T LOunge for February 27th 2025

Pin

Pin

Pin

Pin

PinNew York Café – Budapest, Hungary

We’re feeling a little GRANDIOSE today, darlings! And why not? It’s THURSDAY and your manly hosts are smack in the middle of their busiest season of the year, so it just seems like good common sense to be a little extravagant, don’t you find? Settle in for grandeur, kittens.

Gene Hackman, Oscar-Winning Star of ‘The French Connection,’ Dies at 95
His superb body of work includes ‘Bonnie and Clyde,’ ‘I Never Sang for My Father,’ ‘The Conversation,’ ‘Hoosiers’ and ‘Unforgiven.’
Gene Hackman, the versatile leading man renowned for his smoldering performance as hard-nosed New York City narc Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle in The French Connection, has died. He was 95.
The much-admired two-time Oscar winner, who played gritty and cantankerous characters with a virile, edgy intensity, and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead at their home in Santa Fe, New Mexico. In a statement to the Santa Fe New Mexican newspaper, Adan Mendoza, the Santa Fe County Sheriff in New Mexico, said: “We can confirm that both Gene Hackman and his wife were found deceased Wednesday afternoon at their residence on Sunset Trail.

Remembering Gene Hackman In Photos: The Legendary Actor’s Movie Career From ‘Bonnie And Clyde’ & ‘The French Connection’ To ‘Mississippi Burning’
Two time Oscar-winner Gene Hackman was found dead alongside his wife Betsy Arakawa at their home in Santa Fe, local police confirmed this morning.
The police have said they don’t believe “foul play was a factor in their deaths” but an investigation is ongoing.
Hackman turned 95 this year. The Hollywood legend was one of American cinema’s most trusted onscreen artists. He won Oscars for The French Connection (1971) and Unforgiven (1992) and was Oscar-nominated for roles in Bonnie and Clyde (1967), I Never Sang for My Father (1970), and Mississippi Burning (1988).

Netflix’s Toxic Town is the shocking true story of mothers fighting an environmental scandal
Aimee Lou Wood, Jodie Whittaker and Bridgerton‘s Claudia Jessie play three real-life mothers who took their local council to court over the Corby poisonings.
Some serious TV stars are bringing us a heartbreaking yet empowering story based on a real-life battle against poisonings through contaminated waste.
Toxic Town, starring Sex Education and The White Lotus star Aimee Lou Wood, Doctor Who’s Jodie Whittaker and Bridgerton’s Claudia Jessie, sees three mothers band together to demand justice from their local council after their children experienced congenital disabilities allegedly as a result of toxic waste in their area. The case went all the way to the High Court, and the dramatisation is now available on Netflix.

I just asked my fellow beauty editors about the first perfumes they wore—get ready for a hit of nostalgia
A scented trip down memory lane
There are few things beauty editors love more than snooping through each other’s make-up bags and grilling them on products they spend their money on. But after thinking about nostalgic perfumes recently, I found myself asking all my beauty editor pals about their very first fragrances. And the answers I got back were revealing…
This list features some truly sentimental scents and some serious blasts from the past. You are in for a real treat.

Bootcut jeans are trending, but for 90s icon Jennifer Aniston, they’re timeless
Jen walked so Ken could run
Bootcut jeans are back, but for Jennifer Aniston, they’ve been a wardrobe staple since her Friends days.
It seems inevitable, given fashion’s predilection for bygone trends, that bootcut jeans would mount a comeback. Now, thanks in no small part to Kendrick Lamar’s legendary Super Bowl performance, they have. Yes, the divisive denim is back, and already my Instagram feed is filling up with nostalgic outfits, it’s all very ‘jeans and a nice top’.
Google Trend data shows that “bootcut jeans” are currently being searched more than ever and the somewhat clunky search term “women bootcut jeans” saw the greatest jump in interest between August and September last year, and searches keep soaring. Trend analysts at @databutmakeitfashion say that Celine’s popularity is up 294% after Lamar wore the brand’s Marco jeans and the brand dressed Selena Gomez for the SAG Awards.

The Christy cut is the cutest throwback crop that’s making a glorious return
Inspired by Christy Turlington in the early ’90s.
Nostalgia will never get old (excuse the irony). We’re not done mining the archives when it comes to truly phwoar hair moments and the Christy cut is our latest infatuation to emerge from the golden Supers era of the ‘80s and ’90s.
You might have guessed from the name, Christy Turlington is responsible for this one, specifically the adorable cropped chop she rocked for the spring-summer 1991 runway season.

