T LOunge for January 15th 2024

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PinRum Club Cocktail Bar – Utrecht, Netherlands

Rum for everyone! Why? Why ask why, darling? It’s WEDNESDAY! Did you need a better reason than that. Settle in for some island cocktails and pointless diversions.

Keke Palmer’s Greatest Role Is Herself How the former child star became a multimedia mogul and stopped trying to please everyone else.
We’re in a cultural moment dominated by former child stars — both Grande and Selena Gomez were nominated for Golden Globes this year, and Miley Cyrus won Record of the Year at the Grammys. Meanwhile, a series of explosive tell-alls have purported to show what life is really like for camera-ready tweens, from the 2024 documentaries Quiet on Set and Child Star to Jennette McCurdy’s memoir, I’m Glad My Mom Died.
Master of Me gestures at the traditional narrative of what it’s like to be a child entertainer: the intense pressure to live up to adult expectations, the tendency to constantly perform for others, the realization that you have to look after yourself when there aren’t any grown-ups around. But her experiences at Nickelodeon weren’t the same as those of some of her former colleagues — she says she wasn’t, for instance, pushed into inappropriate situations by network execs. “Sure, the child-star industry is inherently exploitative. But everything is inherently exploitative,” Palmer says.

Who Is Harris Dickinson? All About The ‘Babygirl’ Star’s Dating Life, Career And More
Everything you need to know about the rising star, from his breakthrough roles to his steamy Babygirl performance, dating life and tattoos.
Despite still being in the thick of the first month of 2025, the internet has already seemed to have found its new boyfriend, Harris Dickinson.
The actor’s leading role opposite Nicole Kidman in the erotic thriller Babygirl has left many of us feeling plenty of things, and a lot of that is due to Dickinson’s portrayal of an office intern who begins a seriously steamy affair with his high powered CEO.
While we’ve previously seen the London-born actor on our screens in Beach Rats (2017), Triangle Of Sadness (2022) and Scrapper (2023), 2025 is definitely shaping up to the star’s year with the release of Babygirl in cinemas and theatres.

Brutal Honesty
She’s the stylish British star whose striking performance in upcoming film
The Brutalist has just earned her a Golden Globe nomination. But Felicity Jones remains refreshingly under the radar. Here, she tells Hannah Marriott how defiance, quiet determination and a fierce inner drive have come to define her
A lot has changed in Jones’ life in the past few years. She married director Charles Guard in 2018 – a fellow Brit she met in an elevator in Los Angeles. They have two children, aged 4 and 2 (“To have a baby in an apocalyptic moment is pretty scary,”she said in 2020). Meanwhile, the new movie she is promoting, The Brutalist, is being described by some reviewers as the best performance of her career.

After a pared back manicure to kick off the new year? These are hands down the best nail looks for a fresh start in 2025
Clean nail looks for the new year
‘New year, New me,’ may be an outdated ideal but what about new year, new nails? As someone who loves keeping up with the latest nail trends, that’s something I can get behind. But, what are we looking for when it comes to new year nails (in the literal sense, I’m not talking about the party nails you donned on new years eve)?
Well, for me, January is the perfect time to opt for a manicure reset and take a break from the dark, moody hues I gravitated towards through autumn and the sparkly Christmas nails of recent months. New year nails are all about channeling the energy I want to embody throughout 2025 and that means elegant, effortless and elevated sets are my go-to. Thankfully, there’s plenty of inspiration out there that I can look to and, of course, I’m passing that inspo on to you as well. So, if like me you feel like your nails are in need of a fresh start for the new year, keep scrolling to see the best nail looks to embody it…

My nails break all the time in winter, so I’ve been testing nail strengtheners to keep them supple and healthy—these are the best
No chips allowed
As someone that used to have gel manicures religiously, I can’t say that I used to pay much attention at all to how the changing seasons affected the condition of my nails. Why would I when I was so busy collating all of the best nail art inspiration and nail trend ideas for my next in-salon manicure? However, since becoming a mum of two and switching my daily commute to the office for permanent work from home life, my monthly manicures have fallen by the wayside and I’m all for an at-home nail job.
This does mean, though, that since winter has arrived and the temperature has plummeted that I’ve noticed how dramatically the health of my nails have been affected. Not only are they prone to splitting and breaking, I’ve noticed that when I do slick on a nail polish at home they tend to chip way more easily. And nail experts agree. Turns out, the changing seasons really can affect the condition of our nails, and using the best nail strengtheners is a step that we can all take to restore them to their former glory.

