14 due to low body confidence, there is still work to be done in 2024.

As a tennis legend and seven-time grand slam winner, no one understands the impact of negative body talk in sports like Venus Williams, who was tapped to be an ambassador for the program last year. This week in Toronto, Williams spoke at the “Unmatched: Gender Equity in Sports Conference” presented by Tennis Canada and National Bank on the importance of keeping young girls enrolled in sports.

“[Keeping girls in sports] starts at a grassroots level — parents, coaches. The numbers are staggering,” shared the lifelong athlete, referring to Dove’s alarming stats. “I thought the days of girls dropping out of sports were over. Guess what? It’s not. I can’t imagine myself if I would have dropped out of sports. That’s a life I wouldn’t want to imagine.”

In addition to the pressures of body image, Williams also addressed the fear of failure that a sports environment can foster. “Failure is just a moment, just like when someone is the best in the world. I was number one in the world, but it was also just a moment. It was a good moment, but there’s always a moment to be better. Failure is just a moment of learning, it’s input in a system. And you keep it moving,” she said.

“Once you look at [failure] in this way, you realize it’s just a part of life. Everybody fails. It’s so interesting to look at all the athletes who have played and won and lost — there’s not one with a perfect record. Losing is sometimes the catalyst you need to be better.”

On a mission to #KeepHerConfident, Williams, Dove and its Body Confident Sport Program continue to inspire young female athletes worldwide.

 Vichy Laboratoires launches a dark spot-fighting night cream

There’s a reason we call getting a good night’s rest "beauty sleep.” According to Vichy Laboratoires and their latest launch, nighttime is prime time for the renewal of hyperpigmented skin.

The brand’s Liftactiv B3 Tone Correcting Night Cream is a miracle worker for dark spots, drawing on the its per cent vitamin B3 (a.k.a. niacinamide) and 0.15 per cent pure retinol ingredients to help achieve a brighter, more even skin tone. Come morning, you’ll be more than impressed by this hydrating gel-cream.

Estée Lauder drops an overnight facial treatment

We love a good facial treatment at any time, but one that works while you sleep? Yes, please! Estée Lauder’s Advanced Night Repair Overnight Treatment boasts an innovative formula that takes a “triple-action approach” to skin rejuvenation by restoring the skin’s barrier function, energy and moisture.

This luxurious cream is packed to the brim with skin-loving ingredients and technologies, including a hydrating blend of multi-molecular weight hyaluronic acid and polyglutamic acid, a 13 per cent lipid infusion for barrier support and an Estée-exclusive night peptide that helps encourage the skin’s natural renewal cycle. Dreamy!

Lush unveils limited-edition body sprays that smell like summer

Typically fresh-smelling and fruity, summer fragrances are a delight to wear. Lucky for us, Lush just unveiled a zesty collection of limited-edition body sprays that are just what we’re looking for at this time of year.

The four scents, Peaches, Space Girl, Grape Soda and Lemony Flutters, are each infused with ethically sourced essential oils for a revitalizing twist you’ll adore. So, what’s your summer scent mood?

Dermalogica releases a vitamin C-powered nighttime serum

Think you should only be wearing your vitamin C serums in the morning? Dermalogica wants you to think again. Capitalizing on the skin’s overnight regenerative phase, the brand’s Biolumin-C Night Restore Serum with pro-vitamin D works to restore tone, hydration and radiance in the skin overnight.

After your cleansing and toning steps, apply three to four drops of this reparative serum evenly over your face and neck at night to wake up looking fresh and bright.