The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.

• L.L.Bean is having a massive winter clearance sale — one of it's biggest sales of the year.
• Now through January 13, you can save up to 50% on sale styles.
• The sale includes apparel, footwear, outdoor equipment, travel accessories, and home goods.

The start of a new year is a great time to save on clothes, shoes, and outdoor gear as retailers work to clear out inventory in preparation for the next season. L.L.Bean's massive winter clearance sale is a prime example of that — and it's going on right now.

Until January 13, you can save up to 50% on winter clearance apparel and footwear styles for men, women, and kids. The sale also includes bags and travel accessories, outdoor equipment, and home goods. Although you've got a few days to take advantage of the deals, you'll want to grab the best ones now before they're gone.

Whether you're in need of items to wear right now or you're already planning your adventures for the next fall and winter seasons, there are plenty of worthwhile things to buy.

To help you get to the best deals quickly, we rounded up 20 of our favorite products on sale. Check them out below or find plenty of other amazing deals on the site here. 

Shop the L.L.Bean sale now.

Men's L.L.Bean Fleece-Lined Flannel Shirt

Fleece-Lined Flannel Shirt, $64.99 (Originally $74) [You save $9.01]

Men's L.L.Bean Mountain Classic Colorblock Fleece Pullover

Mountain Classic Colorblock Fleece Pullover, $59.99 (Originally $69) [You save $9.01]

Men's L.L.Bean Ultralight 850 Stretch Down Hooded Jacket

Ultralight 850 Stretch Down Hooded Jacket, available in four colors, $239-$249 (Originally $279) [You save up to $40]

The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.

• Vrai & Oro comes up in every jewelry shopper's search for alternative and affordable fine jewelry sites. 
• What makes shoppers stay and stick with the company boils down to these factors: beautiful styles, high quality, transparency, and customizability. 
• With Valentine's Day coming up, Vrai & Oro's 14-18-karat gold and ethically grown diamond pieces make a thoughtful gift for yourself or a loved one. 

For a jewelry company that stands by the values of quality, simplicity, and transparency, Vrai & Oro, which translates to "truth" (French) and "gold" (Spanish), couldn't be a more appropriate name. 

Founded in 2014, Vrai & Oro is where you can find simple, timeless, and beautiful fine jewelry — no vermeil, only 14-karat and 18-karat gold here — at a better price and through a less stressful shopping process than traditional fine jewelry retailers. 

Its story has only become more interesting in the last two years. It was acquired by Diamond Foundry, a company that grows above-ground diamonds using 100% solar energy, and it launched an engagement collection, which also includes a Design Your Own Ring feature. 

All of its pieces are designed and manufactured in downtown Los Angeles, with its Diamond Foundry diamonds traveling south from San Francisco. This unique localization and amount of control over the entire process allows Vrai & Oro to ensure ethical labor practices, maintain quality standards, and keep prices low. 

Vrai & Oro is part of a growing movement of online jewelry startups that want to do things differently and are rewarded with loyal fan bases.

The decision to partner with Diamond Foundry, for example, was a no-brainer because of founder Vanessa Stofenmacher's desire to bring change to the industry and highlight the availability of high-quality diamonds unmarked by social and environmental issues. 

Meanwhile, Vrai & Oro Weddings (VOW) and the custom design studio give newfound power to the shopper. If you don't want to go with the crowd and stand anxiously inside a jewelry store, you can instead shop stunning options online with no pressure. You're not even missing out on the physical experience of trying on rings because Vrai & Oro will send you three ring samples through its Home Try On program.

If you don't see a combination you like, that's fine, too, because the design studio lets you choose every ring feature imaginable: the setting, prong, band width, metal type, polish, engraving, diamond type, and more. There are over 3,500 style combinations possible and each ring is made to order. 

Since Vrai & Oro's jewelry follows a minimalist and dainty aesthetic, you'll be hard-pressed to find something you can't see yourself wearing at your most dressed up or laid back.

Plain gold bands start at just $55, and most bracelets and necklaces are $200 to $300. More luxurious pieces aren't out of the picture: the brand's gleaming Round-Brilliant Diamond Necklace is $3,290 and Baguette Diamond Tennis Bracelet is $5,890. 

Find our 12 favorite Vrai & Oro pieces below, or shop all fine jewelry at Vrai & Oro here

Earrings for when you can't decide between studs or hoops

Door Knocker Studs, $2,425, available in 18-karat yellow, white, and rose gold

A personalized bar bracelet

Bar Bracelet, $335, available in 14-karat yellow, white, and rose gold

Add an engraving for $10. 

A sophisticated baguette ring

Baguette Diamond Ring, $365, available in 14-karat yellow, white, and rose gold

• Samsung had a 5G smartphone prototype on display at CES 2019. 
• It's the closest official look we have to future smartphones from Samsung that come with 5G compatibility. 
• A variant of Samsung's upcoming Galaxy S10 is said to come with 5G support. 

Strolling innocently through Samsung's massive booth at CES 2019 in Las Vegas, I stumbled upon Samsung's 5G prototype smartphone.

There it was, a 5G smartphone prototype from the biggest mobile company in the world, with no fanfare or much interest from any other CES attendee around me. I almost started to believe that only I could see it. 

To be clear, the prototype I saw was, indeed, just a prototype. It was the smartphone used to show off 5G capabilities when Verizon and Samsung announced earlier in December that a 5G phone will be coming in early 2019 during a Qualcomm event in Hawaii. I'd doubt that Samsung would brazenly display this device if it had any similarities to the upcoming Galaxy S10, of which one model is rumored to support 5G connectivity. 

