Until you see a girl wearing leather pants—á la Uncle Jesse in his '90s rock band phase—you probably haven't consciously been craving a good pair of coated denim jeans. Treated to look like form-fitting leather, coated denim is a more affordable and, oftentimes, more comfortable option. And just like a good leather legging, they look good with everything—and come in a variety of colors and washes. Click through the gallery to see and shop our top 10 picks.

Summer's most anticipated show has arrived, and no, there aren't any dragons. Unless you count Anna Kendrick, who's straight fire in the first trailer for Lip Sync Battle, the brand new show based on the hugely popular Tonight Show segment. Hosted by LL Cool J and Chrissy Teigen, the show will feature dueling celebs who'll lip sync two songs per episode, with the audience deciding on the night's eventual winner. Based on this frenetic first look, contestants like John Krasinski (he wears a dress), Stephen Merchant (he wears butless chaps), and Jimmy Fallon (he's Jimmy Fallon) pull out all the stops. But none of them hold a candle to Anna Kendrick, who takes her performance of JLo's 'Booty' to the next level when she — well, see for yourself. It's pretty epic. 

Lip Sync Battle premieres April 2 on Spike TV.

Lena Dunham may be co-starring on Scandal tonight with a slightly frazzled-looking bobbed wig, but the actress is also embracing a new hairdo in her real life. The Girls star just debuted her new pixie cut last night on Late Night With Seth Meyers and it's her shortest style yet.

The 28-year-old had rocked a sweet pixie for a while before growing out her locks to a chin-grazing bob, and after briefly experimenting with blonde hair (before Kim Kardashian grabbed the bleach, we might add), Dunham went back to her natural chestnut hue. While her bobbed hair added a chic vibe to Dunham, we're excited to see her changing things up once more with an easy-to-maintain cut that gives her a fairy-like charm. (This cut looks great right out of bed, too.) With such a carefree 'do, the actress's look has become all the more fun.

Just like Girls, Lena Dunham's hair always keeps us on our toes and we can't wait to see what she does next. Could this dramatic new chop have anything to do with a plot twist for Hannah Horvath?

In the upcoming teen romance Paper Towns, real life 'coolest girl on earth' Cara Delevingne, plays made up 'coolest girl on earth' Margo, a rabble-rouser who woos her dorky neighbor (Nat Wolff), disappears, and leaves a trail of clues that may or may not lead to her whereabouts. Based on the bestselling YA novel from The Fault In Our Stars scribe John Green, Paper Towns already came with a huge following. Still, fans were initially skeptical when a supermodel with zero acting experience was charged with bringing their beloved Margo to life. But, based on the just-released first trailer, it looks like Cara D is set to surprise them all, as she extends her Insta-famous charisma to the silver screen. This girl's got movie star written all over her. 

Paper Towns hits theaters July 24. Watch the trailer below.  

Two years ago, four young guys from a suburb of St. Paul, Minnesota set out to make music their friends could dance to. Little did they know they would end up creating something much bigger. Whistler Allen, Jake Luppen, Nathan Stocker, and Zach Sutton—or, rather, Beans, the Turntan, Stitches, and Espo—are the young geniuses behind Hippo Campus, the indie alternative pop band making its first appearance at SXSW this year. After starting out as an underground high school band, they’re now signed to a label, slated to play in Austin's SXSW, and are headed across North America to open for The Mowgli’s during their Kids in Love Tour. Pretty impressive for a band that still practices in their parents’ basements. 

Even though they're just 19 and 20 years old, these guys are doing it and they’re doing it right, making their dreams become reality at a rapid pace. “We were like, we’re going to form this band because we just want to have a good time and that’s what we’ve been lucky enough to do,” says drummer Beans. Hippo Campus has been very lucky, if luck is what you want to call it. They released their first EP Bashful Creatures last November, signed to independent record label Grand Jury in February, and are prepping to play a major music festival and tour. They’re basically living every garage band’s dream. “It’s almost like it’s going over our heads too quickly for us, but we’re still there,” continues Beans.

