T LOunge for February 12th 2024

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PinBrasa Negra Restaurant – Puebla, Mexico

Since it is WEDNESDAY, we must all spend some time giving offering to Woden in thanks for this humpday. We suggest doing so in today’s woodsy-cozy LOunge. It beats the alternative: being all responsible and grownup and shit. Come, raise a glass to yourself.

A Different Kind Of Hero
After more than 20 years of stellar stage, TV and film performances, Anthony Mackie is stepping into the spotlight to play the superhero of all superheroes—but in a new way
Anthony Mackie is Captain America. After appearing in six Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films as Sam Wilson, aka Falcon, the actor is putting on the notoriously heavy shield of the superhero as the star of ­February’s Captain America: Brave New World.
The moment is an epic one for comic book fans; it’s also a win for proponents of representation on the big and small screen. And it’s an especially momentous occasion for Mackie—who, long before his slew of standout performances in both Academy Award–winning films and indie projects, was simply a theater kid from N’awlins who loved Superman II.

The Second Coming of Ariana Grande
She started on Nickelodeon, before becoming a global pop sensation. Now, Grande is back in Hollywood, and the ‘Wicked’ star has major Oscar buzz — and a whole lot of movie offers.
“It’s a beautiful thing to feel like the work that I’m doing or have done is kind of, I suppose, I don’t know, enough or louder or whatever it is,” she says, the lower half of her face covered by a mask, which, of course, is Glinda pink, as she fights off a gnarly head cold she picked up on the unrelenting awards circuit. “This feeling that people are seeing me — like, actually me — it’s so silly because I’ve been seen for so long, but it feels like it’s maybe for the first time and it’s just different.”
On its face, it’s a confusing statement for a woman who has ostensibly performed as herself for more than a decade. That Ariana Grande has earned 18 Grammy nominations, nine Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hits and 376 million Instagram followers. But the instantly recognizable ponytail that sits high atop her head or the oversized sweatshirts and sky-high boots that have decorated her pint-sized body, that’s not really her — or, she says, it’s no more her than Glinda is her.

Jodie Turner Smith Talks Burberry Campaigns, Bridget Jones And The Dress That Heralded Her ‘Rebirth’
The actor and model exclusively talks to ELLE about the new SS25 Burberry campaign she stars in, her love of Bridget Jones and why London will always feel like home.
Actor, model and former ELLE cover star, Jodie Turner-Smith had just dropped her daughter off at school when she called me from her home in Los Angeles. We were here to discuss her latest project with Burberry, but our conversation quickly expanded into themes of reinvention, nostalgia and the meaning of home.
For the newly launched Burberry campaign, Turner-Smith stars in a series of seven films inspired by beloved late 1990s and early 2000s British rom-coms. Titled It’s Always Burberry Weather: London in Love, the campaign aims to capture the everyday romances of Londoners. ‘When we shot the campaign it was actually raining, which was just perfect,’ she says. The gloomy climate fitting for a collection that encourages wearers to pair their parka with party dresses or trench coats with tailoring.

Wicked Literally Helped Ariana Grande Find Her Voice
Her vocal cords actually changed after doing the role—and the Oscar nominee also says she’s noticed an internal emotional shift since taking on the role of Glinda: “She’s a once-in-a-lifetime gift of a character.”
How did playing Glinda make you a better singer?
Just the amount of training. I mean, on the technical side, training to sing Glinda changed my voice permanently for the rest of my life. You know, to be super nerdy, my chords even looked different when I started than when I finished. I get my voice scoped often just to check in, because vocal health is so important to me. Glinda lives in that kind of falsetto place, that operatic, super light [place] that requires a lot of strengthening. Strengthening that part of the vocal cords was quite a journey. My chords at the beginning were sort of ever so slightly—only I would probably notice this—but slightly thicker in certain parts. Getting to work on Glinda changed the way that they’re shaped. It almost smoothed them a little bit. My voice became so much healthier, and I am really grateful for that. Even when I sing pop music now, it’s drastically different. My relationship to my voice is forever changed.

“I’ve been addicted to online dating for years”: 3 women open up about their addiction to dating apps
The cycle of hope and rejection is exhausting, soul-destroying even. But the alternative—being alone—feels just as unbearable.
In a recent conversation with a friend, I was struck by how clearly her experience with online dating and apps mirrored addiction. The six key components of addiction: salience, mood modification, tolerance, withdrawal, conflict, and relapse, were all present in her story, creating a cycle she couldn’t break. Over coffee, she opened up about the compulsion to check the apps, how impossible it felt to stop swiping, even though it was obvious to her—and everyone around her—that this behaviour was harmful. I came away thinking about the stigma attached to dating app addiction, and how many other women must be feeling a similar way.

