T LOunge for January 8th 2024

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PinMistinguett Restaurant – Paris, France

It’s WEDNESDAY, darlings. May as well get into it. And by that we mean settling your ass on something soft in a Parisian LOunge and doing nothing all day long. Join us, won’t you?

Jerry Springer: Fights, Camera, Action: New Netflix documentary to delve into the ‘murky’ world of The Jerry Springer Show
This will be the talk of your WhatsApp groups.
Netflix is kicking off 2025 with a deep dive into one of the most controversial TV talk shows of all time: The Jerry Springer Show.
The new documentary series will look into the presenter’s political aspirations, TV stardom, as well as his tragic death in 2023. We will also hear from those who helped make the show what it was, including producer Richard Dominick.
While starting out with the aim of prioritising political coverage, the show became infamous for inciting physical fights on screen for entertainment, as well as pivoting towards covering incest, adultery and racism in order to garner more views and controversy. Many critics argued that the show owed those who appeared on the show better duty of care, due to the treatment they were subjected to while they were on screen in the name of driving up the drama.

Take it from me, this is the manicure shade that’ll dominate the season for a chic winter upgrade
How to embrace the shade of the season
Pantone seems to always nail it with their official ‘Colour Of The Year.’ They somehow manage to capture the feel of the upcoming 12 months, not only in terms of fashion, beauty and interiors, but culture and the underlying mood of modern life itself. For 2025, as we likely already know, it’s all about calming, grounding Mocha Mousse. Speaking about the choice, they announced: “For 2025, the Pantone Color Institute selects PANTONE 17-1230 Mocha Mousse, a warming, brown hue imbued with richness. It nurtures us with its suggestion of the delectable qualities of chocolate and coffee, answering our desire for comfort.”

This unique perfume trend is sure to please all sweet scent lovers—here’s how to wear it
Malin + Goetz, Phlur and LBTY are all taking ‘note’
After a ‘strawberry girl’ year and amidst our ongoing fascination with gourmand scents, it makes sense that strawberry perfumes are the height of style right now. A little bit floral, a whole lot fruity and juicy, and a touch green and powdery, strawberry fragrances combine some of the very best smells.
And it seems popular fragrance brands currently can’t get enough of the note, putting it front and centre of some of their latest launches. Malin + Goetz, for example, recently launched its iteration, while the newest cool girl of scent (Phlur) came out with ‘Strawberry Letters,’ much to its many fans’ delight. Then there are options from Liberty’s homegrown brand LBTY, as well as the likes of The Body Shop, which offers an affordable take.

PTs have called it – these are officially the best YouTube workouts of all time to boost your fitness from home
Roll out your exercise mat and prepare to get stuck in.
Able to be performed at home, over in minutes and costing you nada — the best YouTube workouts are worth their weight in gold.
Whether you’re a fan of full-body workouts, sweaty HIIT sessions or walking workouts, or you love yoga for relaxation, resistance training or meditation, thanks to the millions of YouTube workouts ready to stream on the platform, there is a PT-approved sesh ready and waiting for everyone.
And now that the shorter days and darker nights are here, there’s never been a better time to give them a go. “Leaving the house when it’s dark might not only be unappealing (the call of the sofa is strong), but for many, especially women, it can feel just totally unsafe,” Hollie Grant, founder of Pilates PT, explains. “As the nights draw in it can also be hard to fit outdoor workouts (like running) around work or children.”

Here’s how I started making small, sanity-saving tweaks that literally changed my life—and how you can, too
New Year, Less Stress: Small shifts for a big nervous system reset
Every December, like clockwork, my phone explodes with the annual flurry of posts: “New year, new me!” they trumpet. Friends sign up for 5 a.m. boot camps, vow to start ice plunging 7 days a week braving sub-human temperatures, or pledge to meditate for an hour every single morning after a 16-hour fast. If you ask me, it’s less a fresh start and more a burnout recipe in disguise.
Don’t get me wrong—I love self-improvement. But I wonder whether the relentless pressure to reinvent ourselves every January is doing more harm than good. The big, bold resolutions feel… stressful. And stress, ironically, is the very thing most of us hope to combat in the new year.
The truth is, our brains aren’t wired to handle dramatic overhauls; they thrive on small, attainable tasks that build momentum over time. Motivation might get us started, but for lasting change, these actions need to become ingrained in our identity. The question is: how do we bridge that gap between aspiration and habit? Easy, it all starts with your nervous system.

Is it anti-feminist to ask your boyfriend to pay your rent?
A growing trend sees young women proudly confessing that their partner pays for all of their housing expenses. But is it as regressive as it seems?
Wouldn’t it be just dandy if you never had to pay the rent, mortgage, council taxi or utility bills? For some women, that’s a reality. In fact, some think the idea of paying rent is so absurd, they’ve turned it into a TikTok prank. It goes something like this: a woman approaches her male partner and says, “I can’t make the rent this month.” He looks at her in confusion and says something like, “You’ve never paid rent!”, to a joint chorus of laughter.
There are countless videos that follow this formula; so many, it’s starting to look like a lot of young heterosexual couples really are choosing to organise their finances with the male partner paying the larger portion – or, in some cases, the entirety – of the household expenses.