The experts have spoken: these are 7 jewellery trends you’ll be wearing in 2025
Time to sparkle
January may be the dreariest month of the year but there’s one thing working for it: it’s the time for new trends to fresh up your wardrobe with.
While I’m all about the general Spring/Summer 2025 fashion trends, I have to emphasise the importance of jewellery here. A good necklace or pair of earrings is sometimes all you need to elevate your whole look – and often a more budget-friendly way to tick off those all-important trends.
I saw some pretty exciting jewellery trends on the catwalks last fashion month, and just to be safe, I asked the experts – designers themselves – to confirm which pieces you should be buying in 2025…

Sore back or poor posture from sitting at a desk all day? Kettlebell swing workouts are the answer – 5 a PT recommends to clients
The perfect antidote to a desk-bound day.
Investing in walking pads aside, you might think there’s little we can do to counteract this fact. But we have good news: kettlebell swings could be the perfect antidote to a desk-bound day. Studies show that the move not only reduces lower back pain, but also improves postural coordination and and dynamic flexibility – put simply, they’re great for strengthening our postural muscles, which is great news for all of us.

Billie Jean King: ‘Sport helps women to love and trust their bodies’
As another incredible year of sport beckons, we spoke to the GOAT about the ongoing fight for women’s equality, from body image to the boardroom.
Ask any young person to name a tennis player; you’ll soon hear the words ‘Serena’, ‘Venus’, or even ‘Tashi’ – thank you, Zendaya, for that last one. Women get to be superstars in the world of tennis, but only thanks to the dogged efforts of Billie.
In 1970, at great personal risk, she persuaded eight other female tennis players at the top of their game to form their own professional tour, the Virginia Slims Circuit, which later evolved into the Women’s Tennis Association – still the most successful women’s pro tour in any sport. As well as winning 39 Grand Slam titles, Billie went on to be the first female athlete to make 100k during a professional competition, defeated Bobby Riggs in the ‘Battle of the Sexes’ AKA the most famous tennis match in history, and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009.

79 best rom-coms to watch this weekend, from The Idea Of You to We Live In Time
Perfect for a cosy night in.
Rom-coms, who doesn’t love them? Of all the movie genres to watch, there’s possibly nothing more comforting than your favourite romantic comedy.
Luckily for us, we can rely on big-time actors to add their magic to some amazing rom-coms, who can forget J.Lo’s turns as a heartbroken singer, who finds new love with a stranger (Owen Wilson) in the movie, Marry Me? Or Anne Hathaway’s turn in rumoured Harry Styles fan fic turned movie, The Idea Of You, awards season favourite We Live In Time and Channing Tatum and Scarlett Johansson’s Fly Me To The Moon.

Lucy Liu Has No Regrets After Speaking Out About Bill Murray
In a profile in The Guardian, Liu recalls fighting back after Murray allegedly said “inexcusable and unacceptable” things to her on the set of Charlie’s Angels. “I would have done that in any situation,” she says.
Lucy Liu has no regrets about her altercation with Bill Murray on the set of Charlie’s Angels. In a profile for The Guardian, Liu opened up about the incident—in which she allegedly got physical with the comedian after he allegedly insulted her on set: “I would have done that in any situation.”
While promoting her forthcoming Steven Soderbergh film, Presence, Liu looked back on her career and how she navigated the entertainment industry in the ’90s as a women of color. She had been “aware that some situations were not safe, and not to get involved in that,” the actor told The Guardian. “I think having that sense of self saved me from a lot of probably bad situations of either being taken advantage of, or what people would think is quid pro quo.”

How to Wash a Winter Coat So It Always Looks New
Follow these expert tips to restore your winter coats.
At this point of winter, you likely have a coat rotation locked. Even for those who live in warmer cities, winter nights require cozy outerwear to combat the inevitable chill in the air. With such frequent use, your winter coats will need a thorough cleaning by the end of the season, if not sooner.
Most care labels will give you some general instructions on how to wash your coat. However, having a little more guidance doesn’t hurt, especially if you plan to preserve your coat for multiple seasons. Whether you’re hand washing your coat or tossing it in the washing machine, proper steps are still needed to make sure it stays looking brand new. Do you wash a winter coat in hot or cold water? Does the type of detergent you use matter? Is it safe to put a coat in the dryer?