The unexpectedly colourful trend to come out of New York Fashion Week
It’s not for everyone
With a new season round the corner, it’s time to look at the main Spring/Summer 2025 fashion trends that are worth adding to your wardrobe.
Luckily, New York Fashion Week has just ended, and while the catwalk – as always – has brought plenty of sartorial inspiration, it also brought us plenty of stylish street style outfits.
The collections shown at New York, London, Milan and Paris this month will of course focus on the Autumn/Winter collections, which is why we’re looking to the streets for clues as to what to wear right now.

An expert colourist just confirmed that ‘chestnut teddy bronde’ is *the* colour change to make ahead of Spring
If hair colour trends have proven anything in the past several years, it’s that the lines between blondes, brunettes and redheads have blurred more than ever. No longer are we seeking bold block colours without diffused, blended highlights or depth. In fact, hues closer to our natural colour are also the preference – at least, this has been the case for me.
As someone who’s been bleach blonde for the majority of my life (I used to ask for ‘Draco Malfoy’ style blonde), I am now embracing my roots, golden tones and natural depth. This is why when I first read about the chestnut teddy bronde trend, I was immediately all in.

They’re alluring, interesting and down right sexy—trust me, these are the 8 most seductive fragrances
*Perfect* for date night
The art of seduction comes in many guises and this is also the case for fragrance. Whilst one person’s seductive scent might be a soft ethereal musk that caresses the skin like silk, another might gravitate towards the heat of a spicy, smoky rose. There are the cooler fragrances that play hard to get, the ones that play games as they evolve from innocent to narcotic and there are of course the downright dirty ‘take me I’m yours’ scents.
Alluring, tantalizing and downright irresistible, seduction fragrances have the power to entice people within smelling distance of the wearer, drawing them in closer and closer until they can’t (and wouldn’t want to) escape.

I’ve always struggled with creasing and dark circles until I discovered this game-changing concealer
Skincare ingredients meets buildable coverage
I don’t want to boast but I was an ‘I only wear concealer girl’ long before it became a trend. My go-to product for looking a little more put together on minimal make-up days (alongside a sweep of mascara and a dab of cream blusher), concealer is one of the few products in my make-up drawer I reach for nearly every day.
While I’m a huge fan of concealers, they haven’t always been a fan of me. Creasing, especially around my under eyes, has been a daily battle while my night owl ways have left me in need of a formula that provides ample coverage for my consistent dark circles.

As two beauty editors we’ve found the best shampoos for curly hair—these are the 12 worthy of your attention
Gorgeous curls start with this first step
While some people wash their hair every day, we curly folks can usually go a full week without giving our coils a good cleanse. But when we do, it is imperative that we use the best shampoo for curly hair in order to protect our beloved coils and spirals.
“Characterised by a unique set of traits, curly hair spirals as it grows, and it’s this spiral that results not only in natural volume and texture but a hair type that’s prone to frizzing and dryness,” shares trichologist and founder of The Hair Growth Clinic Hannah Gaboardi.
This is why it’s important to use the right type of shampoo when caring for your curls.

Kensington Palace Switches Gears on Controversial Statement About Princess Kate
A royal source clarified some hot-button comments made to the ‘Times’ in early February.
“Over the last week, I have received numerous questions about a story regarding The Princess of Wales’s clothing and how Kensington Palace shares information about her outfits,” the insider said in a statement to People. “To clarify, the comments that appeared in the article were from me, not the Princess of Wales. The comments that were reported should not be directly attributed to the Princess of Wales.”
The palace source continued, “To be clear, there has been no change in our approach to sharing information about Her Royal Highness’s clothing.”
Indeed, there wouldn’t be a reason for fashion bloggers and social media accounts to scour the internet trying to ID the royal’s outfits if the palace released these details on the regular. How the prior comments were misconstrued remains unclear, but since Feb. 1, the Princess of Wales has been wearing a series of repeat and neutral looks that seem to hint at the “substance over style” message.

