Instead of drawing on paper, London-based artist Yulia Brodskaya draws WITH it. Brodskaya started using a modified version of quilling — an art method that shapes strips of paper into basic designs — almost seven years ago, and has completed close to 200 projects and commissions since then.

A single piece could involve hundreds of paper strips and months of planning and execution. Her work ranges from a portrait series of elders, to commissions for Wimbledon and The Washington Post. 

See more of Brodskaya's work here.

Written and produced by Chelsea Pineda. 

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This year's watch auction season is just beginning, but already timepieces are breaking records left and right.

At a recent auction by Phillips in Geneva, yet another record was set. 

A particularly beautiful example of a 1958 Rolex GMT Master sold for a record-breaking $3.5 million during the auction, which took place over the weekend. The watch, reference 6542, has a striking "Bakelite" cognac-brown bezel and is made in 18-karat gold.

This is the highest price ever paid for a Rolex GMT Master, according to Hodinkee, and is much higher than the estimated $1.8 million to $2.9 million Phillips expected the piece to fetch.

According to the auction house, this watch is especially noteworthy because it is the best preserved version of the watch in gold, and it's an example of "breathtaking condition and beauty." Gold GMT Master watches are rare, as Rolex more commonly makes them in stainless steel.

The original Bakelite bezel is also highly sought-after, especially one that is in perfect condition like on this watch. The timepiece is completely unrestored and original.

This isn't the first time this particular watch has earned the honor of being the most expensive Master GMT ever sold at an auction. When it was last up for sale seven years ago, a bidding war erupted, and the previous record was set. 

The loser of that war won the watch this time, and, according to Hodinkee, he "left very happy."

All told, $33 million in watches sold at multiple auctions in Geneva over the weekend.

SEE ALSO: How Rolex became the king of watches

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NOW WATCH: These are the watches worn by the smartest and most powerful men in the world

 Adulthood is hard.

Chaz Hutton, a 32-year-old Australian based in London, knows this all too well. He illustrates the surprises, disappointments, and hard truths of adulthood in stick-figure form, through Post-It notes he then Instagrams.

"They started as just a thing I'd send to friends on a group chat, then after a few months those friends convinced me to start an Instagram, which I assured them was a terrible idea, and that nothing would come of it," Hutton told Business Insider in an email. His insights have been so popular that he's stopped working as an architect to pursue the project full-time.

"It's been amazing," he said. "The comments are probably the one thing about it, and largely the reason I've bothered keeping it up! Although it's becoming harder to explain to people what exactly it is I do for a living."

Scroll down to check out Hutton's take on everyday life, and see more uncomfortable-but-funny truths about adulthood on Instagram: @instachaaz. Hutton's first book of illustrations, "A Sticky Note Guide to Life," will be published in November.

SEE ALSO: Learn everything you need to know about personal finance from 11 simple sketches

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📞"...No mum, I haven't tried dating a dentist yet... yes, I agree it's a good idea... yes, I'll wear a nice shirt if I meet one... okay, bye" ☎️

A photo posted by Insta-Chaz (@instachaaz) on Mar 29, 2016 at 6:06am PDT

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Dan Lam's art will make you do a double take. The Dallas-based artist makes "drippy" sculptures — strange, seemingly oozing blobs covered in vivid spikes that look somehow both alive and impossibly perfect renderings.

But beneath the immaculate facade, the evidence of Lam's process is there. The 27-year-old starts by forming a lumpy round base out of leftover, hardened polyurethane foam and extra latex gloves. Then, she pours gloopy foam over the base, carefully guiding its flow as it drips over the base and hardens. Then she paints it, makes colorful spikes with acrylic paint, and tops it off by dousing it with a layer of resin. 

When she's done, it's hard to tell exactly what you're looking at — unless you flip the sculptures over and look at the back. Then you can see the handmade base. "They're hints and clues as to what they are," Lam told INSIDER. "Evidence that I was here."

Lam says the response to her work has been crazy, and she's gained tons of fans. Still, some are unsettled by the beautifully strange globs. "I get a lot of 'ewws,'" she said. "Or, 'this is disgusting and makes me feel physically ill.'"

Written by James Grebey and produced by David Fang

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For the biggest, boldest bling, A-listers and billionaires have turned to one man for the last 30 years. And for the most complicated watches in the game? Still the same man.

