T LOunge for April 19th 2024

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PinLe Carrube Bar – Cetara, Amalfi, Italy

We feel the aforementioned has sufficiently made our point for us. It is FRIDAY. Here is where you will spend it.

A Look Back at Grace Kelly’s Wedding Dress: The Princess of Monaco’s Lace Gown That Inspired Future Brides Around the World
Grace of Monaco wore a Helen Rose wedding dress that was a gift to her from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios.
It was the lace wedding dress that launched a million lace wedding dresses when Grace Kelly married Prince Rainier of Monaco on April 19, 1956.
The princess’ Helen Rose dress was a gift to the actress from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios. It was crafted by a 35-member team over six weeks including dyers, beaders, milliners, seamstresses, hand embroiderers and sketch artists. The gown is a combination of rose point lace, silk faille, silk tulle, seed pearls and wax flowers.
Twenty-five yards each of peau de soie and silk taffeta, 100 yards of silk net and 300 yards of val lace were used for the ivory gown and veil.
All the hidden song meanings in Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department – according to a diehard Swiftie
We reviewed all 31 (!) songs, and yes, it was worth the 5 am wake-up call.
Every time Taylor Swift drops an album, we should declare a bank holiday so we can cry, dance and cry in peace. While the recommended amount of sleep is eight hours, Swifties have simply decided that they don’t need rest and have pulled an all-nighter to inject the pop star’s 11th studio album into their veins. And OFC, I was one of them.
In Swift style, she announced The Tortured Poets Department while accepting the Grammy for Album of the Year for ‘Midnights’ in February, and fans have been dissecting every single detail since. From the name of the album alone to Swift’s carefully curated playlists on Apple Music referencing the five stages of grief, it’s safe to say we already knew this album was for the sad girlies.

Who is Clara Bow? The ‘It Girl’ who inspired Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department final song
The silent film star, whose legacy has often been reduced to scandal, has a namesake track on Taylor’s new album.
What could silent film star Clara Bow, who has been called a “tormented Hollywood outsider,” have in common with Taylor Swift? That’s the question we’ve been asking since Swift unveiled the track list for her latest album, The Tortured Poets Department, whose final song is titled “Clara Bow.”
Swift, whose 11th studio album debuted on 19 April, poetically answers that question. Drawing a line between Bow’s silent-film-era stardom and the height of Stevie Nicks’s Fleetwood Mac fame, Swift then sings of the day that she will be similarly mythologized before being replaced by the next generation’s It Girl.

I have pale skin and can confirm that these are the very best lipsticks to compliment a fair complexion
To perfectly complement your skin tone
While I’ve perfected the art of picking out a foundation shade for my pale skin or a brow gel that will suit my dark hair, and I’ve recently been on a mission to find the best bright lipstick that sparks joy. However, there have been countless occasions when I’ve purchased a lipstick that looked great in the bullet, only to get home and find that it didn’t suit my skin tone at all. And if a lipstick doesn’t instantly make you feel amazing, then it’s no good to me.
So, what exactly is the secret to choosing the best lipstick for pale skin? From the best reds to the nicest nudes, and everything in between, I caught up with makeup artist Rose Gallagher to pick her brains on what lipstick shades will transform pale skin from sallow to scintillating.

Bag charms are the unexpected luxury trend of 2024
Time to Jane Birk-ify your handbag
Based on street style and runway trends alike, one thing that we can agree on for Spring/Summer 2024 is that maximalism isn’t going anywhere. Even in the era of quiet luxury, there is a strong love for the mob wife aesthetic and coquette, all of which champion elements of maximalism and individualistic adaptations.
And if we’re speaking about sprucing up your wardrobe with maximalism qualities that help personalise your most cherished accessories, why not give bag charms a go? Speaking as someone with a proud and varied collection of personalised charms, I am a massive fan of this bold accessory trend. Promoting playfulness and charisma by bringing a strong sense of personalisation and joy when accessorising your outfits and mixing up your otherwise classic capsule wardrobe, it seems like the fashion sort has caught on.

The anti-bob trend is brewing—these 17 hair looks make a strong case for it
In 2024, ultra-long hair is back on the style agenda
I have lost count of how many bob trends there have been lately. Truly. Hair trends come and go, and last year many of them were bob hairstyles. Which is why it’s interesting that we’ve actually started to see a kind of anti-bob trend simmering away (props to Marie Claire’s Executive Beauty Editor Shannon for coining this term) throughout the start of 2024. Though shorter cuts are still popular, the balance seems to be redressing itself as hairstyles for long hair are back on the style agenda.

Scenes From the Knives-Out Feud Between Barbara Walters and Diane Sawyer
The rivalry was the “talk of the town” at ABC, where the two TV icons spent years poaching each other’s best guests, chronicles Susan Page in an excerpt from her new book, The Rulebreaker. At the same time, confesses Sawyer, “We spent a lot of time laughing and forging a real friendship.”

17 States Are Considering Laws That Would Imprison Librarians
Meanwhile, Ron DeSantis has been forced to limit certain Floridians to only one book-banning attempt per month.
Once upon a time, working as a librarian in America was not considered a dangerous vocation. Rewarding, of course. Sweet, sure. Occasionally dull, yes, but a lot of jobs can be boring. Yet, for the most part, most people working as librarians in the US did not wake up, head to work, and wonder, What are the chances I’m going to be charged with a crime for letting someone take out a book today? But thanks to GOP state legislators, that’s now become a legitimate fear.