Hippo Campus can likely attribute their rapid success to their genuine efforts and boyish style. Their use of clean guitar sounds, drum rims, seductive vocals, and witty, thoughtful lyrics surely helps, too; dancing shoes are a must at their live shows because it’s hard not to jive to Hippo Campus’ fun, unique sound. Their songs carry a common theme of the frivolous, yet valued freedom of youth. Says Turntan: “We’re at a point in our lives where we’re growing into young men. We made it through adolescence [so] it’s something really familiar to us. I think we can write about it really honestly.” And they’re definitely not too eager to grow up. According to guitarist Stitches, people never really do grow up–they just get good at pretending. Beans agrees: “I’d like to say that we know we won’t necessarily get rid of the kid in us.” This attitude has allowed them to forge a genuine friendship with their young fan base. Unlike most bands, Hippo Campus hangs out with their fans after shows, tweets at them, and sends them personal Snapchats. “We do what we can to pay them back for what they’ve given us,” says Turntan.

Even though they're underage and have even younger fans, it’s not uncommon for Hippo Campus to get put on the lineups for 21-plus shows. “It’s kind of nice because we get to feel better about ourselves. Like, oh, we’re playing 21-plus shows and we’re not 21? We must be fucking cool,” says Stitches. “We’re getting a lot of attention from the older crowd more and more, which is good,” says Beans. As Hippo Campus heads out on tour this spring, though, anyone will be able to dance along with the group, regardless of age.

From the tour, Hippo Campus is on to even bigger things. Based on their recent Instagram posts and Snapchat stories, they’ve been putting in work in the studio, and will soon be opening up for Walk the Moon and Milky Chance at the Red Rock Amphitheatre in Colorado. So if you’re in Austin for SXSW, be sure to vibe out with Hippo Campus because this is just the beginning of their exciting ride.

Gone are the days of the French manicure. We live in a time where nail art rules the runways and vibrant polish colors are a beauty cabinet staple. There may be no easier way to switch up your look than to change up your nails. Manicures are (relatively) quick and non-permanent, after all, so there's nothing to lose by trying something new. 

While your polish collection may seem complete with every color of the rainbow and more topcoats than one person could possibly need, these 11 polishes will take your mani to the next level with their unique formulas and textures: think holograms, velvet, and sand. The possibilities may surprise you—and they're guaranteed to make your claws look as rad as ever. Flip through the gallery to find the coolest, weirdest, and chicest nail polishes for every style and price.

The cheating scandal that has rocked Miley Cyrus and Patrick Schwarzenegger's perfect world has officially gotten out of hand. After photos—which were taken in Cabo San Lucas during spring break—first emerged of Miley's beau in full embrace with a bikini clad woman, social media erupted with rumors and allegations that the 21-year-old entrepreneur had strayed from his pop star girlfriend.

"Omg. It's one of my best friends girlfriend..." Schwarzenegger wrote in a series of tweets denying any philandering. ”Would NEVER do anything against my GF.....Girls have guy friends and guys have friends that are girls..." But his explanation hasn't done anything to quell the vitriol spewing from Miley's legion of fans. Schwarzenegger has been bombarded with thousands of tweets that range from absurd ("I hope your pizza place burns down") to flat-out disturbing ("Who's gonna kill Patrick for us?").  

While Miley has yet to respond to the budding scandal, she did post a cryptic message to Instagram Monday. "Surround yourself with people that reflect who you want to be and how you want to feel, energies are contagious," the singer wrote. "Don't ever let someone treat you like a yellow Starburst. You are a pink Starburst." It's a pretty chill response from Cyrus, who could have easily gone the shade throwing route. Now if only her fans would follow suit.

(via TMZ)

You chuckle when those around you say they "don't work out," but mostly you feel bad for them—they don't have the same endorphins pulsating through their veins; they simply don't know what they're missing. But beyond that, you know one very important thing: Exercise has changed you, made you grow into (what you imagine to be) a fully formed person. But what exactly is your idea of success, and what does your go-to fitness trend say about you? Click through the gallery and gain more insight than you would in one aqua cycle class.