His name is Jacob Arabo, although you may have heard him referred to as "Jacob the Jeweler" in rap songs by Kanye West or 50 Cent. His clientele is a who's-who of the international elite and Hollywood stars, from Cristiano Ronaldo to Jay Z and Beyoncé. The story of his rise through the luxury jewelry industry is, like his designs, larger than life.

Business Insider spent an afternoon with Arabo to learn just how this entrepreneurial Soviet émigré scaled the heights of the over-the-top jewelry and watchmaking business. It's the story of a bold outsider becoming the ultimate insider — and it's filled with diamonds. 

SEE ALSO: How 6 startup execs dress for success

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The first thing you need to know about Arabo is that he lives the luxury life of his clients. But that's been a long time in the works. Born in Uzbekistan, he emigrated with his family to New York at the age of 14, settling down in Forest Hills, Queens.

With a struggling family to help support, Arabo made the decision to drop out of school at 16 and attend a jeweler's trade school in Brooklyn instead. The first piece he ever created was a brass jewelry box, which won him the class design competition.

The rest, as they say, is history. He finished the course in record time, and was quickly set up at a local Jewish wholesale jewelry factory that made mass-market pieces for department stores.

He lied about his age, pretending to be 18 so he could start earning a salary, which was just $125 a week.

"I was hungry to get a job," Arabo said.

But the repetitive factory experience didn't cut it for Arabo. "I knew that I had something in me, that I could do this," he said. He started crafting his own designs, and worked with a salesman to get them onto the market.

When he works on designing a piece, he typically creates a wax model of it first. Here are some recent examples of earring models, as well as a catalogue of early-stage sketches on photographs.

Soon, he was making more than $1,500 a week — more than 10 times his starting salary — and running a makeshift workspace out of his bedroom at his family home in Queens. He recruited some of his peers from jewelry school to assist in the fledgling business.

The company Coeio has developed a radical new way to dispose of dead bodies, using what they call "The Infinity Suit." The suit is lined with infinity mushroom spores that were trained to devour flesh.

This is not only healthier for the environment, but also shows that even in death we still have a purpose.

Produced by Delano Samuels

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People often worry about what Facebook knows about them, so I downloaded my personal Facebook archive to see for myself.

There were some surprises — I now know all the people I've unfriended since 2006 — but overall I realized just how much of my life I've lived on the social network.

Here's all the stuff you can find out if you decide to download your Facebook archive:

SEE ALSO: How to use Snapchat to talk to your friends just like the teens do

To start, downloading your data from Facebook is easy.

In the settings menu where you normally change your password, click the "download a copy" button.

When you opt to get an archive of what you shared, Facebook will send you an email. Sometimes you may have to wait a while depending on how much information you have on Facebook.

Illinois high school basketball player Walker Stillman is athletic, but he's not supernaturally athletic. When a photo of Stillman seeming to float in midair with a calm expression on his face during a game went viral, people assumed it was photoshopped.

Instead, Liz Brunson — a local photographer who took the picture — provided a lesson in perfect timing.

Story by Tony Manfred and editing by Ben Nigh

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If you're in search of a trip that you can enjoy without the crowds, choosing the right hotel can make all of the difference. 

While being in close proximity to cities brings you closer to tourist sites, it can also mean lots of people. 

We've rounded up 27 of the world's most remote hotels, which can offer luxurious touches and a more personal experience. While they may be more difficult to access, they're set in stunning locations, like in the middle of a desert or atop a mountain. 

From private suites in Belize's rainforest to villas set on Abu Dhabi's Empty Quarter, here are 27 incredible hotels you can book for the ultimate private getaway.  

SEE ALSO: 37 massive parties everyone should go to in their lifetime

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Belmond Hotel das Cataratas sits within Brazil's Iguazu National Park, just a short walk away from the iconic Iguazu Falls. The luxury hotel resembles a Portuguese colonial residence, with rooms that are adorned in colorful artwork and dark wood furnishings. Guests can also take advantage of activities like helicopter rides and jungle treks.

Click here to learn more about Belmond Hotel das Cataratas »

Belcampo Belize is set in a 12,000-acre nature reserve in Toledo, Belize. Set high up in the hills, the hotel has 16 private suites that come with tropical rainforest views, as well as various gardens and a farm from which it prepares daily food for guests. A private tram is also available to guests who want to go kayaking or canoeing.

