T LOunge for May 16th 2025

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PinGabi Beach Bar and Restaurant – Zanzibar, Tanzania

Huzzah and hooray, it’s FRIDAY, darlings. Haven’t we all earned this? Toes in the sand, now.

Tilda Swinton to Breathe Life Into See-Saw’s ‘Death in Her Hands’ for Filmmaker David Lowery
In an adaptation of Otessa Moshfegh’s cult novel, Swinton will play recently widowed Vesta whose life takes on a new focus as she grows obsessed with finding the truth about the fate of a mystery woman.
At the Berlin Film Festival in February, Tilda Swinton said she was looking forward to a long break from acting during which she would open a new chapter in her life in career beyond the big screen. But she’s not quite ready to bow out just yet.
Swinton is set to star in an adaptation of Otessa Moshfegh’s cult novel Death in Her Hands for David Lowery. The auteur will write and direct the film for See-Saw Films and a team of producers that includes Iain Canning, Emile Sherman and Jeanie Igoe with executive producers Simon Gillis and Ann Phillips.

George Clooney’s Back on TV— for One Night Only!
In 2005, Good Night and Good Luck conquered film, twenty years later, it’s taking over Broadway, and next month, George Clooney’s Edward R. Murrow will take over the final entertainment boss: live television. Clooney’s Good Night and Good Luck will be the first Broadway play performance to be televised live; the penultimate show will be broadcast on CNN on June 7 at 7 pm ET.

This iconic perfume has been loved by beauty editors for over a decade—it’s a true floral explosion
And a true crowd-pleaser
Some perfumes will get a knowing nod from people because it’s either their everyday perfume, or there was a time that was their everyday perfume. Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb is definitely among that number.
There have been so many offshoots from the original over the years, from Tiger Lily to Orchid, but the initial version of this floral perfume is a tried-and-true classic. In an interview with Marie Claire back in 2015—when the fragrance celebrated its 10th birthday—Viktor Horsting said of its inspiration: “We were very drawn to flowers when we started smelling and then we said, well, not one particular type of flower, we would like an explosion of flowers and then we thought, oh a flower bomb! That would be a very cool name, because that makes the perfume almost like a weapon”.

I’ve tried hundreds of liners, but this one allows me to create the lips I want—it effortlessly defines and shapes
Plus, no feathering
There are a few things I can’t leave the house without applying, including lip liner. In fact, I was overjoyed when I heard that the ’90s revival was gathering steam; I’ve always been partial to overdrawn, pouty lips, and you can’t get that look without a good lashing of liner.
And so, in my time, I’ve tried hundreds of liners to find the perfect one: I’m looking for something that effortlessly defines and shapes, doesn’t feather or tug, and allows me to create the outline I’ve spent years yearning for. And who better than Gucci Westman to create such a thing? The legendary make-up artist is renowned for her naturalistic, yet polished, approach to beauty—something that has taken tangible form in her excellent make-up range, Westman Atelier, founded in 2018.

Green nails are the unexpected trend of 2025—pistachio manicures will be the *only* way to wear them this summer
Move over matcha
If you’re a lover of colourful nails, then you’ll likely have been in your element this year with butter yellow manicures, chrome tips and warming mocha nails proving hugely popular nail trends for 2025 so far. And while spring’s chicest nail looks have been slightly more pared-back, with micro nail art and pink French manicures reigning supreme, things look set to get more playful as we head towards summer, with one shade in particular catching my attention—pistachio.
Yes, we’ve seen green nails emerging as something of a micro trend this year, but if fluoro lime or vibrant matcha feels a little out-there for you, then pistachio nails make for a genuinely wearable way to step outside of your manicure comfort zone.