Still, it's the closest thing we've seen to an official 5G smartphone from Samsung at the moment.

Check out Samsung's 5G prototype smartphone:

SEE ALSO: Samsung's upcoming Galaxy S10 smartphone could introduce a completely new design with new features — here are 11 rumors about what to expect

There it is, casually hanging out at the far end of Samsung's 5G hardware display. You can barely see it.

Here's a closer look of the prototype of Samsung's vision of a 5G smartphone. If you were expecting 5G phones to look different, you could be set up for disappointment.

It looked like a perfectly operational unit with a working display, volume buttons, a power button, and even a Bixby button. It even had a case.

The phone's screen cycled through a canned demo that showcased some of the device's features and functions. None of the demos appeared to make use of wireless capabilities however, so it didn't provide much insight into what the super-fast 5G wireless data experience will actually be like.

• Apple recently asked its suppliers to cut production on new iPhones again, the Nikkei Asian Review reported on Wednesday.
• The revelation came just a week after the tech giant slashed its revenue forecast and blamed slumping sales on a slowdown in China.
• Wall Street has already warned about supply-chain companies with a high dependence on Apple.
• Here are the companies with a large percentage of revenues coming from Apple.

Apple's waning product demand is likely to impact not just the tech giant itself, but also its suppliers.

On Wednesday, the Nikkei Asian Review reported that Apple late last month asked its suppliers to cut production on new iPhones by 10% for the January-March quarter. It was the second time in two months that the tech giant trimmed its planned production for its iPhone devices.

The report comes just a week after the company said its revenue in the holiday quarter would be more than 7% lower than it expected and blamed slumping sales on a slowdown in China amid Trump's trade war. 

With Apple products becoming less popular, companies that rely heavily on Apple are also under pressure. On Tuesday, Skyworks Solutions, which provides radio-frequency solutions for Apple, cut its earnings guidance, citing impacts by unit weakness across their largest smartphone customers. Skyworks is just one of the handful of Apple suppliers that slashed their forecast in the past few days.

And Wall Street has already been sounding the alarm on supply-chain companies with a high dependence on Apple.

Cirrus Logic

Ticker:CRUS

Business: Semiconductor supplier

Revenue from Apple: 79% of $1.2 billion annual revenue

Performance in the past 12 months: -36%

Wall Street Comment: 

Source: Business Insider

Glu Mobile

Ticker:GLUU

Business: Mobile games developer 

Annual revenue from Apple: 54% of $155 million annual revenue

Performance in the past 12 months: +146%

Wall Street Comment: 

"Looking forward, its quality improves but our estimates rating shows a deterioration, mainly due to a decline in revenue per share," said SADIF Investment Analytics.

Source: Business Insider

Network-1 Technologies

Ticker:NTIP

Business: Software provider

Annual revenue from Apple: 53% of $6 million annual revenue

Performance in the past 12 months: -4%

Source: Business Insider

• Chick-fil-A has revealed its 10 top-selling items in 2018.
• Waffle fries took the top spot and the chicken sandwich beat out the chicken biscuit.

Chick-fil-A is expected to become the third largest fast-food chain in the US this year in terms of sales, behind only McDonald's and Starbucks. 

That's a significant jump from the No. 7 spot that Chick-fil-A held in 2017, when it ranked behind competitors like Taco Bell,Subway, and Wendy's. 

Chick-fil-A's explosive growth has been driven largely by the popularity of its famous chicken sandwich, which was the company's third best-selling menu item last year, according to the company.

Here are all the other best sellers in 2018, according to Chick-fil-A:

SEE ALSO: Chick-fil-A is on track to become the third-largest chain in America — and McDonald's and Wendy's should be terrified

10. Milkshake

Chick-fil-A has about a half-dozen milkshake flavors, including frosted lemonade, frosted coffee, cookies and cream, and strawberry.

9. Chick-n-Strips

Chick-fil-A's chicken strips ranked lower than their smaller counterparts, the chicken nuggets. 

8. Chicken biscuit

This breakfast staple, which consists of a chicken patty on a buttery biscuit, was the eighth most-ordered item last year. 

• Science fiction books and movies have successfully predicted many inventions that once seemed impossible.
• The first lunar landing was depicted in a book from 1865, more than 100 years before Apollo 11 astronauts walked on the moon's surface.
• Writers have also described smartwatches, atomic bombs, and antidepressants before they became a reality. 

Science fiction introduces us to elaborate, futuristic worlds that often sound like nothing more than a dream.

But humanity has made incredible technological advancements over the past 100 years, and many of the ideas predicted in science fiction have now become reality.

Some predictions, like self-driving cars, are still in the early stages, but scientists and engineers have reached many other milestones first described in fiction, such as bringing people to the moon.

Take a look at 15 wild fictional predictions that have come true.

In 1865, author Jules Verne released "From Earth to the Moon," which described three Americans' mission to launch a spacecraft and land on the moon. Parts of the novel were similar to the first real moon landing, which occurred 104 years later.

Both the NASA astronauts and Verne's characters launched from Florida. NASA's command module was named Columbia in another similarity to Verne's fictional spacecraft, the Columbiad.

NASA astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin succeeded in walking on the lunar surface in 1969 while Michael Collins remained in the spacecraft. The three men in Verne's novel, however, never stepped foot on the moon.

Read more:NASA turns 60 today, but the Apollo moon landing in 1969 is still arguably the agency’s greatest feat. See how the US pulled it off.