Click here to learn more about Belcampo Belize »

Enchantment Resort sits at the doorway of Boynton Canyon, on 70 acres of natural terrain dotted with colorful rock formations. The luxury resort offers more than 100 complimentary activities each week, which range from hiking and biking to stargazing. Guests can also take advantage of its acclaimed 18-hole golf course that's nestled within the secluded canyon.

Click here to learn more about Enchantment Resort »

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NOW WATCH: Clever ways to reuse your old iPod

In some US cities, million-dollar homes are becoming the norm.

Take San Francisco, where 57% of homes have a value of $1 million or more — or San Jose, where 46% are seven-figure homes.

That's according to real estate site Trulia, which looked at the share of million-dollar homes in the 100 largest US metro areas in a recent report.

Trulia then zeroed in on the top 10 metros that have seen the most drastic increase in share since 2012. Of those 10 metro areas, seven have doubled (or nearly tripled) the number of million-dollar homes in just four years, while the other three expensive areas (Honolulu, San Diego, and New York) have almost, but not quite, doubled the amount.

Read on to see where seven-figure homes have spread the most:

SEE ALSO: Here's the income you need to comfortably pay rent on a 2-bedroom apartment in 15 of the largest US cities

Los Angeles, California

Percentage of million-dollar homes in May 2012: 8.0%

Percentage of million-dollar homes in May 2016: 16.3%

Percentage increase: 104%

Ventura County, California

Percentage of million-dollar homes in May 2012: 4.3%

Percentage of million-dollar homes in May 2016: 9.0%

Percentage increase: 109%

Orange County, California

Percentage of million-dollar homes in May 2012: 7.1%

Percentage of million-dollar homes in May 2016: 16.1%

Percentage increase: 127%

If there is one thing keeping dermatologists up at night, it's the consistent and steadfast refusal of men to wear sunscreen.

Despite their increased risk of developing melanoma, many men just aren't willing to use a sunscreen every single day.

But with summer and fun in the sun quickly approaching, it's time to get serious about skin cancer prevention.

"It's very important that men use a hydrating sunscreen," Dr. Keaney, a dermatologist working with Dove Men+Care, told Business Insider, adding that it must be used with regularity to have effect. "That's kind of a basic building block of a skincare routine."

We've already talked a lot about how important it is to use moisturizer every day. The good news is that you only need one product that can do both, so that you can save your skin from sun damage while also staving off early signs of aging and skin dryness. 

The moisture keeps skin from drying out, while the broad spectrum sunscreen protects skin from harmful UV rays, which can also cause wrinkles and skin damage. Dr. Keaney recommends using moisturizer with a sunscreen component of at least SPF 30 for the best effect, but any kind of protection is better than none at all.

Many popular drugstore brands make moisturizing sunscreens that are specially formulated for male skin, including Neutrogena, Dove Men+Care, Nivea, Harry's, and Cetaphil. Make sure to choose one that you find comfortable to wear every day. If you don't find it comfortable, odds are you're not going to like wearing it — so you won't.

SEE ALSO: This is the exact number of times you should wash your face every day

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NOW WATCH: 11 amazing facts about your skin

When it comes to professional networking, showing up and shaking hands is only the first step. Effective networking is all about having a focused strategy. Oh, you thought showing up and shaking hands was your strategy? So does everyone else. But clearly defining yourself as a professional is how you go from being another layer in someone's stack of business cards to the first person they think of when the perfect opportunity for you arises.

Here's how to network with that purpose in mind throughout your career:

1. Know why you're networking

You're not networking for the free coffee and name tags. Are you doing it to land a position in a new field? To build partnerships that will benefit your current position? To find a mentor? When you closely define your networking goals — both short- and long-term — you'll be able to choose the best events and approach the right people to make the most of your time and efforts.

2. Understand your passion

Sure, you have a list of abilities and qualifications to share. But people will remember your passion. Are you a finance whiz who loves outdoor recreation? Make sure contacts know that, so when a CFO position for a hiking and fishing outfitter comes across their desk, you're the first person they think to call.