Is skin positivity going the same way as body positivity?
Feeling beautiful in your own skin should never feel unfashionable.
I remember sitting in stunned silence as I watched the YouTube video You Look Disgusting by skin positivity trailblazer Em Ford. It was 2016, and she was documenting the vile comments she got when she began posting makeup-free images of her acne on social media.
As a former acne sufferer myself, it felt like I was picking at a scab. I’d heard the same insults as Em on the school bus – and I still felt their sting.

What is lip tattooing? Here’s everything you need to know about the semi-permanent makeup
From how much it hurts, to the healing process.
Lip tattooing (also known as lip blushing) is a beauty term that’s been around for years, but as lips alternate with eyes as the main focal point of our makeup looks, the interest in defining and emphasising mouths remains as strong as ever.
Of course, there’s been a huge boom in products centred around shaping and shading lips over the past few years, from Rhode’s newly launched Peptide Lip Shape to Refy’s Lip Sculpt. Meanwhile, heroes like the MAC and NYX liners have been a staple in makeup bags for decades, but for those looking for a more permanent (or semi-permanent) solution, lip blushing offers up extra longevity.
How to wash hair properly, according to stylists
The insider hairdresser secret for bouncy-blowdry hair.
Knowing how to wash hair properly is a game-changer – because what is it about salon-fresh hair that leaves it so swishy, bouncy and glorious? Even if you’re not booked in for a blow dry, the wash alone leaves hair both silkier and more voluminous, often for days after. How?
It’s a question I put to the stylist while I was at the backwash recently. “Is there a ‘right way’ to wash your hair, because whenever I do it myself at home, it never ends up with as much oomf or polish?” Her answer was interesting: “Most people who come to the basin have lovely, clean hair on top, then when you reach the mid-section of the crown and the bottom, it takes a bit longer to work through because it’s not been washed as thoroughly.” Huh.

The ‘cup bob’ might just be the coolest way to wear short hair
The bobsession continues. We’re still not over how the cropped cut accentuates features and adds extra attitude to everyday outfits. The latest rendition to catch our eye – the ‘cup bob’ – might just be the coolest way to wear short hair yet, though. And it offers up pure hair architecture with a shape that literally holds its own.

Gabrielle Union, tell me the secrets of your ‘Black bombshell Barbie’ bob
It’s so bouncy!
What is it about a bob? There is something so joyful, fun, and fabulous about a great short hairstyle. Case in point: Gabrielle Union who served up the most voluminously bouncy style while attending the 2025 NAACP Image Awards on Saturday, 22 February.
Gabrielle’s bob was styled and sculpted by her go-to hairstylist, Larry Sims, who deemed her full glam a “Black Bombshell Barbie” moment, and when paired with a sleek, beaded silver Monique Lhuillier gown, Gabrielle definitely looked every bit the bombshell. She even said the look was “my favourite yet,” and we certainly don’t disagree.

Michelle Trachtenberg movies and TV shows that’ll define the late actor’s legacy
From Harriet the Spy to Gossip Girl, the actor’s cultural impact lives on.
Considering she started her acting career at just 11 years old, there are many Michelle Trachtenberg movies and TV shows one could watch to get a sense of the star’s undeniable screen presence.
But there are only four that—especially to women of a certain age—will stand out as the most culturally impactful: Harriet the Spy, Ice Princess, Gossip Girl, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. For many, Trachtenberg’s characters, and her portrayal of them, were not just iconic and memorable—they inspired a generation of young women to be more daring, more bold, and maybe even more fearsome.

Inside the Met’s Blockbuster Show on John Singer Sargent
How does a young American artist move to Paris, make friends and influence people, incite a scandal, and then keep on painting? With a little help from his friends.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s new show “Sargent and Paris” (April 27–August 3) explores John Singer Sargent’s early career, before and after that infamous portrait of Madame X in 1884. Sargent was just 18 when he arrived in Paris, but he had ambition, a keen social sense, and a goal: get into the Paris Salon.

Joan Collins, 91, Will Play Wallis Simpson in an Upcoming Biopic
“I’ve always been fascinated by Wallis, because I think she was unfairly treated,” Collins said.
Joan Collins will take on the role of Wallis Simpson, the Duchess of Windsor, in an upcoming biopic, currently titled the The Bitter End. “I am thrilled about the challenge of playing this iconic woman in a previously untold story,” Collins, 91, said in a statement.
The film’s script was written by Louise Fennell (mother of writer and director Emerald Fennell, who played Camilla Parker Bowles in The Crown) and will be directed by Mike Newell. It will focus on Simpsons’s final days in Paris and her relationship with French lawyer Suzanne Blum. Per a release, “Fennell’s screenplay explores the chilling true story of the deeply complex and sinister relationship between Blum and Simpson and how as a result Wallis’s once-glamorous life spiralled into terror and desperation in the last years of her life.”