We many never know the pressures of being in an internationally famous boy band, but we can imagine that—amid stacked tours and an endless procession of screaming fans—there are times when things get pretty intense. According to the Associated Press, One Direction's publicist Simon Jones announced today that Zayn Malik "has been signed off with stress and is flying back to the U.K. to recuperate" amid the band's On the Road Again tour. The group will continue to tour Southeast Asia, but it is not yet clear as to whether or not Malik will rejoin the tour for its scheduled dates in South Africa at the end of this month. 

Could it be trouble in paradise? Earlier this week, Zayn responded to rumours of relationship trouble between him and fiancé Perrie Edwards after pictures of him with another woman surfaced. Speaking frankly of his feelings for Little Mix's Edwards, Zayn tweeted, "I'm 22 years old... I love a girl named Perrie Edwards. And there's a lot of jealous f*cks in this world I'm sorry for what it looks like x."

Regardless of the reason for Zayn's departure, social media speculation is running rampant trying to analyze its symbolism. In the mean time, we wish Zayn a speedy road to relaxation.

(viaAP)

We've spent many a party huddled over a deck of tarot cards while a reader told us what to expect in our budding love lives and future paths. We've even found ourselves in candle-lit rooms filled with curious oddities and strange trinkets as a woman dressed in mystical, bohemian garb explains how a single card fortells the good fortune that's about to befall us. The practice of tarot has always had a sort of magical air around it, making it hard to fully grasp and daunting to study—after all, can you really see the word "Hierophant" and not get a little intimidated?

However, in practice, tarot has a lot less to do with untouchable mysteries and a lot more to do with intuition, self-consciousness, and personal spirituality. A deck of cards doesn't have to be reserved for a special occasion, but can instead become a part of how we live our daily lives and get in touch with our feelings and environment. In order to find out just how to use tarot cards to improve our spiritual lives (and get more in-tune with our friends and families) we spoke to three tarot readers about how to get started. Now, draw a card and read on. 

What are tarot cards meant to do?
Tarot isn't the future-predicting, fortune-telling medium that pop culture would have you believe it to be. In fact, these cards have more similarities to maps than crystal balls. "I see the act of reading tarot as similar to reading a map, looking in the mirror, or consulting your GPS," says professional tarot reader (and witch!) Paige Zaferiou. "It's about achieving a better understanding of where you are in life, what your challenges are, and how you can best navigate these challenges with strategy and action." 

By seeing tarot readings as a map instead of a set prediction for the future, you can better use them to help solve the challenges and issues present in your life. "Tarot can be an amazing way to confirm gut feelings and strategize new projects," says intuitive guide and clairvoyant energy healer Molly Burkett. "The cards reflect your highest potential, your deepest insecurities, and your greatest strengths, and show you the pathway to balance." Selecting a tarot card is not meant to create a set-in-stone path that you must follow. Rather, it helps to put different aspects of your life into perspective so you can choose what path to take next. "The goal for me is not future prediction, as the future is not a fixed space and changes moment to moment depending on our choices," says tarot reader Bakara Wintner. They aren't meant to tell your fortune—but they can help you find good fortune by helping you to look inward first.

How do you select a deck?
"To find the right tarot cards for you, keep in mind these words: resonance and connection. You want to find a deck that you can read—and that means you need to feel connected to the images, as if they were extensions of yourself," says Zaferiou. There are so many decks available in different styles that when it comes down to choosing, you should go with the one that most speaks to you.

If you are interested in learning more about the meanings behind tarot cards, then look for a more basic starter deck. "The conventional decks like the Rider Waite, Thoth, and Osho cards have more guidebooks that correspond with the imagery of the cards, so there are more resources available to learn if you choose a more widely used deck," says Wintner. Other popular decks include The Wild Unknown and Spiral Tarot. Burkett also recommends looking into decks designed by artists who make images based on their own spirtual experiences, like Devany Wolfe's Serpent Fire, Mary Bean Evans' Spirit Speak, Danielle Noel's Starchild, and Marcella Kroll's Sacred Symbols Oracle. To get a look at cards before purchasing, The Aeclectic Tarot has photos and descriptions of 1,500 different decks. 