Is This The End Of Our Wellness Era?
Smoking is back. Vegan restaurants are struggling to survive. After more than a decade of wellness mania and self optimisation, a raucous energy is taking hold – and it’s all kinds of fun.
After the pandemic’s years of enforced solitude, followed by a war in Europe and the cost-of-living crisis, a febrile atmosphere has taken hold. Microdosing might be here to stay (and is now a staple in suburban circles) but, more noticeably, the air is filled once more with good, old-fashioned cigarette smoke: Kate Moss, Malia Obama, Lily-Rose Depp and even David Hockney – who supposedly set off the fire alarm at the opening of his recent exhibition with his smoking – are back on it. Vegan restaurants are struggling to survive, and brands are pulling their meat-free products as the vegan bubble that health enthusiasts once embraced bursts. Meanwhile, Gwyneth Paltrow, the very beacon of wellness, can’t say anything about her ‘cleaner than thou’ lifestyle now without becoming an instant meme.

11 Shellac Nail Colour Ideas To Shake You Out Of Your Manicure Rut
Everything you need to know about the clever hybrid polish.
The first time I had a Shellac manicure it felt like a revelation. Shine to rival a mirror glaze and zero fear of smooshing the polish when I left the salon. Just hard, durable nails that had a slight plumpness to them, something I’d never been able to achieve with normal polish. Plus, they lasted a full fortnight with no usual cursing as the colour chipped or peeled off in the bath. But what makes them so blooming good? It all comes down to the formula.

Everyone’s Obsessed With East-West Engagement Rings – Including Zendaya
The star debuted what is thought to be a Jessica McCormack cushion-cut east-west diamond engagement ring at the Golden Globes, and similar styles are now trending. These are the best ones to shop – that won’t set you back six figures…
The biggest news from Sunday night’s Golden Globes wasn’t that Brazilian actor Fernanda Torres pipped the likes of Angelina Jolie, Nicole Kidman and Kate Winslet to win the Best Actress award, nor was it that both Shōgun and Emilia Pérez took home an impressive four gongs each. No, the thing that really got the whole world talking was that Zendaya appeared on the red carpet wearing what looked like an engagement ring.

Would You Wear a Doughnut-Inspired Fragrance? Dunkin’ Thinks You Might
Squeaky clean, with a sweet twist.
If you’ve ever stepped into a doughnut shop on a busy Sunday, you’ve already gotten a whiff of pure heaven. That warm, nostalgic smell of freshly fried pastries with a thick glaze icing is enough to make anyone stop in their tracks — and didn’t you just wish you could bottle it up and wear it as a fragrance? Luckily for you, there’s no need to wonder.
Dunkin’ recently teamed up with Native for a collection of doughnut-inspired personal care items, according to a statement provided to Food & Wine. This limited-edition lineup includes a handful of deodorants, body washes, shampoos, and conditioners — all in varying degrees of sweetness. It’s now available at Walmart stores across the country, as well as Native’s online site.

Does It Actually Matter If You Buy Brown or White Eggs?
Contrary to popular belief, one isn’t “healthier” than the other. Here’s what the experts say.
There is a lot of information to be found on egg carton labels, but what about the color of the eggs inside? To help you shell out your money wisely, we asked four poultry experts why some eggs are white while others are brown, blue, and beyond.

Krispy Kreme and Pop-Tarts Are Releasing the Ultimate Breakfast Pastry Collaboration
They’re “crazy good.”
It’s a new year, which means it’s time for all-new doughnuts at Krispy Kreme. Only this time, it’s not delivering these new sweet treats alone.
On Monday, the Charlotte-based doughnut chain announced that it’s releasing three new doughnuts in partnership with another brand that’s rather well-known for its breakfast offerings: Pop-Tarts.
“Krispy Kreme and Pop-Tarts are coming together for the very first time — you know the result will be Crazy Good,” Dave Skena, the chief growth officer at Krispy Kreme, shared in a statement provided to Food & Wine. “Krispy Kreme and Pop-Tarts fans will love kicking off the year with this delicious collaboration!”

Jennifer Lopez Will Keep Her $5 Million Engagement Ring After Divorce Settlement
It’s engraved with a special message from Ben Affleck.
Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck are almost ready to close the chapter on Bennifer 2.0 after a court settled their divorce, four months after the “On the Floor” singer filed on their second wedding anniversary. Lopez and Affleck will no longer be husband and wife come February with neither party paying each other spousal support, but the multi-hyphenate will leave the marriage with an expensive–and meaningful–asset. Lopez is planning on keeping the $5 million green engagement ring that Affleck gave her when he popped the question in 2022.