NASA has acknowledged other similarities between Apollo 11 and Verne's novel as well. For example, the space agency said the Columbiad's shape and size closely resembled the Apollo spacecraft.

The novel also claimed a telescope would be able to see the Columbiad mission's progress. When an explosion caused a malfunction during the Apollo 13 mission in 1970, a telescope at Johnson Space Center was able to see the accident, which took place more than 200,000 miles away.

The iconic Communicator device on "Star Trek," first shown in 1966, looked a lot like a flip phone. Though engineers were working on developing this technology in the 1960s, it took Motorola until 1973 to debut the world's first mobile phone.

Ten years later, in 1983, Motorola's cell phones hit the market. The devices were large, heavy, and expensive, but Motorola continued to make improvements for the next several years. The company's first flip phone, released in 1989, was similar to the "Star Trek" device.

In recent years, The Wand Company has created a modern replica of the Communicator. The device, which debuted in 2015, is made from aluminum and includes a magnetic stand for wireless charging. It also has Bluetooth functionality and stores some voice recordings from "Star Trek" episodes. 

3D holograms have been featured in sci-fi for decades. In 2017, an Australian company claimed it has managed to produce a hologram table that resembles the futuristic holograms from the original "Star Wars" movie.

Princess Leia called for Luke Skywalker's help using a holographic message in the 1977 "Star Wars" movie. Since then, scientists have worked on turning this technology into reality. 

Euclideon, an Australian company, says it has made the first multi-user hologram table in the world. As many as four people can interact with the hologram at once using motion-tracking glasses.

Though Euclideon's invention has been met with some skepticism, but New Atlas reported in November 2018 that the company is moving forward with bringing the hologram technology to market.

• "Aquaman" is expected to cross $1 billion worldwide this weekend.
• It will join four other movies released in 2018 that hit the box-office milestone.

"Aquaman" is about to join an exclusive club. Warner Bros.' DC Comics superhero movie grossed $971.5 million globally as of Wednesday, and it is expected to cross $1 billion this weekend, according to Deadline.

Four movies hit that box-office milestone in 2018, helping to propel the worldwide box office to a record year. The global box office was expected to hit $41.7 billion in December, largely thanks to North America, which had a record year at nearly $12 billion.

We've rounded up the four movies that crossed $1 billion in 2018, listing them with their domestic, foreign, and global takes based on numbers from Box Office Mojo.

Below are the four movies that hit $1 billion at the worldwide box office in 2018, ranked by how much they've made total:

SEE ALSO: The 43 biggest movies coming out in 2019, which could propel the box office to another record-breaking year

4. "Incredibles 2"

Domestic total: $608 million

Foreign total:$634 million

Worldwide total: $1.24 billion

3. "Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom"

Domestic total: $417 million

Foreign total: $892 million

Worldwide total: $1.31 billion

2. "Black Panther"

Domestic total: $700 million

Foreign total:$647 million

Worldwide total: $1.35 billion

• America's national parks are overflowing with garbage and human waste as the US government shutdown prevents federal employees from cleaning toilets and picking up trash.
• While it's common for national parks to close during a shutdown, the Trump administration has opted to leave them open to visitors. 
• Many parks have been forced to close their campgrounds due to health and safety concerns. 

As the US endures the second week of a partial government shutdown, national parks have taken a major hit. 

With few rangers or staffers to clean toilets or pick up trash, parks in the American West have started to overflow with garbage and feces. 

Joshua Tree National Park in Southern California threatened to close to visitors on Thursday due to safety and sanitation issues, but ultimately decided to stay open. The park initially shuttered is campgrounds due to "human waste in public areas." 

Read more:Depressing photos show closed Washington, DC monuments and attractions as the government shutdown continues

Overflowing toilets have also caused a problem for Yosemite National Park, which was forced to close its campgrounds and snow play areas on Sunday. 

Excess trash along Generals Highway, which runs through Sequoia National Park and Kings Canyon National Park, contributed to the road being shut down. 

Even the National Mall in Washington, DC, is strewn with garbage near the Washington Monument and US Capitol. 

The filth is unprecedented, even for a shutdown, when it's common for the government to suspend all operations at national parks — including visitor access.

The Trump administration has opted to leave gates open to the public in the absence of any federal employees.  

Many parks are now closing anyway due to health hazards and threats to wildlife safety. Take a look at the state of the nation's beloved parks and monuments. 

Visitors have reportedly witnessed piles of trash spilling out of a public bathroom at Lassen National Forest in Northern California.

Stray belongings have been pitched against the side of a restroom.

Broken sleds and discarded beer cans line the snow-covered ground.

There’s nothing better to help a Hollywood career than Oscar buzz.

Though you can make the argument that some of people in the race this year — like Bradley Cooper, Lady Gaga, and Mahershala Ali — are going to do just fine in their careers regardless if they get Oscar nominated (chances are very high all three of these people will), for others who are in contention this year, it marks the moment in their careers when they elevate their profile to the next level.

For some, being an Oscar contender means getting bigger projects and heftier pay days. For others, especially those in the below-the-line categories, getting nominated or winning a little gold statue can solidify a career.

Here are eight Hollywood players who are getting the most out of their Oscar buzz:

SEE ALSO: The 43 biggest movies coming out in 2019, which could propel the box office to another record-breaking year

Olivia Colman (Actress) — "The Favourite"

Colman has had an established career in the UK for over a decade, but with her acclaimed performance as Queen Anne in Yorgos Lanthimos' "The Favourite" (which has already earned her a Golden Globes win), it's likely roles for her will only increase on this side of the pond.