30 Cinnamon Hair Looks to Spice Up Your Next Salon Visit
It’s the cool, understated cousin of Cowboy Copper.
Cinnamon hair is less of a specific color and more of a hybrid of two color camps.
“I see cinnamon as the cool, understated cousin of cowboy copper,” says hair colorist Phoebe Nathan. “It speaks to anyone who is attracted to warmer shades and doesn’t want to have to decide between being recognized as solely a brunette or a redhead.”
Celebrity hair colorist Jenna Perry considers cinnamon the accessible result of the vibrant coppers and reds that have dominated the beauty landscape of late. “For many die-hard brunettes, cinnamon is a subtle way to make a big seasonal change,” she says. “Burnished tones mix well with natural, lived-in hair color trends that have been so popular the last couple years.”

17 Sultry Red and Black Nail Ideas to Heat Up Your February
Valentine’s nails always lean bright and sweet, with shades of pink dominating the designs. But if that’s not your vibe, eschew the standard shade for a vibier mix—red and black. Sexy, warm, and versatile, the color combination turns any design into the perfect moody manicure. Animal print? Better with red and black. French nails? Better with red and black. The deep colors lend a level of sensuality to any manicure.
While shades of black polish vary slightly in intensity and undertones, shades of red lacquer offer a very noticeable spectrum of options, from bright cherry reds to deep, sultry bordeauxs. By carefully choosing your polishes, you can create a bold look with lots of contrast or a subdued blend of shadowy shades.
As winter hits its darkest peak and coldest days, let this sophisticated color combo warm up your look. Ahead of your next salon appointment, check out InStyle’s favorite red and black nail designs.

36 Pickles You Can Make at Home for Snacking, Salads, Sandwiches, and More
Elevate your condiment game by making your own pickles from ramps, radishes, and more produce.
The world of pickles is so much more vast than that staple jar of dill pickles in your fridge. In addition to those beloved cucumbers, pickling is a terrific way to enjoy all kinds of vegetables — and even some fruits! Quick-pickling doesn’t require a lot of time, effort, equipment, or expertise, and the payoff is big. Spend a few minutes chopping produce and mixing up your brine and voilà! You’ll have a tasty condiment to take salads, sandwiches, cheese spreads, and myriad other dishes to delicious new heights. From carrots to cauliflower and blackberries to beets, get out your Mason jars and peruse our collection of pickle recipes.

Is Travis Kelce Ready to Become a Movie Star? Hollywood Insiders Debate
With the NFL standout — and boyfriend to Taylor Swift — set to appear in ‘Happy Gilmore 2,’ industry experts weigh in on his potential path to becoming an actor: “The public will automatically be skeptical.”
As Kansas City Chiefs players continue to process their lopsided loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX, Hollywood insiders are watching to see whether Travis Kelce is ready to snag a coveted acting career.
The year has not quite gotten off to the start that Kelce might have expected. Although the star tight end — along with quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the rest of the team — reached the Super Bowl with a chance to win a third straight championship, the Chiefs’ prolonged dominance saw some football fans turn on them or become convinced that refs give them more favorable calls. Kelce’s girlfriend Taylor Swift was booed at the Super Bowl by a seemingly pro-Eagles contingent, while Kelce himself caused a social media stir ahead of the big game after calling it a “great honor” to have President Donald Trump in the stadium.

Behind the Scenes at the Westminster Dog Show
With the event returning to Midtown Manhattan for the first time since 2020, thousands of dogs flooded the city with a single goal in mind: best in show.
Traditionally a winter event held at Madison Square Garden — since before the venue even had that name — Westminster was thoroughly disrupted by the pandemic. For two years it moved out of New York City entirely, with the event being held at Lyndhurst, an estate in suburban Tarrytown. And for the last two years it took up residence at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens. It was also moved to warmer months in hopes of limiting the spread of Covid.
But for the 149th edition of the event, which began on Saturday with a series of contests testing some dogs’ agility and obedience, the show is back to February and back to Midtown. The initial stages of breed and group judging are being held at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, and the main event — best in show — is slated for Tuesday night at the Garden.
Getting ready for the show involves a great deal of work, from humans and dogs alike.

Demi Moore, Naked and Liberated
As she prepares for her first Oscars as a nominee, the star of “The Substance” talks about the daring role that revitalized her career.
Her career and cultural resurgence is overdue, said Ryan Murphy, the showrunner and a friend who at long last convinced her to work with him in last year’s “Feud: Capote vs. The Swans.” She had the beauty and aura of an old-school movie star, he said, with the professional discipline to match, but the flexibility of a seeker: “Game to do anything,” he said. “She’s a pathfinder. We all talk about what she’s done for the business and for other women.”
And, he added, “she is one of the most emotionally intelligent people that you’ll ever meet. Whenever I have an emotional dilemma or I need advice, I do not go to my shrink — I go to her.”