1970s Fern Bars Were the Original Singles Bars, Are They Making a Comeback?
Lemon Drops, Frozen Daiquiris, and White Wine Spritzers flowed at these grandma-chic bars for singles.
Those under a certain age may have never heard of a “fern bar,” but they’re likely familiar with TGI Fridays, the Lemon Drop cocktail, or even singles bars. All of these have direct ties to the fern bar movement.
Though the fern bar concept emerged a decade earlier, the term wasn’t commonly used until the late 1970s when these venues hit their peak popularity. These bars emerged at the tail end of the tropical escapist tiki trend, which had thrived during the preceding three decades. It also marked the demise of classic cocktails, which would resurface a few decades later.

Love Nostalgic Sodas? You Need to Try Pepsi’s New Flavor
Dirty soda inspired the latest addition to Pepsi’s permanent lineup.
Among an endless stream of trends that pass in a flash and TikTok-viral recipes, dirty soda seems to have earned staying power for itself over the past year. Comprised of soda mixed with add-ins like syrup, juice, or cream, this customizable and surprisingly tasty concoction has become so popular that it even captured the attention of one of the world’s biggest soda brands.
Fans looking for an accessible and delicious rendition of dirty soda will be elated to learn that Pepsi is launching an entirely new flavor, Wild Cherry & Cream, on January 20, a brand representative tells Food & Wine.

Are Murals the New Wallpaper?
Designers like Portnof and Amir might be putting a fresh spin on frescos, but a mural isn’t exactly a novel idea. “It fascinates me that 40,000 years ago, humans were painting figures and animals onto the walls of the places they lived, using the natural earth pigments available to them,” says Tess Newall, a decorative artist in Sussex and London. “The paintings served no obvious purpose other than the telling of stories and the joy that wall paintings bring, both in their creation and in living alongside them.”

Your brain is lying to you about the “good old days”
The science behind why we think the past was better than the present.
There’s nothing new about yearning for a supposed golden age, or feeling as if the present doesn’t measure up to an imagined past. But you’re right that a hatred of the present seems particularly acute these days — and you’re right that hatred ignores all the many, many ways in which today is better than yesterday. […]
I share your frustration that so many people miss the ways in which the present has improved on the past. It’s not really our fault: Humans have memories that are both short and bad, which leads us to forget just how bad many things used to be in even the recent past, and take for granted the improvements that have been made. But let’s go deeper.

Remembering Lady Patricia Ramsay, the granddaughter of Queen Victoria who gave up her Princess title for love
The royal, who died 51 years ago this week, was the most eligible woman of the Edwardian age – before she confounded expectation with her husband-of-choice
Described as ‘a dear, pretty little thing’ by her grandmother, Queen Victoria, Princess Patricia of Connaught came into the world at Buckingham Palace in the early hours of St Patrick’s Day in 1886, the youngest child of Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn and his wife, Princess Louise Margaret of Prussia. And although she might have been born into royalty, she would go on to give up her title for the love of her life.

The Decade That Changed Fitness Forever
The ’70s brought American exercise into the modern era. Here are five workouts that changed the game.
Take a moment to imagine what it was like to work out in 1972. There weren’t many gyms, and they rarely allowed women, except on “ladies’ days.” Running shoes were barely cushioned, the sports bra hadn’t been invented and yoga mats were usually just blankets.
People who exercised for fun were often seen as kooky. At the same time, heart disease had become prevalent and diabetes and other illnesses were on the rise as Americans were driving more, walking less and watching plenty of television. But over the course of a decade, everything changed.

“I Couldn’t Take No For an Answer”: How Gia Coppola Got Pamela Anderson to Star in The Last Showgirl
After the director Gia Coppola watched Pamela Anderson’s Netflix documentary, it became abundantly clear who should star in The Last Showgirl, the story of 57-year-old Shelly Gardner, a seasoned Las Vegas dancer grappling with her past and future amidst the closure of Le Razzle Dazzle, the classic French-style revue she’s starred in for three decades. But when Coppola sent the script, written by Kate Gersten, to Anderson’s management, she was swiftly turned down. “I couldn’t take no for an answer,” Coppola told Dave Bautista, who plays Eddie, the revue’s producer. So she got in touch with Anderson’s son, who made sure to get the pitch to his mom. Now, days after the film opened wide in the United States, Anderson is reeling in accolades and nominations from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and the Screen Actors Guild. Below, Coppola and Bautista discuss her nuanced and heart-rending performance, working with their secret weapon Jamie Lee Curtis, and bringing the pageantry of Las Vegas to life on screen.