It's likely Colman will be nominated in the best actress Oscar category when nominations are revealed later this month. Competition to win will be tough with Lady Gaga ("A Star Is Born") and Glenn Close ("The Wife") also likely to be nominated as well. But in the case of Colman, getting the nomination is the win. 

John David Washington (Actor) — "BlacKkKlansman"

John David Washington has spent most of his life trying to not follow in his famous dad's footsteps. Being the son of Denzel Washington, John only recently got into acting as most of his life, he tried to become a pro football player (which made him the perfect fit to star in the HBO series "Ballers"). Now in the family business, John is forging an impressive career path thanks to one of the directors who made his dad an icon, Spike Lee. 

John playing Ron Stallworth in "BlacKkKlansman" is a major reason why Lee will likely get a best director Oscar nomination. Though it's a longshot that John will get a nomination, his performance in the movie will launch him to big roles. 

Tony McNamara (Screenwriter) — "The Favourite"

This Australian writer's exposure in Hollywood has jumped big time thanks to taking on a rework of "The Favourite." Originally penned by Deborah Davis, McNamara teamed with director Yorgos Lanthimos when he became attached to the project. They worked on making the story even more focused on the three main female leads than it originally was, while also plugging in the little quirks that makes a Lanthimos project so unique.

On top of McNamara and Lanthimos working on another project together, "The Favourite" is a (sorry) favorite to win the Oscar for best original screenplay.

• New York has the oldest and most expansive subway system in North America.
• But the first ever underground station to open has long been shuttered since World War II. 
• Today, the only way to get to the abandoned masterpiece is by special tour. 

When New York City's subway first opened in 1904, it was a true modern marvel. Its very first station, almost directly beneath City Hall, was a sight to see. Sun flooded the platform from skylights in the ground above, and gilded chandeliers filled the shadows with electric light.

On the first day of service, some 15,000 New Yorkers would pay the nickel fare to ride the first subway to open outside of Europe. 

But things wouldn't remain so glorious for this station. Once train cars became longer, the gaps between doors and platforms were deemed too wide to be safe. What's more, many passengers opted to walk from the larger Brooklyn Bridge station nearby, which had express service that the City Hall loop did not.

Today, there's no service provided to the station — trains made their final stop on December 31, 1945 — but you can catch a glimpse by riding a downtown 6 local train past its terminal stop, which today is known as Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall. Keep your eyes peeled as you go through the loop and a few minutes later you'll end up on the uptown platform of the same station.

If a mere glance isn't enough, the New York Transit Museum offers tours to members, and they sell out in just minutes. That's how Business Insider got the chance to visit. Here's what it's like:

SEE ALSO: New York's governor called Tesla to see if the company could help fix NYC's subway system

As its name suggests, the subway station sits directly beneath City Hall, the oldest municipal headquarters in the United States. It's more than 200 years old.

The subway station was also beneath the City Hall Post Office and Courthouse Building, a massive French-style building that many derided as an eyesore. It was later demolished in 1939 to make way for what's today called City Hall Park.

The street cars on Park Row that crossed the Brooklyn Bridge (just out of view on the right) are long gone. 

Here's how the tracks lie in relation to the City Hall building and the adjacent park. In this diagram it's easier to see how the 6 train makes its 180-degree turnaround while allowing express trains to continue south through downtown and into Brooklyn.

The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.

• Tights are a wardrobe staple for many women, and they come in all kinds of colors and styles.
• We've tested dozens of tights to find the best ones you can buy, and Spanx's Luxe Leg Mid-Thigh Shaping Tights are our top pick for great durability, comfort, and style.

If there's a staple in a woman's wardrobe, it's a good pair of tights. Whether they're sheer, opaque, fishnet, or bright pink, these pieces of spandex are a blessing and a curse that, alas, we just can't live without.

While we don't have to abide by the royal British dress code of wearing tights under every dress, skirt, and pair of shorts we own, there are still plenty of occasions in which a great pair of pantyhose can save the day. And when it comes to choosing some of the best tights on the market, you'll want to keep a few things in mind.

First and foremost, a good pair of tights will be durable. Sure, they're delicate items, but that doesn't mean that you should only expect them to last through one wear. My favorite pair of tights have seen me through several years and several jobs, and that's just the way they ought to be.

Second, you'll want to keep coverage in mind. Tights can be sheer, opaque, or patterned, and different settings will call for different sets. It's probably best to keep a wide range of tights on hand so that you're never caught unprepared.

Another potential consideration may come in the amount of control your tights can exercise over your figure. With the right pair of Spanx, for example, you can prevent that much-dreaded muffin top situation, and always look your chicest.

And finally, you'll want to consider the weather in which you'll be wearing your tights. If you tend to spend most of the year in tropical climates, you probably don't need a good pair of thick, heat-tech tights. If, on the other hand, you often find yourself traipsing through the snow in heels and a skirt, you'll want a warm pair on hand.

Regardless of which pair you choose from among our favorite tights, you won't go wrong.

Here are the best tights for women you can buy:

• Best tights overall: Spanx Luxe Leg Mid-Thigh Shaping Tights
• Best opaque tights: DKNY's Opaque Control Top Tights
• Best nude tights: Heist The Nude Tights
• Best tights for cold weather: UNIQLO HeatTech Tights
• Best patterned tights: Commando Floral Faux Thigh High Fishnets

Read on in the slides below to check out our top picks.

The best tights overall

Why you'll love them: For tights that will never rip, pill, or leave you hanging, the Spanx Luxe Leg Mid-Thigh Shaping Tights are the best way to go.