Although choosing a deck is wholly up to your own intuition, there are still some practices that should be maintained when handling tarot cards. While some believe that tarot cards must be received as a gift and not purchased for oneself, most modern practitioners agree that buying your own deck is completely acceptable. However, when using your tarot cards to read for others, Burkett advises to clear the deck "by shuffling, reseting it in its original order, or setting a selenite or quartz crystal on it."

How do you read tarot cards?
While guidebooks (and the Internet) can give you the traditional meanings of cards, it's up to your own interpreting skills to really figure them out. "By all means, research the symbolism, traditional associations, and nuanced meanings of the cards—but also learn to trust your gut," says Zaferiou. "The best tarot readers strike a balance between intellectual knowledge of the tarot's symbology and intuitive hits on what that symbology is saying about the situation in question." 

It can be easy to get caught up in the textbook-level aspect of tarot, trying to memorize all of the meanings within a deck. However, this can detract from the purpose of reading tarot at all. As tarot cards set out a map for you to reflect on, it's most important to stick to your gut. "You don’t have to be special or chosen or initiated at birth by your Shaman grandfather to do healing work. Each person is, at their core, intuitive and spiritually connected," says Wintner. "The hardest and greatest lesson I and all readers have to learn is to trust their gifts and their goodness."

However, in the face of self-doubt, sometimes a little collaboration can help. When reading for another person, look at it as a conversation rather than a dictation. "I believe a modern, ethical tarot reading is an interactive, co-created experience between the seeker (the client) and the guide (the reader). The key is to listen to the person you're reading for and stay curious and upbeat," says Burkett. A little discussion helps the person you're reading for to figure out how to apply the cards to their own life and can also help you to shape your own interpretations of deck.

How can you improve your tarot-reading skills?
As a centuries-old practice, tarot has a rich history, so there are plenty of books filled with information about the cards—Zaferiou recommends Holistic Tarot by Benebell Wen and Tarot Tells The Tale by James Rickleff—that can shed light on the deeper meanings behind them. Today, blogs and even Instagram hashtags like #dailytarot and #cardoftheday work to share knowledge about the practice.

Your individual practice can also be improved through note-taking and journaling. "Each time you engage with or learn about a card, come up with some key words or phrases that describe what the card is saying. Record those key words and phrases in the master list, and over time you'll have a personalized record of what each card means to you," Zaferiou says.

However, connecting with others can also help to improve your knowledge and experience with tarot. After forming a group of people interested in learning more about the practice, Wintner co-founded The Brooklyn Fools, a formal tarot discussion and training collective. "I cannot overstate how important community was and is to me as I found my way in this work," she says. "To be witnessed, to have others hold space and give support and not judge gave me the courage to take the risks I did in the face of a lot of fear and self-doubt."

When learning tarot, there is a lot to take in: symbols, meanings, interpretations. The more you practice, the better you become at it, but there is no final end goal or state of complete enlightenment, but rather a continued process of growth that help you to become more in tune with yourself and your surroundings on a spiritual level. "Tarot is not a system to be mastered, it's an art to be practiced, like ballet, or tae kwan do, or avoiding creeps at the deli," says Burkett. "Every reader has their own philosophy and style—practice and experiment until you figure yours out. It wasn't until I started combining tarot with energy work that I realized I was not so much a tarot reader as a healer who uses tarot cards. You have your unique angle and strength, too, whether you realize it yet or not."

Even after hearing countless apartment horror stories and sifting through hundreds of creepy Craigslist ads, thousands of creative 20-somethings constantly make the decision to move from one tiny, dingy apartment to the next, in spacially stifling cities. But as many young creatives know, the trick to keeping an expressive, open mind is to surround yourself with inspiring objects and trinkets. Cue: The Sill. The New York-based company, which opened in 2012, ships plants straight to hundreds of narrow doorways. Adding a bright, potted succulent, cactus, or even a floor fig tree is easily the coolest way to add a little life and character to any space. Click through the gallery to see and shop our top picks.

We've got some good news, and some bad news. 

The bad news: Bradley Cooper and his girlfriend of two years, U.K. model Suki Waterhouse, have ended their relationship, a source confirmed to People. The good news: They've managed to stay friends post-split.