Scarlett Johansson Urges Government to Limit A.I. After Faked Video of Her Opposing Kanye West Goes Viral
“It is a bipartisan issue that enormously affects the immediate future of humanity at large,” the actress wrote
Scarlett Johansson is urging U.S. legislators to place limits on artificial intelligence as an unauthorized, A.I.-generated video of her and other Jewish celebrities opposing Kanye West goes viral.
The video, which has been circulating on social media, opens with an A.I. version of Johansson, 40, wearing a white T-shirt featuring a hand and its middle finger extended. In the center of the hand is a Star of David. The name “Kanye” is written underneath the hand.
The video contains A.I.-generated versions of over a dozen other Jewish celebrities, including Drake, Jerry Seinfeld, Steven Spielberg, Mark Zuckerberg, Jack Black, Mila Kunis and Lenny Kravitz. It ends with an A.I. Adam Sandler flipping his finger at the camera as the Jewish folk song “Hava Nagila” plays.

Monty the Giant Schnauzer Wins Best in Show at the 2025 Westminster Dog Show
Bourbon the Whippet won Reserve Best in Show, Westminster’s runner-up prize, at the dog show on Feb. 11
Monty the Giant Schnauzer is the new top dog.
On Feb. 11, 5-year-old Monty won the highly-coveted Best in Show prize at the 149th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show Presented by Purina Pro Plan.
The 2025 show marked the event’s return to Madison Square Garden in New York City after a 4-year hiatus from the venue that took the popular dog show to the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center and Lyndhurst Estate following the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Westminster Dog Show is the second-longest continuous sporting event in the U.S. and has crowned dozens of dogs over 149 years. Monty is the first Giant Schnauzer to win Best in Show at Westminster. Monty – GCHG CH Hearthmore’s Wintergreen Mountain RI CGC TKN FITB – beat over 2,500 other dogs from more than 200 breeds to earn the top prize of Westminster’s confirmation show. Best in Show Judge Paula Nykiel made the final decision.

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 2025: First-Time Nominees Like Outkast, Phish, Billy Idol and Chubby Checker Face Returning Candidates Oasis and Mariah Carey
The list of 14 performer nominees for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s class of 2025 includes eight candidates who appear on the institution’s ballot for the first time — including some surprises that range from the previously overlooked “Twist” popularizer Chubby Checker to the Latin rock group Maná to the jam band Phish.
The other artists who are being put up for election for the first time are Outkast, Billy Idol, Bad Company, Joe Cocker and the Black Crowes.
The remaining six nominees announced Wednesday morning are making a repeat appearance on the ballot. Those are Mariah Carey, Oasis, the White Stripes, Cyndi Lauper, Joy Division/New Order and Soundgarden.

How ‘The Wizard and I’ Became the Most Challenging Number in ‘Wicked’: From Planting Barley Fields to De-Greenifying Cynthia Erivo and a Scrapped Tornado Garden
A lot needed to happen during “Wicked’s” “The Wizard and I.”
As Elphaba’s (Cynthia Erivo) “I want” song, it expresses the character’s innermost desires: to meet the wizard who she believes will help her, and to feel accepted by everyone, including the audience.
Director Jon M. Chu needed audiences to fall in love with her. “We needed anything we could to get us to root for her and to be more of an underdog,” he explains.

“We Are Our Own Piano”: Fernanda Torres, in Conversation With Jessica Chastain
This awards season, the true dark horse in a topsy-turvy Best Actress race is Fernanda Torres, who delivers a fierce, demanding, and remarkably sensitive performance in director Walter Salles’ family drama I’m Still Here, based on the 2015 memoir of the same name by Marcelo Rubens Paiva. Torres, whose mother Fernanda Montenegro became the first Brazilian to be nominated for Best Actress in 1998, plays Eunice, the wife of a former Congressman who’s been abducted by right-wing activists during the military coup in Rio de Janeiro. It’s career-best work for the actor, who identified in the story some aspects of her own upbringing in a household of strong-minded artists. “My mother reminded me a lot of Eunice,” she told Jessica Chastain when the two got together on Zoom last week. “The intelligence, a kind of woman that is down-to-earth and courageous.” Chastain, an Oscar winner in 2022 for The Eyes of Tammy Faye, found herself in awe of the film’s balance of politics and interiority. “The situation your character finds herself in is large in scale,” she gushed. “Your performance, however, is so contained and held.” In conversation, the two performers got deep discussing how they’ve navigated the entertainment industry and what they’ve learned from the women they’ve portrayed on film.