“If you’re networking around what you’re really interested in, you’re going to have a lot more energy in those conversations," says Elizabeth Wallencheck, director of alumni career management for UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School. "That can take you further in connecting with people and lets them see where you’re coming from."

3. Identify access points 

The gatekeepers to the Hollywood film industry and animal humanitarian nonprofit world could be in vastly different positions. Some fields rely on recruiters. In others, getting into the right organization and working your way up to your desired position is the way to go. Learn how those in the field of your choice have broken in, and plan your strategy accordingly.

4. Build relationships, not just contacts

Networking is a very human process. When an opportunity arises, people often know a number of people whose skills meet the requirements. They'll recommend the person they like. Use networking to build real relationships. Learn about their family life and personal interests. Relationships build trust, and establishing trust increases your qualifications as a job candidate.

"If you ask broader questions about backgrounds and how someone got into a field, you will have a richer discussion," says Wallencheck. "The meaningful conversations are where the real networking takes place."

5. Be helpful

It's no secret that networking is about advancing your own career. But in advance of asking a contact for a referral, introduction or informational interview, prove how helpful — and valuable — you can be as a contact yourself. Learn what a contact's needs are to find out how you can help — from providing a service to making an introduction. When it comes time for you to make an ask, they'll be happy to lend a hand in return.

Learn more about how you can expand your network.

This post is sponsored by UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School.

SEE ALSO: This is how one veteran built a career outside the military

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In 1975, a young Michael Dweck and his buddy heard the rumor that the Rolling Stones would be recording at Andy Warhol's place in Montauk, a small town on the corner of Long Island farthest from New York City. The two packed up the car and drove out with high hopes of meeting Mick Jagger and Keith Richards.

What Dweck discovered instead was a beautiful surf town that would serve as his muse for years to come. 

As a professional photographer, it was natural for Dweck to begin documenting the surf culture of Montauk when he officially moved there in 2002. His images, captured in the summer of 2002, were published in the book "The End: Montauk, NY."

In celebration of its 10th anniversary, the book is being republished in a box set with a $3,000 price tag.

Ahead, see a selection of work from the book, as well as Dweck's recounting of the stories behind his favorite place. 

SEE ALSO: Everyone from Mick Jagger to Bono has partied at this photographer's villa in the South of France — see the photos

Dweck grew up on Long Island and visited Montauk often as a teen. His photography has long been inspired by beach culture.

In the foreword of his book, Dweck described himself as an "outsider" in Montauk. "It wasn't that the locals were mean (although some were)," he wrote. "They just had a good thing going and they weren't keen on sharing it with the whole world."

Dweck became a true local when he moved there in 2002.

Your computer keyboard is probably more dangerous than you think. It can be home to staphylococcus and E. Coli and needs to be disinfected regularly. 

Produced by Emma Fierberg. Original reporting by Jessica Orwig.

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When Adrianne Haslet-Davis lost her leg during the Boston terror attack, she wasn't running the Boston Marathon. She wasn't even on the sidelines watching. Instead, on April 15th, 2013, Haslet-Davis was running errands because she knew that with the marathon going on the stores would be emptier than usual.

The clapping and shouting from the marathon's encouraging spectators was a steady backdrop to her day. But suddenly cheers turned to screams, and her life changed forever.

Haslet-Davis lost her left leg that day. This year, she returned to the scene in order to run the marathon.

"I wanted to run it for Boston to say a huge, gigantic thank you," Haslet-Davis said. "And a big screw you to the terrorists."

Written and produced by A.C. Fowler

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Decades of research have linked specific personality traits to a longer life expectancy. Some of them — from friendliness to emotional stability — may be written into our genes.

And while one study found that we're not particularly good at identifying these traits in ourselves, it suggested that our close friends are often spot-on.

Read on (preferably with a friend) to find out if you possess any or all of these characteristics:

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Conscientiousness

For their 75-year study of 300 engaged couples who enrolled in the study in their mid-20s, researchers found that men who were seen by their friends as more conscientious, meaning they were less likely to take risks but also tended to be more thorough and efficient, lived longer.

Participants in the study picked a handful of friends to rate their personality using a 36-question scale created by psychologist E. Lowell Kelly in 1940. (To verify its tenacity, the researchers recently compared it with several other personality tests of the past decade.)