The Return Of Slogan Tops? Don’t Say We Didn’t Tell Ya
From Britney’s ‘Dump Him’ t-shirt all the way to to JW Anderson’s ‘I Told Ya’ t-shirt, slogan tees are back with a bang.
In 2002, Britney Spears grabbed a Starbucks while wearing a baby blue T-shirt featuring a phrase that would exist in the collective consciousness forevermore: ‘Dump Him’.
In the wake of her split from Justin Timberlake, a break-up that was dominating tabloids at the time, these two simple words were more than mere decoration. They were an act of narrative reclamation, a feminist statement, a celebration of liberation. Above all, they embodied what the internet would now refer to as a ‘mood’.

One of the Largest Collections of Princess Diana’s Belongings Heads to Auction
A portion of the proceeds will be benefit muscular dystrophy-related charities in the United Kingdom.
One of the largest collections of Princess Diana’s gowns, suits, handbags, and more is heading to auction this summer.
“Julien’s is honored to present this historic auction that will celebrate Princess Diana’s iconic fashion style and her reign as the People’s Princess and will be the largest Diana collection to come to auction in 27 years,” Martin Nolan, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Julien’s Auctions said in a release.

Before the Met Gala, a First Look at the “Sleeping Beauties” Catalog
That “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion”—the upcoming exhibition at The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute with its accompanying Met Gala—veers closer to a forensic than a fantastical reading of clothing is confirmed by a first look at the handsomely boxed exhibition catalog in which science and style sit side-by-side. On its box cover, after all, is one of Jun Takahashi’s spring 2024 Undercover terrarium dresses, complete with living plants, and, on the Paris runway at least, flitting butterflies.

In the Self-Love Era, Bridget Jones’s Highly Relatable Neuroses Are a Tonic
Bridget Jones is back—and thank God, because can I tell you what I haven’t heard in a while? A long, meandering pub monologue about how no one could really afford to live alone in a two-story flat in Borough Market, especially on a publishing salary, not even in the 2000s. Now my slightly warm pinot grigios can once again be soundtracked by friends of friends I didn’t know were experts in the central London property market circa 2001, telling me in great depth about how unrealistic a fictional character’s life is. What? I had no idea?

Everything ends. Even Bluey.
Did you see a parent crying today? The brilliant kids’ TV show Bluey is why.
If you happen not to have children or have been living under a rock, let me introduce you to someone. Her name is Bluey. She’s a 7-year-old who lives with her younger sister Bingo and her dad Bandit and mom Chili in the bucolic Australian city of Brisbane. Also, she’s a dog — a blue heeler, to be precise. And a cartoon. And she’s really, really big.

It’s impossible to be neutral about Taylor Swift
The Tortured Poets Department and the broken way we talk about pop music.
Taylor Swift has always been a pop culture Rorschach test. Every song Swift releases, every single she performs or awards show she attends, every candid photo of her is up for everyone’s interpretation. What people see depends on how they feel about her.
To some, she’s a ruthless capitalist who crisscrosses the Earth on her private jet, yells at her sweet professional football player boyfriend, and doesn’t have the integrity to take a side in the upcoming election. Plus, she might have ignored Celine Dion at the Grammys.
To others, she’s the greatest songwriter of her generation, a feminist who isn’t afraid to be successful or even misunderstood — because everything she does is for her fans.

Everyone Will Be Wearing This Aquatic Nail Color for Summer
It’s one of the prettiest ways to make a splash poolside.
Wherever summer’s plot takes you, there is a manicure to match. Imagine the sun glistening on your metallic nails as you grasp a refreshing drink on a rooftop. Or perhaps you are enjoying some R&R in Turks and Caicos, and as you take a dip in the ocean, your glossy aqua-blue nails camouflage into the waves. Dreamy, no? “We’re shaping up for a vibrant season of nail trends,” says New York City-based nail artist Julie Kandalec.

Books Bound in Human Skin: An Ethical Quandary at the Library
Harvard’s recent decision to remove the binding of a notorious volume in its library has thrown fresh light on a shadowy corner of the rare book world.
The New York International Antiquarian Book Fair is the place to inspect some of the most exquisite rare books on the market. But at this year’s event in early April, some browsers may have been unprepared for a small, grayish item on view: a book bound in human skin.
The book, which measures about 3 by 5 inches, came with a price tag of $45,000 — and a colorful back story. According to a statement by its owner, the binding was commissioned in 1682 by an Italian doctor and anatomist identified as Jacopo X, and has been kept by his descendants ever since.

How to Dry Fresh Herbs to Use in Your Cooking All Year Long
Don’t let your herb garden bounty go to waste—dry your herbs to extend their life.
Herbs have been used for thousands of years to add flavor and color to all different types of meals. While fresh herbs are often the go-to, especially for those with herb gardens, dried herbs offer a wealth of benefits that can make them an even better choice, depending on what you’re cooking. Dried herbs are typically stronger, more cost-effective, and last longer than fresh herbs. If you’re wondering what to do with an abundance of herbs leftover in your garden, you may want to consider drying them to preserve their aroma and flavor long after the herb-growing season has passed.

9 Trends You’ll See Everywhere This Summer, From Western Décor to Handmade Textiles
These trends will dominate throughout spring and summer.
There’s something about warmer weather that gives us a boost of inspiration to revamp our homes, landscapes, wardrobes, and more. If you’re looking for inspiration, Etsy just released its first-ever spring and summer trend report. The guide includes what to expect throughout each season, whether you’re planning a home renovation or an outdoor soirée. We’re highlighting the nine trends to watch.

[Photo Credit: hotelcetus.com]

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