Why Your Next Bag Will Probably be Shaped Like a Pizza, or Maybe a Bottle of Bleach
Novelty bags are booming right now, and we asked a psychologist why
What do a frog, a bottle of bleach and a London phone box have in common? They’re all now available in handbag form, of course—what else? And if that’s not enough to convince you we’ve entered fashion’s silly season, I’m not sure what is.
Perhaps Rihanna’s recent stroll through New York carrying a literal Fendi baguette will help. Or Mona Patel’s robot dog bag, which accompanied her to the most recent Met Gala. Or the fact that Valentino, Bottega Veneta and Moschino all sent highly unusual bag designs down the Spring/Summer 2025 runways. Regardless of shape, size or colour—or perceived ridiculousness—if it can be crafted from leather and hold a lipstick, chances are, it’s been turned into a handbag.
Has social media reinvented bridal fashion?
From the rise of the afterparty dress to the return of the veil.
Gone are the days when one might flip through Brides magazine for bridal fashion inspo, tear out a dress and head to their local bridal shop to try on a similar style (or, in Friends style, tackle fellow prospective brides at a sample sale). Today’s chronically online brides are searching for the dress they’ll say yes to in the same place they look for vegetarian recipes and makeup hacks: Instagram.
But how has having limitless access to wedding inspiration changed bridal fashion? And how have brands adapted to the new demands?
For one thing, the dress, according to bridal designer Galia Lahav, is only a part of the vision.

Why Art-Print Florals Are Trending Now
How To Wear Florals Now? In Gallery-Worthy Painterly Prints That Reveal Your Arty Side
Outside of your window and inside your wardrobe, the great British spring time and its abundance of flora and fauna is hard to ignore.
Take Burberry’s latest collaboration with King Charles’ estate Highgrove for instance. Actors Elizabeth McGovern, Laura Carmichael and Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù star in the campaign that paints a picture-perfect narrative of an English countryside existence, while the Kitchen Gardens of the Gloucestershire home find themselves worked across knits, silk scarves, inside trenches and over shower-ready bucket hats.

Bananas Could Be Wrecking Your Smoothie’s Superpowers, Study Suggests
Research shows that the popular smoothie staple slashes nutrient absorption by more than 80%. Here’s what to know.
The next time you go to make a smoothie, think long and hard about what you add to it.
In May, SciTechDaily highlighted a study published in the journal Food and Function that examined how an enzyme called polyphenol oxidase (PPO) affects the absorption of flavan-3-ols, a subclass of flavanols, in the human body. This enzyme is critical as it causes fruits to turn brown, including bananas and apples. Flavanols are equally important for human health, as they help improve our overall well-being and can aid in aging gracefully.

Women’s Sports Fandom Is Inspiring a New Travel Niche—Here’s How to Partake
Women’s sports have skyrocketed over the past decade, with headliners like basketball icon Caitlin Clark and viral 2024 U.S. rugby Olympian Ilona Maher bringing even more fans into the fold. This momentum is coinciding with another emerging movement—travel for sports—which the United Nations World Tourism Organization now calls one of tourism’s fastest-growing sectors. “Women’s sports are grabbing more attention and more bandwidth in the media,” says Dave Guenther, president and founder of Roadtrips, the luxury sports travel company that coordinated my trip to the history-making Paris 2024 competition—the first Olympic games to have full gender parity.

Everything You Need to Know About Félix, the Couturier Who Is Believed to Have Designed Madame X’s Dress
“Sargeant and Paris” at the Met is a must-see. The galleries are populated with a cast of characters—such as the lothario Dr. Pozzi outfitted in cardinal red—who come alive on life-size canvases through John Singer Sargent’s soul-capturing brush. The exhibition’s main draw is the portrait of Madame X, Madame Pierre Gautreau, née Virginie Amélie Avegno, as temptress. She stands tall and regal, her arm in a serpentine twist, dressed in a second-skin dress with one jeweled strap “wantonly” slipped off her porcelain-white shoulder. The painting caused a furor when it was first exhibited at the Paris Salon of 1884 and Sargeant subsequently retouched the portrait, returning the strap to its intended position. In 1916 he sold the work to the Met for a modest sum of £1,000, writing, “I suppose it is the best thing I have ever done.”

The Real Housewives of London is coming to town: here’s everything you need to know about the reality TV show about to take society by storm as a new teaser trailer drops
There’s no Big Smoke without fire: Hayu have announced that they are bringing all the socialites and scandals of the Real Housewives franchise to London
You have to wonder whether the brains behind The Real Housewives of London have ever stepped foot in a telephone booth. A new teaser trailer for the hotly anticipated London addition to the reality TV franchise that gave us Lisa Vanderpump, Bethenny Frankel, and NeNe Leakes has just landed – to the surprise, delight, and raised eyebrows of the world – and cast rumours are already circulating the streets of the Big Smoke.
Whichever society ladies step into the spotlight when Hayu launches The Real Housewives of London, let’s hope they don’t follow in the footsteps of the blonde elegante in the trailer. Clad in a sapphire gown and adorned with diamante bracelets, the anonymous socialite slowly strides into one of the capital’s iconic big red boxes, opened by an invisible supernatural force, to pick up a ringing phone.