What Is Toxic Productivity?
A constant feeling of needing to do something, whether at home or at work. Rarely allowing yourself breaks or moments of rest—and when you do, they feel like laziness, not relaxation. A constant hum of activity defines your daily life. If any of the above sound familliar to you, you may be burdened by what’s called toxic productivity.
Toxic productivity stems from the relentless pursuit of self-optimization. Of course, striving to continually improve and evolve yourself is not inherently bad—quite the opposite. The problems arise when that effort compromises your well-being.

At the Movies, the ‘Older Woman’ Is Growing Up
She has been called “cougar,” “Mrs. Robinson” and “your mom.” Now she’s the protagonist, and one of film and television’s most compelling characters.
The older woman has been very busy lately. By “older woman,” I am referring to the cinematic figure who is defined by her sexual and romantic relationships with younger men. Depending on your own age, you may know her as the “cougar,” the “Mrs. Robinson,” or the joke about “your mom.” Now she is the protagonist. And she has never had so many scene partners to choose from.
Let’s review her banner year. In a succession of streaming romance films, she was wooed by a boy-band member (“The Idea of You”), an action movie star (“A Family Affair”) and a finance bro (“Lonely Planet”). For Christmas (having been very good all year), she got a starring role in the erotic thriller “Babygirl” as a robotics company executive who fell into a submissive sexual relationship with her new intern — and fixed her life.

‘Maria’ Director Pablo Larraín Wanted Production Designer to Create a ‘Jewelry Box’ for Angelina Jolie Because ‘She’s a Jewel’
“She’s the jewel, and I had to create the jewelry box.”
The “jewel” for “Maria” production designer Guy Hendrix Dyas was Angelina Jolie who embodies the famed opera soprano Maria Callas in “Maria,” now streaming on Netflix. That was the directive the film’s Dyas received from director Pablo Larrain when approaching their latest film together.
Aside from poring over books, Dyas and Larrain trekked through Paris visiting Callas’ favorite restaurants and theaters, all of which Dyas would have to build.
The duo got to visit her former Parisian apartment on Avenue Georges Mandel. Except the current owner didn’t allow him to take photos so Dyas vigorously sketched what he saw.

7 Grocery Shopping Mistakes That Food Safety Experts Never Make
Shop smart by keeping these potential errors top of mind.
For some of us, grocery shopping can be one of the more enjoyable household chores, but it can also potentially be risky. The American food supply is among the safest in the world, but it isn’t perfect. The FDA estimates there are about 48 million cases of foodborne illness annually—that’s equivalent to one in six Americans getting sick every year. Even worse, there are an estimated 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths due to foodborne illness. The good news? You can help protect yourself and your family by avoiding common grocery shopping mistakes and adhering to basic food safety rules once you get back to your home and kitchen. Each section of the grocery store comes with its own risks. Here are some of the top mistakes to avoid, according to food safety experts.

How to Wash Grapes So They Stay Plump and Juicy for Longer
To maintain freshness, don’t go whole hog rinsing the entire bunch.
If you’re a fruit lover, you must know certain basics, including how to wash grapes properly. It may sound elemental, but when you have the routine down, your bunches will likely remain firm and sweet for longer, and you won’t wind up (horror of horrors) with a bowlful of brown mush. We connected with fruit experts to learn the best way to wash grapes and safeguard them against premature spoilage.

This Is One of the Most Exclusive Restaurants in the World — and the 7-hour, 50-course Tasting Menu Was the Wildest Dining Experience I’ve Ever Had
Seven hours of immersive dining and boundary-pushing culinary artistry at The Alchemist.
Five acts. Seven hours. 50 impressions. Dinner at The Alchemist is much more than just a meal; it’s a transcendent, multisensory experience that challenges your mind, sight, emotions, and taste buds all at once.
Located in the heart of Copenhagen, the two Michelin-starred restaurant is helmed by Rasmus Munk, who was recently named world’s top chef at the Best Chef Awards in 2024. Munk masterminded an extraordinary dining journey that fuses art, storytelling, and gastronomy, aiming to provoke thought and conversation around important social issues.

This Is the Most Relaxing Destination in Europe — With Hot Springs, Volcanic Landscapes, and the Northern Lights
For peace and quiet, it’s hard to beat Iceland.
Stress and burnout can really do a number on a person, and that’s why it’s critical to regularly schedule breaks to get away from it all. But not just any break — you should plan a trip to one of the most relaxing places in the world.
In early December, the retreat booking site BookRetreats released its Holiday Relaxation Report, which showcases the best destinations for travelers to find total peace and quiet. For its analysis, the team examined 76 destinations and assessed them based on nine data points: the percentage of protected areas in the country, forest coverage, crowd density, noise, and light pollution, peacefulness, and total wellness experiences. It then gave each destination a score of 1 to 100 to reveal its top picks. After looking at all the data, it named Iceland Europe’s most relaxing holiday destination.

[Photo Credit: atelierha.com]

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