Although they attended last month's Oscars together, that was a friend-date, the source said—as was their recent jaunt to Nobu Malibu. Throughout their relationship, the couple managed to skirt the spotlight, and were rarely spotted together apart from a few major award shows and a White House state dinner in February of last year. Cooper, despite being asked about his love life a kajillion times (a week), never talked about Waterhouse in public, and likewise, she never posted a picture of him with bedhead on her hugely popular Instagram account. 

The reason for their sudden breakup is not yet clear, but nothing kills relationships (in Hollywood or otherwise) like a busy schedule. And right now both Cooper and Waterhouse's respective Google calendars couldn't be more packed: Coming off the insane success of American Sniper, Cooper is in Las Vegas shooting Arms & The Dudes, the next Todd Phillips comedy, alongside Jonah Hill and Miles Teller, and will follow that with his annual Jennifer Lawrence/David O. Russell collaboration Joy. Meanwhile, Waterhouse looks to follow in her friend Cara Delevingne's footsteps when she makes her big screen debut in Friday's Divergent. 

Wait. Oscars? Nobu? Movie stardom? This sounds like the funnest breakup ever. 

The world of Shakespeare's Cymbeline isn't too far removed from the dramatic New York City seen in Gossip Girl—filled with betrayal, unexpected marriages, and banishment—so it isn't too jarring to see Penn Badgley make the transition from secretive Brooklyn-boy Dan Humphrey to the lovelorn Posthumus. As Badgely shows off his serious acting chops in one of Shakespeare's most twisted, tragic romances, he's also been taking on more diverse (yet ever-dramatic) roles in NBC's The Slap and an upcoming romantic film, The Paper Store. Here, he chatted with us about the challenges of acting Shakespeare, Uma Thurman, and his hallucinogenic experiences in the Colombian jungle.

Is Shakespeare a challenge an actor rushes toward or something he approaches with trepidation?
"It’s both. It depends on the person. I personally right now want to rush toward something that scares me for the right reason. When it comes to the character of Posthumus, I think a lot of the productions of this tend to be more comical and absurd and even though the movie’s plenty comical and absurd. In this it is much more dramatic and serious, so that made Posthumus a pretty terrifyingly insane and unstable character. Maybe he was just a bit arrogant and dramatic a couple of hundred years ago but putting Posthumus in modern day context, he’s really something crazy."

What about doing Shakespeare for the first time and performing with actors of varying degrees of experience, Ed Harris and Ethan Hawke, and then you have Dakota Johnson?
"The interesting thing is I barely worked with Dakota in the movie even though we are characters who are obsessed with one another. The bulk of my work was where I had a lot going on with Ethan and I’d say he was an incredibly compassionate and supportive cast mate. On the first day of shooting we had those two big scenes and it was an intense first day and he in fact said it was the most difficult and intense first day on any project he ever had."

Dakota got cast in 50 Shades while you were shooting. How did that impact things?
"It reminded me of Gossip Girl. It was like one day nothing, the next day everything. It’s pretty funny the way that happened. I remember the day she got it the next day there were scores of paparazzi out there. I imagine she’s learned to deal with it by now."

Tell me a little about The Slap with you and Uma Thurman.
"It was a bit of a wink and a nod to my days on Gossip Girl because I’m playing a young television actor and also lead singer in a band living in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and he’s on this hit series which is referred to a bit in that milieu. He’s dating an older woman, and that’s Uma Thurman. Initially reading the logline I thought that seems dangerously close to home and I didn’t give it much thought. But I got to write a song. I essentially make fun of myself while having a fling with Uma. It was fun for me."

What was the song for Uma?
"I wrote the song with her character in mind, sort of. I think it’s a plea to an older woman to give a young man a chance. As far as Uma goes, I think the song would be, Hi, nice to meet you, I’m Penn. When all is said and done, I was in and out of that thing. I was only in one episode."

You said you’ve written a song for every woman you’ve ever loved. Do you have a song for Blake Lively?
"I said that I’ve written a song for every woman I’ve loved and that’s on the money. You can’t help it as a songwriter but to write from your experience."