Questions in the scale ranged from general queries like "Is he physically energetic and peppy?" to more personal ones like "How does he meet his appointments?"

Of the men in the study, those who were seen as more conscientious lived longer. A 2007 study of Californian men and women between 1930 and 2000 came to similar conclusions: People (regardless of their gender) who were independently ranked as conscientious as children and as adults lived longer than their peers who were not conscientious during either phase of their lives.

Openness

For that same 75-year study, openness also emerged as a trait that was linked with a long life, second to conscientiousness. So men who ranked highly in terms of this quality, meaning they were willing to lend an ear to new and different ideas, feelings, and concepts, tended to live longer than other men in the study.

Emotional stability

The 75-year longevity study had slightly different takeaways for women than it did for men, a finding which might hint at how different genders were seen as having different characteristics of value in the 1930s (and today).

Of the women participants, for example, emotionally stability was the trait with the strongest links to a long life.

You might have heard the rumors as a kid: Swallow gum and it’ll sit stubbornly in your stomach for seven long years.

But what does science have to say about that? Reactions, a video series from the American Chemical Society, traced the steps taken by our body's digestive system to find out that while some of the gum we chew can survive digestion, it "doesn’t mean the gum you swallowed in grade school is still there." 

Phew.

Turns out there are three basic components of digestion: The first includes the mechanical processes that are required to process your food when you first ingest it, i.e. chewing. The second focuses on the enzymes or proteins in your saliva and stomach that help break down that food. Last but not least are acids, which dissolve what's left into something your body can comfortably pass through your intestines.

Traditionally when you eat, your teeth and tongue work together to munch the food into small bits. Then your muscle movements push the food through the digestive tract until it is emptied into the stomach and churned with digestive juices, as shown below:

While this is happening, the enzymes in your saliva, stomach juices, and intestines drive chemical processes that allow you to convert that food into nutrients your body can use.

Then, the acids in your stomach get to work, dissolving what’s left of that food into a mush that your body can comfortably pass through your intestines and, eventually...dispose of.

But gum isn’t designed to be smoothly digested by your body like regular food. That’s because it contains either a natural or synthetic rubber base, which is what gives it its gummy consistency. Butyl rubber, commonly used in gum (as well as tires and basketballs, mm!), is a synthetic rubber that provides it with an ideal chewiness.

You’ve probably noticed that gum is unaffected by the crushing of your teeth — that’s kind of the point. So when you swallow the gum, it moves through your digestive tract into your stomach as one giant wad.

While your enzymes are able to break down the carbohydrates, oils, and alcohols in the gum as they would with regular food, the rubber base in the gum is basically immune to these enzymes.

Even the “harsh brew” of acids in your stomach is no match for this rubber base. (Remember that rubber is so resilient that we use it in gloves for protection.) As a result, part of your gum survives all of your digestive system's attempts to break it down.

But so do parts of a lot of other things you eat, like sunflower seeds or corn. So while that gum you swallowed is rebellious enough to stand up to your digestive processes, that doesn’t stop your muscles from eventually ushering it through your body and out the other end within a couple days.

To learn more, check out Reaction's video below:

SEE ALSO: How bubble gum is made

DON'T MISS: How giant slabs of rubber become thin rubber bands

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NOW WATCH: How bubble gum is made

Some unlucky office workers are stuck wearing the same clothing year-round: business suits. But for much of the workforce, summer means a new freedom in what to wear to the office. 

We took recommendations from Sylvie di Giusto, founder of Executive Image Consulting, and tweaked them with a cool summer bent. 

In a nutshell, sweaters are out and patterns are in. Cotton should be the predominant fabric of the season, but others, like linen and seersucker will also sneak into your wardrobe. We broke down the appropriate office attire for every level of workplace dress code, from casual to traditional.

Former Lifestyle Editor April Walloga contributed the womenswear advice for this article.

SEE ALSO: This is the exact number of times you should wash your face every day

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NOW WATCH: The fashion risks every modern gentleman should take

The dog adoption trend has become very popular in America. Aspiring dog owners believe they are "rescuing" their pet from a puppy mill, but "The Dog Merchants" author Kim Kavin says that's not always the case. Sometimes "rescuers" bid on purebred puppies at dog auctions right alongside commercial breeders.

Produced by Eames Yates

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