There's a reason Spanx has become synonymous with tights. When it comes to hosiery that is flattering and functional, I always turn to Spanx for a never-fail solution. The Luxe Leg Mid-Thigh Shaping Tights are perfect for cooler days when you need a bit of extra warmth in and around your lower body.

Capable of sculpting your figure to its most flattering potential, these Spanx are still surprisingly breathable and comfortable. Several women here on the Insider Picks team swear by Spanx.

The fabric is strong — you can run them through the wash seemingly endless times without worrying about rips or pills — and extremely black. That said, they're not so dark that you can't see your legs at all. Rather, this pair toes the line between sheer and opaque in the best way possible.

The real game-changer with these tights comes in the form of its built-in mid-thigh shaper, which helps your butt and thighs look firm and perky. Plus, with the premium power leg, these tights feel, as the name suggests, luxe, and allow for great recovery after a long night out. If you slip on a pair of these tights under a form-fitting dress or skirt, you'll truly look like your best self.

Spanx are quite form-fitting, so going one size up may not be the worst idea in the world. Plus, at just $28 a pop, you can buy plenty a pair without having to worry about breaking the bank.

Pros: Flattering and sculpting, won't pill or rip, great opacity, reasonable price point

Cons: You may have to size up

Buy Spanx Luxe Leg Mid-Thigh Shaping Tights at Spanx for $28 and at Nordstrom

The best opaque tights

Why you'll love them: If you judge your tights by their color, then DKNY's Opaque Control Top Tights are the way to go.

What sets DKNY's Opaque Control Top Tights apart from the competition is the Lycra Living Lights technology, which means that your tights will be the color they're meant to be. And when it comes to black tights, I find that to be absolutely essential.

DKNY's opaque tights are some of the best out there, and they have the unique ability to seem particularly black without being especially shiny — all in all, this makes your legs seems longer, more shapely, and just generally more like you want them to look.

But color aside, the best thing about DKNY's tights is their comfort level. While these, like Spanx, are meant to shape and sculpt your middle to help you slip into that slinky dress, I've found that they're far more breathable and far less constricting than the competition. So even though you may look like you're wearing a corset, you won't feel like it.

I've also found that DKNY's tights are able to stand up to several wears and several washes — even months after I made my purchase, I was able to don the same pair without worrying about rips or tears or rends. They're supremely comfortable and available in three staple colors — black, navy, and white — because yes, you do need white tights in the winter.

Guides editor Malarie Gokey wears these tights multiple times a week during the fall and winter months, and she loves them.

While they're slightly pricier than your most basic pair of hose, they're still extremely affordable at just $16 a pair.

Pros: Great opacity, extremely comfortable, affordable, available in three classic colors

Cons: Some customers have complained about the lack of a gusset

Buy DKNY Opaque Control Top Tights at Nordstrom for $16

The best nude tights

Why you'll love them: Heist recognizes that there are many different definitions of nude, and the brand has tights for all of them.

Heist may be a relative newcomer to the tights scene, but that hasn't stopped it from becoming a fast favorite. Heist is hugely popular here at Business Insider, thanks to its incredibly soft material, its comfortable fit, and its high-quality craftsmanship.

One of my favorite aspects about Heist is the degree of personalization it offers wearers — not only can you choose between a high and a low waistband — which is so necessary and so rare in a pair of tights — but you can also choose among several different shades of nude. Because your nude is not everyone else's nude.

These tights are available in an impressive seven shades, all of which both look and feel barely there. Thanks to its double-covered yarn construction, each pair is incredibly soft and durable, and also warm enough to withstand the weather.

Heist has also rethought the overall design of a pair of tights. Not only is its waistband available in both high and low-rise options, but it's also designed to avoid rolling, twisting, and otherwise digging into your skin.

I also love that there's no gusset to speak of — there aren't any seams where there shouldn't be, which makes for a more comfortable, longer-lasting wear.

Heist tights also do a remarkably good job of staying up throughout the day thanks to the 5,000 spirals per inch on its yarn. And when they do stay up, they help smooth the appearance of your midsection without doing any serious sculpting.

So if you're looking for a pair of tights that no one — including you — will know you're wearing, look to Heist.

Pros: Soft, durable construction, no gusset, low or high waistband, several different shades of nude

Cons: When taking shipping into consideration, these tights can set you back more than $50

Buy Heist Nude tights for $32

• Atlas Film Studios is a 322,000 square-foot studio in southwestern Morocco that is considered to be the largest film studio in the world.
• More than 200 major films and television shows have filmed there, including "Gladiator,""Ben Hur,""Kingdom of Heaven,""The Mummy,""The Passion of the Christ," and, most recently, "Game of Thrones" and "Aladdin."
• Located in a stunning red desert landscape, Atlas is often used for its dramatic landscapes, the relative cheap cost of production, and its promixity to the striking medieval ksar of Aït Benhaddou, also a popular filming location. 
• I recently visited and it was a strange place strewn with the elaborate replicas of biblical towns, Egyptian temples, Tibetan monasteries, and more. It's very weird, but definitely worth the visit.

Think about any biblical or historical epic you've ever seen. There's probably a barren landscape of soft golden-red rocks, mud brick buildings, and thatched straw roofs. 

From "Lawrence of Arabia,""Noah," and "The Passion of the Christ," to "Ben Hur,""Gladiator," and "Kingdom of Heaven," the landscape is the same. There's a reason for that.