What is this stuff I read about you in the Colombian jungle doing hallucinogens. Ayahuasca? What’s that?
"There’s many things that it is and the experience can range for lots of different people. I sat with it in the Tayrona National Rainforest in Columbia. I would call it an ancient medicine of indigenous peoples of South America. These shamanic rituals can be very eye opening. It’s part of a personal journey. Truthfully I would say if you distill it down to its utmost barest truth, which is very rare you get to do in any career, when you pare it down, acting is a shamanic ritual."

I hate moisturizing my face before I go to sleep. I know, I know... But there's just something icky-feeling about putting anything on top of my skin before bed once I've cleansed it. That's not to say I don't do it; I just happen to find it rather annoying. I guess you could say I feel the same about flossing. But as much as I kick and scream, nighttime skin-care—much like cleaning between your teeth—is not only beneficial, but part of being a responsible adult. So, I decided to talk to New York-based dermatologist Dr. Marnie Nussbaum to find out why.

It turns out, serums and oils themselves gained popularity during the anti-aging movement. Moisturizers—in all shapes and sizes—plump the skin, which reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. So, hydrating our skin for a second time during the day seems like it could only help more—despite my personal resistance to the idea. Dr. Nussbaum agrees. "Most nighttime moisturizers contain essential oils to help maintain the skin's natural barrier function. Newer products are being formulated to calm inflammation and claim to clarify the skin," she said. 

Note: "Acne-prone patients would not benefit from an ultra-rich formulation," she says, and recommends a noncomedogenic, light moisturizer. Basically, when it comes to finding the right sleepy-time skin healers for you, it's best to shop according to your skin type. Everyone's skin is different, so we suggest consulting your dermatologist to build the perfect, personalized nighttime skin-care routine before shelling out your hard-earned dough.

Click through the gallery above to find your starting point. Whether it's a cream, a serum, or an oil, I've used all of these in the past year—despite how much I personally dislike doing it. And without humblebragging, I can honestly say I've woken up with a youthful glow every morning since. Now close your eyes, moisturize, and go to sleep.

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TV shows about 20-somethings living and working in New York City often feature unrealistic portrayals of many things–chief among them, the characters’ outfits. Fortunately, Comedy Central’s Broad City is shattering these unattainable standards one cut-out bra at a time, thanks in part to the show’s costume designer Staci Greenbaum. In an interview with Fashionista, Greenbaum mentions NYLON as a likely source of inspiration for show star/co-creator Ilana Glazer, and we totally agree. So,  in honor of our favorite not-entirely-fictional NYLON girl, we picked Ilana's best looks from the show.

If it seems like we're all drowning in a sea of nude eyeshadow and "natural" contour sticks, well, you're not far off. And while we love a glimmering brown look, we've grown a little weary. So while working on our Sweet 16 issue, we contacted one of our favorite Korean beauty brands, Memebox, to collaborate on a vibrant makeup palette. Gathering inspiration from some of our most of-the-moment cover stars, we created eight original shades (under the direction of our senior beauty editor Jade Taylor and e-commerce assistant Blake Vulgamott): a shimmering opalescent rose wash ("The Moment"), a matte white ("Lilo"), a glittering olive ("Mary-Kate"), a deep red ("Mischa"), a sparkling copper ("Lana"), an eye-capturing hazel ("Paris"), a bluish-brown ("Nicole"), and a highly pigmented hot pink ("Sweet 16"). Each color is specifically designed to be your go-to palette—you know, the one you throw in your bag and can use to take you from day to night in a pinch.  

Click through the gallery to see three super-fun looks we created—The Party Girl, The New Smokey Eye, and the New-Age Grunge. With a step-by-step tutorial by makeup artist Michael Chua, you can recreate each look yourself. So go ahead, pick up a palette here and, if you feel so inclined, crash some Sweet 16s.

The NYLON #ItGirlPalette is available for pre-sale at a 20% discount exclusively on nylonshop and us.memebox.com/nylon

Photographer: Alana Tyler Slutsky
Hair Stylist: Karl Payton
Nail Artist: Jessica Tong
Stylist: Blake Vulgamott
Video: Daniel Huskey

Taylor Lautner was supposed to be huge. By the time he was old enough to drive, Lautner’s films had grossed over $1 billion worldwide, and studios were clamoring to cast the genetically gifted actor in every major tentpole that called for the not-so-subtle art of shirt removal. But ever since the Twilight franchise sold its last ticket three years ago, Lautner’s career has stumbled dramatically, and Hollywood’s former savior has become more of a cautionary tale.