Michelle Trachtenberg Has Died at Age 39
She is remembered especially fondly by fans who grew up alongside her.
The unexpected death of Michelle Trachtenberg, 39, on February 26 came as a devastating blow. Among fans, her loss is perhaps most keenly felt by those of us who grew up alongside the actor, watching her as a child star, teen, and finally as an adult actor.
According to ABC News, the actor was found dead in her New York City apartment, and is believed to have died of natural causes.
Some remember Trachtenberg best as Harriet the Spy, which, in 1996, was her first major movie role. At just 11 years old, Trachtenberg starred as the spunky kid-detective with a notebook full of incriminating observations about her classmates.

Michelle Trachtenberg: Actor’s Former Costars Pay Tribute After Her Death
“I’m heartbroken,” shared Melissa Joan Hart.
Michelle Trachtenberg’s former costars are remembering the actor after her tragic death at age 39.
The actor, best known for her roles in Harriet the Spy, Gossip Girl, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, was found dead in her New York City apartment on Wednesday, February 26, according to ABC News. Per the outlet, Trachtenberg had recently undergone a liver transplant. She died of natural causes.

Must-See: The Whitney Museum of American Art Presents Amy Sherald’s American Sublime
For her debut solo exhibition in New York, Sherald takes twenty-first American realism, broadens it, and spins it on its narrow-minded head
The Whitney Museum of American Art, that capital of twentieth and twenty-first century American art, will house Amy Sherald’s first solo New York museum show, American Sublime. The exhibition ー the most comprehensive showing of her work, bringing together almost 50 paintings spanning from 2007 to the present ー explores Sherald’s career to date, showcasing her signature portrait style and her discerning depictions of American life.

Everything You Need to Know About Angel Numbers
No, it’s not just you—repeating numbers *are* special.
Have you ever had a moment when you’re walking home from a great night at a party where you met someone you really like. You’re thinking about them and what could come from the spark. In the midst of your contemplation, you spot a license plate that starts with the numbers 111. Your eyes widen and your heart jumps a little because didn’t you read somewhere that repeating numbers are a “sign”? What does this mean?! Is this a message that you and this cutie are “meant to be”?
You might be on to something for sure. Repeating numbers (like 111) or numbers that appear in a significant sequence (like 1234) do mean something, and they’re referred to as “angel numbers.”

An Early Bob Dylan Recording Hits the Auction Block
The reel-to-reel tape is from a Gaslight Cafe show in Greenwich Village in 1961, when Dylan was playing to audiences you could count in a glance or two.
On Sept. 6, 1961, a little-known 20-year-old calling himself Bob Dylan took the stage at the Gaslight Cafe in Greenwich Village and played a six-song set. More than 60 years later, a reel-to-reel tape of those songs has gone up for auction.
Only about 20 people were at the short performance, but it is well known to folk-history fans and Dylanologists partly because it was preserved on tape. Terri Thal, Dylan’s manager at the time, brought a bulky Ampex recorder in a leather case to the show and set it up on a table at stage left.
Dylan knew she was going to record, Thal said: “He programmed his set as an audition.”

Gene Hackman’s Career in Photos: From ‘The French Connection’ to ‘Superman’ and More
Gene Hackman, who was found dead at 95 alongside his wife at their Santa Fe, N.M. home on Feb. 26, was considered one of the greatest actors of his generation.
He won two Oscars over a career spanning over four decades, for playing Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle in William Friedkin’s 1971 action thriller “The French Connection” and for his role as antagonistic sheriff in Clint Eastwood’s 1992 Western “Unforgiven.” He was also Oscar-nominated for his performances in “Bonnie and Clyde” (1967), “I Never Sang for My Father” (1970) and “Mississippi Burning” (1988).

