T LOunge for August 22nd, 2023

PinBooking Office 1869 Bar and Restaurant at St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel – London, UK

Today’s LOunge looks like a spot where you’d meet Hercule Poirot for a cocktail, so let’s spend our time in it being mysterious and conspiratorial, shall we? It’s TUESDAY, which makes us want to try on “obtuse” and “elusive” as our descriptors for the day. So grab your wrap and cigarette holder and meet us on a banquette for plotting and scheming. And cocktails, of course.

Cate Blanchett on femininity, fragrance and challenging the culture of ageing
The inimitable actress and Armani muse talks to Bazaar about beauty culture
Cate Blanchett can’t remember a time when she wasn’t in dialogue with Mr. Armani – face-to-face or remotely – about femininity. More specifically, the two are aligned in their belief that it isn’t monolithic. “I have always embraced this idea that it’s a dance with these many dualities within us, and we don’t need to prioritise one,” she tells me. With this in mind, “certainty and confusion can coexist,” she notes; “being in your 50s and feeling like a 16-year-old can coexist – and that’s not a madness, that’s what femininity is”. Frankly, “it is volcanic, and it’s quiet, simultaneously”.

From Sophia Loren To Monica Bellucci, 17 Times Italian Bombshells Ruled The Venice Film Festival
Just as Cannes has its effortlessly chic French girls, Venice Film Festival has always been the undisputed domain of the Italian bombshell. Since the showcase’s inception nine decades ago, these impossibly glamorous women have shimmied off their private water taxis and onto the Lido in showstopping ball gowns, with dramatic cat eyes and lashings of mascara, their hair teased up to perfection and eye-wateringly expensive jewels draped around their necks. Among them were Fellini heroines like Claudia Cardinale; Michelangelo Antonioni’s bewitching muse Monica Vitti; the always elegant Sophia Loren; and Monica Bellucci, still the very definition of va va voom.

“Let’s stop telling people that women’s bodies are the problem”: meet the activists fighting for change on Instagram
When Nyome Nicholas-Williams and Mary Morgan found their images censored by the social media platform, they decided to campaign for a change in policy – and not for the first time
When Nyome Nicholas-Williams decided to sit for the renowned photographer Alexandra Cameron, all she wanted was a beautiful image of herself. Almost everyone would agree that the product of the shoot was just that: a dreamy, light-bathed portrait in Cameron’s usual style, of Nicholas-Williams with her eyes closed, her arms wrapped around her breasts.
But when she uploaded the photograph to Instagram in August 2020, it was removed within hours – the platform claimed the image violated its nudity policy and threatened to shut down her whole account.

27 Fashion Documentaries You Need To Add To Your Watch List
A great fashion documentary has the power to delight and inspire, as well as to confirm career aspirations. In recent years, some of the world’s most prestigious maisons have opened their doors to the cameras, and the results are as fabulous as the gowns created within them. Take Dior and I, an emotive, sensitive look inside the Christian Dior Paris HQ, as Raf Simons prepared for his debut; or Martin Margiela: In His Own Words, which offers a rare insight into the mind of the famously private designer. Then there are the documentaries which focus on the industry’s most impactful models and muses, from Catwalk to the upcoming Apple TV+ docuseries The Super Models, which will recount the incredible rise of Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista and Christy Turlington, all of whom appear together on the cover of British Vogue’s September 2023 issue. As we count down to its release on 20 September, swot up on your fashion history with our pick of the best fashion documentaries to date…

Oval nails are a classic shape for a reason. Here’s 9 ways to style them out
There’s so many ways to personalise your mani – the shape alone offers a whole world of choices. There’s oval nails, almond nails, squoval nails, lipstick nails, stiletto nails… the list goes on. And, just like a haircut can change the overall vibe of your look, your nail shape can make a mini statement all on its own. Are you a trendy girl, a glam girl, a practical girl, or all of the above?

I thought being thinner would guarantee me love, success and confidence but I was so wrong
It’s time we stop romanticising thinness and instead start romanticising the bodies we live in right now.
I was constantly waiting, waiting to start enjoying my life. As I was conditioned to believe that weight loss was my only key to love, intimacy, success, and confidence so much so that it saddens me to admit that when I was 18, I blew out my birthday candles and wished to be thinner. I hoped I would get the stomach flu because I knew that meant I would lose weight. When I spotted a shooting star, I closed my eyes and prayed for thinness. I wore a waist trainer to bed because I was told it would make me slimmer. I believed the lies being sold by the media that being thinner was the only way to feel true happiness.

The Most Glamorous Vintage Photographs Of The Venice Film Festival
“First held in 1932 as the Esposizione d’Arte Cinematografica – then just a section of the Biennale – Venice Film Festival is not only the oldest festival of its kind in the world, but also the most glamorous (with the possible exception of Cannes). Its upcoming 80th edition is set to feature a host of buzzy releases, from Priscilla and Poor Things to Ferrari and Maestro, but in light of the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, it’s still uncertain as to exactly how many Hollywood heavyweights will receive waivers allowing them to descend on the Lido for the usual cycle of parties and premieres. As we await more news, revisit the most glamorous images from the festival through the years…”

Chlöe x Halle Talk New Music, Their PINK Collab, and Personal Style
Chlöe and Halle Bailey are what the industry calls triple threats: singers, dancers, and, despite the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike, actresses. In fact, Chlöe’s first solo tour for her debut solo album In Pieces sold out—which was enough for her to embark on a second leg this fall. Halle, for her part, has had a blockbuster year, starring in The Little Mermaid, which hit theaters in May, and the upcoming movie-musical adaptation of The Color Purple. She also released her first standalone single, “Angel,” in August, which nabbed the top spot on multiple Billboard and iTunes R&B charts.