Fernanda Torres on the ‘terrifying’ size of Oscar campaigns, learning to restrain her emotions for I’m Still Here, and more
If you don’t already know who Fernanda Torres is, you will now.
The actress and author, 59, is a big star in her native Brazil — a country that has put an enormous amount of support behind her performance in Walter Salles’ I’m Still Here, catapulting them not just onto the international stage but into the Oscars spotlight.
The movie centers on the true story of Eunice Paiva, whose husband Rubens (Selton Mello), a former congressman in Brazil, disappears at the hands of the country’s military dictatorship in the early 1970s. Eunice is imprisoned and tortured (as is one of her daughters, but Eunice — and the audience — don’t know for how long at first) as interrogators try to get information out of her — information that she legitimately doesn’t have. Once released, Eunice dedicates her life to learning the truth about her husband’s fate and becoming a human rights advocate and attorney — all the while still raising her five children.

Our 20 Best Tofu Recipes, From Salad and Soup to Chocolate Panna Cotta
These recipes pack this plant-based protein with tons of flavor.
Tofu is a fantastic plant-based food that is simple to bake, fry, or braise. This protein-packed ingredient can be used in a variety of delicious meals, as it is a chameleon to the flavors you choose to season it with. Tofu originated in China but is now used in cuisines worldwide—the possibilities are endless with this soy-based protein. Ahead, we share our favorite recipes with tofu, ranging from classic, cozy miso soup to chocolate-soy panna cotta for an indulgent dairy-free dessert.

10 Brilliant Uses for Old Socks, According to Experts
Here’s how to give old socks a new life.
Whether you have socks with holes or an abundance of missing matches—most of us have a selection of socks that no longer serve their original purpose. But you can still make the most of them rather than tossing them out. We spoke with organizing experts to explore the many ways one can reuse old socks. From pet toys for on-the-go to creating heatless curlers, here’s how to give old socks a second chance.

How to Grow a Lemon Tree Indoors for Delicious Citrus Year-Round
Follow these steps for a beautiful orchard—all from the comfort of home.
There’s nothing quite like the flavor of a fresh lemon—especially when it’s homegrown. And while nurturing this plant from seed to harvest may seem like a daunting task, you don’t need a huge yard or a sprawling orchard to grow one. Instead, you can grow a lemon tree indoors in a container.
Growing a lemon tree from home has many perks, most notably that you can enjoy its fresh fruit all year, even during colder weather. Acclimating these trees to indoors does take a bit of extra work; however, the results are absolutely worth it—like fresh lemonade from your very own tree! Here, experts give us their tips for planting, propagating, and more.

Selma Blair on Life With MS — and Why She Missed Travel Most of All
After a multiple sclerosis diagnosis, travel became nearly impossible for Selma Blair. At California’s iconic — and accessible — Rosewood Miramar Beach, the actor shares her advice on getting back out there.
The 52-year-old actress can trace the start of her symptoms all the way back to fourth grade, when she temporarily lost control of her bladder and left leg. At the time, no one knew what was afflicting her; over the next several decades, doctors hypothesized that her symptoms were caused by everything from malnutrition to psychosis. So when she was finally diagnosed with MS in 2018, there was a sense of relief. But she was overwhelmed by the sometimes debilitating aspects of the disease — both walking and talking had become incredibly difficult.
Multiple sclerosis is caused by an abnormal immune response that attacks healthy cells in the brain and spinal cord. Those with the disorder experience a range of symptoms — some mild, others more severe — that include vision and memory loss, pain, fatigue, and impaired coordination.

This Iconic Italian Destination Just Doubled Its Tax for Daytrippers — What to Know
Venice is doubling its entry fee for daytrippers.
Venice, with its winding canals, centuries-old architecture, and romantic gondola rides, has long been hailed as one of the most beautiful cities in the world. But with such beauty, comes tourism.
This influx of tourists, especially over specific dates, brings challenges. In 2024, Venice made headlines for its decision to implement the world’s first city “access fee.”
Now, less than a year later, the city announced it will double down on the initiative during the 2025 tourist season — increasing the cost to visit the city from 5 Euros to 10 Euros, and more than doubling the number of days that the fee will be in effect.

[Photo Credit: dionnearquitectos.com]

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