They were all filmed near Ouarzazate, a desert city in southwestern Morocco, that is known as "the door of the desert."

Just outside Ouarzazate lies Atlas Film Studios, a 322,000-square-foot property that is considered to be one of, if not, the biggest film studio in the world.

Founded in 1983 by Moroccan entrepreneur Mohamed Belghmi for the filming of the 1985 action-adventure film "The Jewel of the Nile,"  Atlas has since become a premier destination to film big budget blockbuster films thanks to the area's dramatic landscapes, the relative cheap cost of production, and its promixity to the striking medieval ksar of Aït Benhaddou, also a popular filming location. 

Most recently, Atlas Film Studios was used for filming scenes in "Game of Thrones" and Disney's upcoming live-action "Aladdin," starring Will Smith.

On a recent trip to Morocco, I decided to make a stop in Ouarzazate to check out Atlas Studios. It was about as strange a place as I've ever been to. 

Here's what it was like:

SEE ALSO: An otherworldly desert in Jordan has doubled as distant planets in movies like 'Star Wars' and 'The Martian' — after seeing it myself, I can tell you it's just as breathtaking in person

DON'T MISS: I rang in the New Year at an all-night rave in the Moroccan desert. It left Times Square in the dust.

Ouarzazate lies about 125 miles or so from Marrakech, where most people start their trip to Morocco. After driving for hours through winding mountain passes, I came upon the desert town. It's a barren landscape.

A few miles outside of the town lies Atlas Studios, opened in 1983 by Moroccan entrepreneur Mohamed Belghmi. It is now run by Amine Tazi, who owns Atlas Studios and nearby CLA Studios.

When Atlas isn't being used by crews to film movies, it's open to visitors for only $5 a ticket.

• Every January, Eurasia Group publishes a "Top Risks" report, which identifies the major political and geopolitical risks to watch in the year ahead.
• Some of the things they say to pay attention to in 2019 are Nigeria's presidential election, and US-China relations.
• Additionally, the growing number of populists and authoritarian leaders abroad is a risk, as are cyberweapons, and the fraying of the European Union.

US-China relations are hitting the skids. The future of the Middle East is doubly uncertain now that US President Donald Trump wants to pull American troops out of Syria. Meanwhile, politics in Washington, DC are about to become a bitter smackdown.

And don't forget about the possibility of a no-holds barred cyber conflict.

But are any of these things the most important risks to watch in 2019?

Every January our parent firm, Eurasia Group, publishes a Top Risks report, which identifies the major political and geopolitical risks to watch in the year ahead.

The full report is online (see it here), but here's a one sentence version of each risk to pique your interest (and your pulse.) 

Let us know your thoughts…

10. Nigeria's presidential election

Nigeria's presidential election, which pits the ailing President Muhammadu Buhari against business tycoon Atiku Abubakar, could return an inconclusive result that leads to post-election upheaval in Africa's largest economy.

9. Ukraine

A little tension between Moscow and Kiev helps the presidents of both countries at home, but as Russia seeks to influence Ukraine's presidential and parliamentary elections this year, the armed standoff between the countries could get hot again, fast.

8. Mexico's Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador

Mexico'spopular and powerful new president, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, brings to office a centralized style and spendthrift plans to tackle inequality and security that could rattle Latin America's second largest economy.

• Codependency is an "excessive emotional or psychological reliance on a partner," according to clinical psychologist Dr. Jennifer Rhodes.
• Sometimes it can be difficult to detect codependent behaviors in a relationship.   
• If you suspect that you're codependent or in a codependent relationship, you might want to make some changes in order to foster a healthier relationship. 
• To foster a sense of independence in a relationship, experts suggest setting healthy boundaries and taking time to do things that are just for you. 

The signs of codependency can sometimes be difficult to parse because some are pretty subtle. It can also be present in more than just a romantic relationship — codependency can exist in any relationship, whether it's one with your partner, a parent, or a friend. 

"Codependency is excessive emotional or psychological reliance on a partner,"Dr. Jennifer Rhodes,a clinical psychologist, previously told INSIDER. Although this behavior can oftentimes feel nice and be difficult to detect, it's something that should be addressed because, as Rhodes also mentioned, the key to a healthy relationship is independence. 

All in all, codependency can be unhealthy for and potentially damaging to both parties involved. If you're finding that a relationship in your life has become codependent, here are some things you can do to help you to regain your independence.

Acknowledge your patterns of behavior.

The first step to being less codependent is to recognize what's going on, as Heidi McBain, MA, LMFT, LPC, RPT, a licensed marriage and family therapist, told INSIDER.

"It's very hard to make big changes in your life without first having insight that the behaviors exist," McBain explained. 

Set more boundaries.

One of the best things that you can do to become less codependent is to set more boundaries. 

"Set boundaries that reflect your honest feelings and realistic capacity to help,"Weena Cullins, LCMFT, a licensed clinical marriage and family therapist, told INSIDER. "This will help prevent resentment from developing as well as burnout."

Do things that are only for you and encourage your partner to do things that are just for them.

If everything you're doing is for your partner, your own wants, needs, and goals can suffer, which really inhibits your ability to be independent. Ensuring that you are doing things for yourself and your partner is doing things just for themselves will help you both take more ownership of your time.

"Have separate nights out with friends, eat different things for dinner, get into a hobby that your partner isn't into," therapist Erin Parisi, LMHC, MCAP, suggested.

• Vitamin C helps your immune system and skin health.
• You can find vitamin C in foods like papaya, bell peppers, and strawberries.

• Eat your fruit and vegetables raw.