Newport Beach is about to become your new Californian dream destination
Forget Palm Springs, or even LA, Newport Beach is the new black.
When we think of California we think, sun, beach, matcha lattes, yoga pants and LA, of course. But did you know that Newport Beach might be the Californian hidden gem you and your family have been missing out on? I’m an honorary LA girl through and through. The pace of life there is similar to one I’m accustomed at home – in Lisbon. However, Newport Beach, is the suburban quieter and more relaxing older sister to the wild palms of Los Angeles.

Queen Margrethe’s Life in Photos
The Danish queen is Europe’s longest reigning monarch.
Margrethe was born at Frederik VIII’s Palace on April 16, 1940—just one week after Nazi Germany invaded Denmark. Her parents, King Frederick IX and Queen Ingrid, were both members of royal families: Frederick was the eldest son of Denmark’s King Christian X and Queen Alexandrine (who were also monarchs of Iceland until 1944), and Ingrid was the only daughter of King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden and his first wife, Princess Margaret.
“We represent a very long story, and that’s the story of our own country,” she told the BBC during the celebration of her 40th year on the throne. “It is not a life sentence, but a life of service.”

An Inside Look at “Garden of Green: Exquisite Jewelry from the Collection of Van Cleef & Arpels”
A new exhibition at the Natural History Museum takes visitors on an odyssey through an enchanted forest. What kind of treasures should one expect to see on the way? Bejeweled flora, of course.

Wanda Sykes Is Taking It All In
The actor and comedian on what’s at stake in the writers’ strike, why politics are central to her standup, and how the scene has changed during her thirty-plus-year career.
In the post-quarantine comedy scene, it’s become customary for standups to share their experiences from the pandemic’s first two claustrophobic years. But few can say they were in Wanda Sykes’s position: watching the police killings of Black men and women on television as the only Black member of her family, while the necessary household conversations about race waited to be broached. (Sykes’s wife, Alex, is white, as are their fourteen-year-old twins.) With the cranky pragmatism that’s defined her public image for more than three decades, Sykes riffs on political topics and shares stories from her recent past, as well as from her younger, closeted self, in her latest Netflix special, “I’m an Entertainer.”

Vintage photos show what it was like to eat at a diner in the 1950s
Nothing is more quintessentially American than ’50s-style diners.
Diners, which were originally referred to as “lunch cars,” first emerged in the 1920s.
By the ’50s, they had grown in popularity due to their low prices, large menus, and extended hours.

“Going shopping” is dead
How stores sucked the fun out of an American pastime
The early department stores that popped up in the late 1800s and early 1900s were an elegant, even opulent innovation that centralized consumers’ shopping needs; their beautifully decorated windows drew in passersby, and the stores themselves were massive and filled with a vast range of goods, with knowledgeable, attentive staff ready to aid customers. These retail spaces not only had sales floors, but also gardens, tea rooms, and full-service restaurants.

How to Clean Sneakers and Keep Them Looking Like New
From machine washing to spot cleaning, here’s how to remove stains and dirt to keep sneakers looking fresh.
There’s nothing better than that new sneaker feeling. They’re crisp, squeaky clean, and ready for action. But it doesn’t take long for dirt, grass stains, grease, and scuffs to make an appearance. That’s why experts recommend washing your sneakers regularly and paying close attention to the proper care instructions. Some sneakers are best hand washed, while others can stand up to the washing machine. Occasionally, spot treatments may be necessary.
Ready to get your sneakers feeling like new again? Here are three ways to clean your sneakers at home.

A Guide to Every Knife Part, From the Cutting Edge to the Heel
Get to know the anatomy of your kitchen knives with this knife part guide—complete with a handy visual.
Whether you’re a home cook or a professional chef, you know that your knives are your most important tools in the kitchen. You use them daily—and hopefully care for them properly, keeping them sharp and never putting them in the dishwasher. There may be variations in the material, size, and weight that set chefs or paring knives apart, but all kitchen knives have the same basic parts and construction, and that’s true whether they cost $20 or $200. Here’s an overview of kitchen knife parts, including the classic chef’s knife.

Why You Should Be Sipping Cachaça, Brazil’s Most Popular Spirit
Not to be confused with rum, this sugarcane-based spirit is more than just an ingredient in your Caipirinha cocktail.
Cachaça is a distilled spirit with a rich history and a flavor profile that’s fruity, earthy, and totally distinctive. Produced only in Brazil, cachaça is deeply rooted in Brazilian culture and is the country’s national spirit. Get ready to explore what cachaça is, what it tastes like, the different types of cachaça, and how to enjoy this wonderful Brazilian spirit—according to top beverage professionals.

25 Best Places to Visit in North Carolina — Including a Scenic Parkway, Buzzy Cities, and the Most-visited National Park
Here are the top places to visit on your next trip to the Tar Heel State.
From energetic cities and beautiful beaches to mist-covered hills and museums that mark important moments in history, the Tar Heel State has something to lure every type of traveler. Here are some of the best places to visit in North Carolina so you can start planning your next trip to this East Coast destination packed with must-see spots.

[Photo Credit: booking-office.co.uk]

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