After a long absence from multiplexes — apart from a supporting role as a douchey frat boy opposite Adam Sandler in Grown Ups 2 — Lautner is back with Tracers, a parkour-heavy heist film whose VOD-driven release signals just how far Lautner’s star has fallen.

So what happened?

At the height of Twilight-mania, Lautner had arguably become bigger than both Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart, in part because of his lycanthropic character Jacob’s endearing status as a third wheel, and in part because his oft-seen abs looked like they were engineered in a lab by a team of NASA’s most gifted scientists.

Meanwhile, the world’s most bankable leading men were no longer box office teflon, and studios were desperate for some new blood. Lautner, it seemed, was it. “William Morris has done a brilliant job of convincing Hollywood that he’s the next big movie star," a senior production executive at a major studio told Vulture in 2010.

Lautner starred in two films during his various Twilight hiatuses. The first was Valentine’s Day, a star-laden box office hit that didn’t require the actor to do any of the heavy lifting. It also helped that his most frequent scene partner was then-girlfriend and big screen rookie Taylor Swift, who made her boyfriend look like Sir Laurence Olivier by comparison.

It was Lautner’s second non-Twilight film, Abduction, that sounded the alarms among those who had invested heavily in the young star. Lautner was paid $5 million for the film, an eye-popping sum for an actor who had yet to open a movie on his own. And because studios had bought into the narrative being perpetuated around town—that Lautner was the heir apparent to Tom Cruise, he had already lined up a number of high-profile films with huge paydays before Abduction had even opened. 

“Many of Lautner's other slated films will likely go forward no matter how Abduction fares, as a studio rarely backs out once a deal is signed,” Vulture argued on the cusp of the film’s 2011 release. Among those films were Universal’s high profile adaptation of Stretch Armstrong with Lautner tapped to for the lead; Goliath, a modern take of the biblical story in which Lautner was expected to play the underdog David; and Incarceron based on Catherine Fisher’s popular YA sci-fi series. So how many of those films actually got made?

Zero.

Abduction, a generic action thriller directed by John Singleton failed both commercially, and critically, earning a dismal 4% on Rotten Tomatoes. “After watching "Abduction," the supposed thriller that features Lautner in his first leading-man role, it's obvious that Lautner is being controlled (sorry, "advised") by people who do not have his best interests in mind,” Yahoo’s Will Leitch wrote at the time. “This may be the first film I've even seen where when an actor goes to put his hand thoughtfully on his chin, it's so awkward I became afraid he'd somehow miss and poke himself in the eye," added Movieline’s Alison Wilmore.

While his Twilight costars were determined to prove their talents savvy performances in smaller niche films, the knock on Lautner was simple: He can’t act. He also appeared just as wooden offscreen as he did on it. And in the age of Jennifer Lawrence-style pratfalls and Ryan Gosling-style meme generators, a symmetrical face and sculpted torso does not a star make.

To his credit, Lautner seemed cognizant of his bad wrap, when he signed on to a small recurring cameo in the second season of the quirky BBC three comedy Cukoo. While the series went largely ignored stateside, Lautner displayed surprising comedic chops and a willingness to subvert his heartthrob persona.

That’s what makes his comeback effort so disappointing. It’s an abovious and somewhat desperate return to the stale formula that got him here in the first place. It’s fitting then, that Tracers is a film about parkour, the martial art that hasn’t been relevant in years. Lautner it seems, is destined to suffer a similar fate.

A good children's book—like a strong smell or a catchy song—brings back visceral, formative memories. And many of the books that stick out so strongly in our minds are memorable because their themes are relevant and important at all stages of our lives. So, we decided it was time to revisit some of our favorites and remind ourselves of the most basic—yet most crucial—moral lessons they taught us. Click through to see ten that we still think about, and consider giving them a reread.