Vitamin C proves to be one of those essential daily vitamins we all need, as it’s very helpful in boosting your immune system, improving the quality of your skin, and for healing wounds effectively.

And while it’s true that there are many vitamin C supplements available for purchase, it’s also good to know that certain foods can help bring this vitamin to your diet easily.

To help rev up your defenses naturally this winter, we spoke to some nutritionists and dietitians about some of the best vitamin C-rich foods you can add to your daily meals. Below are some of the food choices they recommend keeping in mind if you are looking to up your intake.

Cherries also have anti-inflammatory antioxidants.

"Cherries possess anti-inflammatory antioxidants and vitamin C, which is needed for adequate collagen production," said nutritionist Monica Auslander Moreno, MS, RD, LD/N.

Potatoes are rich in vitamin C and potassium.

"Potatoes are a rich source of vitamin C and potassium," explained registered dietitian Summer Yule, MS, RDN. However, vitamin C is lost with prolonged storage and long cooking times, she said, so it is very important to minimize cooking time if you want to retain the vitamin C in this food.

Cauliflower is perfect for a low-carb diet.

"Cauliflower is a great option to get vitamin C in on a low-carb diet," Yule told INSIDER. And unlike potatoes, she explained that cauliflower can be enjoyed raw, so less vitamin C is lost.

• A lavish, thoroughly updated SoHo loft just got a $5.5 million price cut. 
• The previous asking price was $65 million, and now it's $59.5 million.
• If sold for $59.5 million, it would still break the record for the most expensive single residential unit ever sold in downtown Manhattan.
• The penthouse was renovated over four years and is filled with oversized windows and skylights.

A rigorously renovated 8,000-square-foot loft in Manhattan's hip SoHo neighborhood, in the building where the actor Heath Ledger once lived before his death in 2008, got a $5.5 million price chop in November, bringing the asking price to $59.5 million, The Real Deal reported.

It was previously listed for $65 million.

If sold at its asking price, the penthouse would break the record for the most expensive single residential sale in downtown Manhattan, according to The New York Times. The record is held by a penthouse in Chelsea that sold in May 2018 for $59.06 million, according to The Times.

The property, previously listed by Corcoran and CORE Real Estate, is now listed by Douglas Elliman.

It was last sold in 2011 for $17 million, according to Curbed New York. The owners spent four years making gut renovations but ultimately decided it was too much space for them, Curbed reported.

"The penthouse at 421 Broome is truly incomparable," J. Eric Becker, previously of Corcoran and now at Douglas Elliman, told Business Insider. "In all of my years in real estate, I have never seen such a stunning home, with incredible attention to detail and unmatched design sophistication."

Here's a look inside the updated luxury penthouse.

SEE ALSO: Nobody wants to buy 'Versailles in Manhattan,' a $19.75 million Upper East Side townhouse that has been on and off the market for 15 years

READ MORE: This $85 million NYC condo comes with 2 tickets to outer space, a $1 million yacht, 2 Rolls-Royce Phantoms, and a Lamborghini

The apartment is on Broome Street in New York City's SoHo neighborhood, which was once an industrial district.

Source: Corcoran/CORE

It's now a hip shopping area filled with designer boutiques.

Source: NYC Go

The owners spent four years renovating the luxurious four-bedroom, 6.5-bathroom penthouse, which is in a "landmarked cast-iron condominium dating back to 1873."

Source: Corcoran/CORE

• We have been "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" for 15 seasons.
• Some moments have been upsetting and jaw-dropping.
• The family always stays together and supports each other.

Over the 15 seasons that "Keeping Up With The Kardashians" has aired on E!, the famous reality family has aired out all their dirty laundry — the good, the bad, and the utterly jaw-dropping. From Kim Kardashian's robbery to Caitlyn Jenner's transition, the Kardashian-Jenner family has shared it all, and some moments from the series have been so dramatic they're impossible to forget.

Read on for the most shocking and heartbreaking moments from "KUWTK."

Kim lost Kourtney's nude photos.

During the first season of "KUWTK,"Kourtney's nude photos leaked after Kim stole them and put them in her purse as a prank. Her purse was stolen, and when Kim realized that meant her pictures could leak, she panicked. The family called in the FBI for help since Kourtney was underage when the photos were taken, and in the end, they never surfaced.

Khloe was arrested on charges of driving under the influence.

Khloe supposedly reenacted her arrest outside of a club in 2007 for the "KUWTK" cameras, according to the book "Kardashian Dynasty." The show also followed Khloe the morning she went to jail after violating probation, including the famous scene when Kris told Kim to stop taking selfies in the car because "your sister's going to jail."

The sisters got into a spat early on, and Kim hit Khloe with her purse.

On what is remembered as one of the most iconic episodes in the second season of the show, Kim hit Khloe with her purse and says the line "don't be f------ rude"after an argument involving a Bentley.

• Breakups can be confusing, especially if your ex may be trying to get back to the way things were.
• INSIDER consulted two relationship experts to find out which signs you should look out for to see if your ex is trying to get you back.
• If they still interact with you on social media or make excuses to talk to you, they may be wanting to try again.

Breakups can be hard, but sometimes they don't spell the end of a relationship. While movies make us think exes are going to make grand gestures to get you back, that isn't always the case. There can be low-key signs that your ex is trying to win you over again (although it doesn't necessarily mean you should get back together).

INSIDER spoke with best-selling author and relationship expert, Susan Winter, and dating and relationships expert Sameera Sullivan, to find out what signs show that a former significant other still wants you.

They still like and comment on your social media posts.