Best Picture Oscar Winners of the 21st Century, Ranked
From Gladiator to Oppenheimer — our rankings of every film to take home the top Oscar since the year 2000, from worst to best
The Oscars have been around for almost 100 years now, celebrating a medium that was born in the last few years of the 19th century, became the art form du jour of the 20th century and continues to flourish in the 21st century. When we entered the new millennium, we all wondered how the movies would change and evolve — and if the ceremony that handed out “Hollywood’s biggest honor” every spring would change with it.
The answer is… yes. And no. And sometimes, kinda. And, as in so many of the previous century’s editions: WTF, Oscars!? We’ve gone back and rewatched every Best Picture winner since the year 2000, and the result has been eye-opening. Some films have aged poorly, some have surprisingly stood the test of time, some have reminded us that when Oscars gets it right, it can get it really right — and some movies will forever be cursed with being Crash. Our ranked list, from worst to best.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer stars react to Michelle Trachtenberg’s death: ‘We have lost a beautiful soul’
Nicholas Brendon, Alyson Hannigan, David Boreanaz, and others paid tribute to their former costar after her tragic passing on Feb. 26.
Michelle Trachtenberg’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer costars are pouring their hearts out in the wake of her tragic death today.
“I am deeply saddened by the news of Michelle’s passing,” Alyson Hannigan wrote on Instagram. “She brought a loving energy to the set of Buffy. My thoughts are with Michelle’s family and friends.” Hannigan shared the screen with Trachtenberg for three seasons on the supernatural drama as Willow Rosenberg, a trusted friend and confidante to Trachtenberg’s Dawn Summers.
Trachtenberg died on Wednesday at the age of 39. “It is with great sadness to confirm that Michelle Trachtenberg has passed away,” a rep for the actress said in a statement to Entertainment Weekly. “The family requests privacy for their loss. There are no further details at this time.”

Actor Gene Hackman, His Wife and Dog Found Dead in Santa Fe Home: Sheriff
The two-time Oscar winner and star of ‘The French Connection’ and ‘Superman,’ has died at 95 alongside his wife Betsy Arakawa
Gene Hackman, the screen actor with iconic roles in The French Connection and Superman, has died. He was 95.
The actor and his wife, classical pianist Betsy Arakawa, 64, were found dead at their home in Santa Fe Summit on Wednesday, Feb. 26, reported the Santa Fe New Mexican, citing County Sheriff Adan Mendoza, who confirmed to the outlet that the couple had died, along with their dog.
Mendoza added there was no immediate indication of foul play in the deaths, the outlet added. He also did not provide a cause of death or say when the couple, who were married for over 30 years, might have died.

7 Sneaky Things That Are Making Your Kitchen Look Cluttered
Keeping these items in check can help make your kitchen a more streamlined space.
As one of the most used spaces in any home, the kitchen can become what is basically a room-sized catch-all, quickly becoming cluttered with various items from throughout the home. It makes sense: “The room we call the kitchen doubles as the home command center,” says professional home organizer Lisa Jacobs. “Whether cooking and eating meals, hosting a party, or gathering around the center island, the kitchen is the meeting spot that creates the heart of your home.” It’s easy to see why stuff tends to accumulate in there, right?

4 Ways to Remove Lipstick Stains, Including Martha’s Favorite Method
Our founder’s trick for removing lipstick stains uses a few common household ingredients.
While a bold lip is an easy way to round out any look, few wardrobe malfunctions are more frustrating than getting a swipe of lipstick on your favorite blouse. Once it’s there, a lipstick smudge can feel next to impossible to get rid of. Luckily, Martha has a foolproof method for removing lipstick stains that work on everything from clothing to dinner napkins. Plus, a few other easy ways to remove lipstick stains.

15 Easy Baking Recipes for When You’re Craving Something Homemade
You don’t need any special skills, fancy ingredients, or expert knowledge to make these delicious treats.
We know baking can be intimidating, and while there are plenty of challenging recipes out there, there are many more that anyone can make. The recipes in this collection demystify the world of baked goods, proving that even self-proclaimed non-bakers can pull off a delicious, homemade treat with panache.
You’ll find a wide array of baked goods here—brownies, cakes, cookies, muffins, and more—what unites them all is their ease. There are no long ingredient lists and no hard-to-source items. You don’t need special equipment, nor must you have prior knowledge of baking fundamentals. So pull that butter out of the fridge, fire up your oven, and get ready to have a little fun. Bake something sweet that is guaranteed to make you (and likely many others!) smile.

Elizabeth Taylor’s 14-karat Gold Purse, Art Deco Diamond Brooch, Ruby Necklace and More Pieces From Her Jewelry Collection Up for Auction
Elizabeth Taylor collected some impressive jewelry pieces over the course of her life. The late Oscar-winning actress, who died in 2011, owned a bevy of jewels from emeralds to diamonds, rubies and many more.
Now, pieces from the actress’ collection are up for auction as part of Julien’s Bold Luxury: The Limelight Edit auction, which will take place March 27 at the Peninsula Beverly Hills beginning at 10 a.m. PT.

[Photo Credit: newyorkcafe.hu]

• T LOunge