Fake image of burnt Oscar goes viral amid L.A. wildfires — how Robert Redford and Isabella Rossellini are involved
What happens to a damaged Oscar anyway?
Actress Isabella Rossellini was one of many who found themselves saddened by a “heartbreaking photo” of an Oscar surrounded by rubble and ash, as wildfires continue to ravage homes, businesses, and cultural institutions in Los Angeles.
“In my previous post listing all my nominations for film CONCLAVE I couldn’t find any things to say that seemed appropriate. Of course I am super grateful and proud but anything to do with Hollywood and Los Angeles brings only tears to my eyes thinking of all friends and colleagues who are living the tragic fires,” the Conclave actress wrote on Instagram on Sunday, alongside the image of the charred statuette. “I spoke to my brother Roberto about it and he sent me l this heartbreaking photo he found.”
But while both the L.A. fires and the feelings the image evoke are all too real, the photo itself doesn’t seem to be. A Google reverse image search shows that it was made with Google AI.

6 Reasons Your Wall Paint Is Peeling—and How to Fix It for a Flawless Finish
From using the wrong product to improper preparation.
While a fresh coat of paint is a low-cost, low-effort way to give your entire room a brand-new feel, seeing your carefully chosen color peel or crack after the job is finished is frustrating and discouraging.
Paint peels for a variety of reasons, from poor preparation that interferes with the paint’s adhesion to hidden issues like moisture and humidity. By identifying the cause of your peeling paint, you can fix your paint job and prevent future issues. Ahead, experts share several common reasons your paint may be peeling and tips for how to solve each issue.

How to Eat Nopales, the Nutritious Cactus Paddles You Can Enjoy Raw or Cooked
A staple vegetable throughout Mexico, these spiky pads have a unique texture and flavor—and limitless culinary possibilities.
Nopales, also known as prickly pear cactus pads, are vastly versatile, antioxidant-packed succulent plants. While these spiny cactus paddles are staples in Mexican cooking, their uses are endless and go beyond one particular cuisine. We caught up with culinary experts to learn more about this vegetable and get innovative ideas for using nopales.

How to Declutter Your Clothes Once and For All, According to Professional Organizers
Get your closet in order for the long haul.
If there’s one area of your home that is bound to accumulate clutter, it’s your wardrobe. Since each piece of clothing typically doesn’t take up much space, it’s easy to amass far too many clothes without even noticing it—only to one day realize your closet is stuffed to the brim.
Decluttering an overflowing closet can be daunting, but breaking the process down into a handful of simple steps can make it much simpler. (And, dare we say, even a little fun?) We asked three professional organizers to share a step-by-step method for decluttering clothes. With their advice, you’ll efficiently and effectually declutter your clothes and get your closet in order for good.

This Country Has the Largest Glacier in Europe — Plus 7 Active Volcanoes, a ‘Diamond’ Beach, and a Gorgeous Lagoon
Iceland’s Vatnajökull Glacier is one of the most beautiful — and geologically important — places in the country.
Glaciers are some of Earth’s most ethereal — and mighty — natural phenomenons. But few are more stunning than Iceland’s Vatnajökull ice cap. Covering more than 3,000 square miles and eight percent of the country, it’s not only Iceland’s largest glacier but the largest in Europe.
It’s said that if Vatnajökull was spread evenly over the entirety of Iceland, it would form a 98-foot-thick layer of ice. But it’s not just the size of Vatnajökull that makes it remarkable: beneath its glassy surface lies seven active volcanoes, caldera lakes, and bubbling cauldrons of geothermic activity.

This City Was Just Named the Top Food Destination in the World by Tripadvisor — and No It’s Not Paris, NYC, or London
Here’s where to go to get a taste of Rome’s best pasta, pizza, and gelato this year.
We’ve always known the promise of unending carbonara, cacio e pepe, pizza, and gelato are reason enough to visit Italy, and now it’s official. Tripadvisor just announced its Travelers’ Choice Awards Best of the Best Destinations, and Rome was named the world’s top food destination.
It’s no surprise Rome took the torta. While it’s in extra celebration mode this year with the Jubilee — expecting to draw upwards of 35 million visitors — the Eternal City has long been a haven for food lovers.

[Photo Credit: rum-club.nl]

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