It can be hard to get over an ex, especially if you can still see what they're doing on social media. So if your ex is still interacting with you on social media, it may mean they're interested in getting back together.

"Social media is where all this covert seduction [takes place]," Winters said. You may have unfollowed them on social media, but they keep liking your posts or commenting, or even sending you memes they know you'd like, in order to get your attention.

They're posting things on social media only you would understand.

Winters said this could mean "to post a song that they specifically know their ex is going to see that means something to pull at their heartstrings or remind them of something."

"Whatever song or common interest the two of you had, whatever it is that you had that you shared together, you will see them starting to post these sorts of things and it's supposed to be your call to action, to seduce engagement," she added.

They post on social media letting people know they're available.

This could mean "a statement or phrase that lets their ex know that there's a chance for the future, or that they're single. It's all ego preservation," Winters said. It could also be something as casual as a joke about being alone.

• Hats are a timeless fashion staple.
• Since the turn of the 19th century, they've gotten progressively bolder in design. 
• Cher and Barbra Streisand are known for their outlandish headwear, and old-time actresses like Audrey Hepburn and Mae West donned enormous hats in their films.

A picture is worth a thousand words, but there's a lot to be said for a wild hat.

Since the turn of the century, celebrities and models have been getting bolder with their hat choices. Hats made of tree branches, pearls, flowers, and even the cartoon character Snoopy lined the cultural fabric throughout the past century (or two). 

Cher and Barbra Streisand are known for their outlandish headwear, and old-time actresses like Audrey Hepburn and Mae West donned enormous, gravity-defying hats in their films.

Keep scrolling to see 15 of the wildest hats in history.

Turn-of-the-century France was known for its bold fashions — tree branch hats included.

This French postcard from the early 1900s depicts a showgirl wearing a hat made of tree branches. The era in which it was taken — called La Belle Epoque (1871-1914) — was known for its fanciful fashion, primarily its over-the-top dresses and huge hats.

At the time, Paris was experiencing an economic boom and one of "commercial and creative vitality," which may have accounted for the larger-than-life fashions.

Hats like these were often worn by performers, and the more outlandish the better.

Here, a cabaret dancer from Les Folies Bergère in Paris dons a show-stopping ensemble made entirely of fur. The legendary Les Folies Bergère nightclub is still standing today, though it is now a venue for modern shows.

Silent film star Gloria Swanson wore this intricate circle hat at the height of her career.

Silent films, of course, didn't have sound — so they had make up for it with visual intrigue. Many actresses of the time boasted intricate costumes and hats, and Gloria Swanson was no exception.

Perhaps most known for her role in 1954's "Sunset Boulevard," the actress embodied the extravagance of silent film fashion in that movie. The Huffington Post called her "the original leader of fantasy fashion and haute couture."

• INSIDER chose 45 rising stars under 30 years old who had an exceptional 2018 — and will only continue to dominate Hollywood.
• 25-year-old songstress Ariana Grande took the top spot.
• "Black Panther" actress Letitia Wright and "Call Me By Your Name" actor Timothée Chalamet rounded out the top three.

Huge stars like Drake, Lady Gaga, Emily Blunt, and Lupita Nyong'o dominated headlines in 2018 with record-breaking album releases, ground-breaking film roles, and awards season buzz — but who are the young stars ready to rise to their level?

The INSIDER entertainment team nominated musicians, actors, and celebrities under 30 years old who had an exceptional 2018 and whose acclaim will only continue to grow. We then voted and ranked the rising stars in accordance with their already-thriving careers or talent potential.

Here are the 45 stars under 30 who we believe will be the next generation of Hollywood.

45. Iain Armitage

If you don't recognize his name, Armitage, 10, is one of the biggest young stars on TV, starring on "Big Bang Theory's" successful spin-off, "Young Sheldon." Armitage isn't only known for the CBS series. We expect to see him back on the next season of "Big Little Lies"when that comes to HBO in 2019. — Kirsten Acuna

44. Kristine Froseth

Kristine Froseth, 20, made waves this year as one of Netflix's breakout stars: as mean girl Veronica in "Sierra Burgess Is a Loser" and as Ffion in Blumhouse's thriller "Apostle."

Despite being relatively new to acting, the former model has now been cast in one of the most highly anticipated young adult stories of the past decade: John Green's beloved novel "Looking For Alaska," which will be adapted as a Hulu limited series after floundering in development for 13 years.

Froseth will play the titular Alaska — and considering how past Green adaptations became star-making vehicles for "The Fault in Our Stars" actors Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort, plus "Paper Towns" star Cara Delevingne, we're expecting to see much more of Froseth in the future. — Callie Ahlgrim

43. Jessica Barden

If you're an avid fan of the film studio A24, you may vaguely recognize Jessica Barden from the 2016 thriller "The Lobster." But it was the "The End of the F---ing World,"one of Netflix's best-reviewed shows of 2018, that catapulted Barden from near oblivion to stardom — and if not stardom quite yet, then certainly intrigue.

The 25-year-old actress topped IMDB's "Top Breakout Stars" of 2018, which lists celebrities who've ranked highest on the site's STARmeter throughout the year, but also who broke into IMDb's Top 100 for the first time in their careers.

Barden has only continued to prove her acting chops. Critics largely agree that she single-handedly elevated the 2018 Canadian romcom "The New Romantic," playing a hopeless romantic turned sugar baby. 

With the second season of "The End of the F---ing World" already in the works, we're anxious to see how Barden continues to grow and capture our attention. — Callie Ahlgrim