The Duchess of Windsor’s 18 chicest style moments
The Duchess of Windsor, who died on 24 April 1986 in Paris, is remembered for her marriage to the Duke of Windsor – and her classic sense of style
While she is best known for the scandal surrounding her royal marriage (which was introduced to a new generation in Netflix’s The Crown), the Duchess of Windsor should also be remembered for her enduring sense of style. Her elegant taste in fashion and jewellery oozed glamour, making her an icon to designers during and after her lifetime. As a high society figure, the Duchess of Windsor had relationships with the crème de la crème of the fashion world which led to bespoke gowns being made for her on many occasions, by Elsa Schiaparelli, Christian Dior and Paco Rabanne to name a few. More recently, Roland Mouret said, ‘Love or hate her, the world is still obsessed by that woman,’ which remains true to this day. Here, a look at her most memorable fashion moments…

Riley Keough to Star in Albert Serra’s English-Language Debut ‘Out of This World,’ Exploring U.S.-Russia Rivalry Amid the Ukrainian War
‘Out of This World’ is being represented internationally by Losange Films which is starting sales at Cannes Film Market
Riley Keough has joined the cast of “Out of This World” directed by Albert Serra, the Spanish director whose 2022 film “Pacifiction” competed at Cannes and won a pair of Cesar Awards. Keough will star opposite F. Murray Abraham and Liza Yankovskaia (“Frau”).
Serra’s English-language film debut, “Out of This World” follows an American delegation traveling to Russia in the midst of the Ukrainian war to try to find a solution to an economic dispute. The project explores the decades-long rivalry between Russia and the U.S. While it will mainly shoot in English, it will also include some Russian dialogue. Kristen Stewart was previously attached to star in the movie.

A New Rose Named After Kate Middleton Will Add Regal Charm to Your Garden—See It Here
The coral-pink flower honors the “healing power of nature.”
You can add an extra touch of regalness to your garden this year. The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) just announced that it has named a new rose after Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales.
Bred by Harkness Roses, Catherine’s Rose is a garden rose with a subtle coral-pink hue and a sweet scent with hints of Turkish delight and mango. Known to attract pollinators, Catherine’s Rose is best suited in a mixed border, as a hedge, in a large container, or in a rose bed. The rose produces clusters of up to 15 blooms, with each flower measuring between 3 to 5 inches, and will grow to about 47 inches tall by 35 inches wide on average.

How to Store Pineapple So It Stays Fresh Longer, Whether It’s Whole, Cut, or Canned
Plus, how to handle unripe vs. ripe fruit.
From its majestic leafy crown to its refreshing tropical flavor, pineapple makes a luxurious addition to the fruit rotation. While you probably know the more mainstream golden pineapple, the fruit comes in various sizes and colors—including the low-acidity Elephante pineapple (white flesh) and Pinkglow pineapple (pink flesh), the rare Rubyglow pineapple (a red-skinned variety that can cost up to $400), and serving-sized baby pineapples that are perfect for gifting or display.
Whether you have a pricey rarity or a not-yet-ripe beauty, what is the best way to store a pineapple to ensure it is juicy and sweet? We asked Robert Schueller, produce expert and director of public relations for Melissa’s Produce, to weigh in on best practices for pineapple storage.

How to Pack a Suitcase to Ensure Everything Arrives Looking Neat and Tidy
Knowing how to efficiently pack your luggage will help you stay organized from your departure to the return flight.
Whether it’s an overnight trip or a week-long getaway, few things are more exciting than going on vacation. The one downside to any respite? Packing. From shirts and pants to loungewear and shoes, it can feel daunting to find a place for everything in your luggage. Knowing how to pack your suitcase doesn’t just give you more room for the items you want to bring on your trip; It also keeps chaos to a minimum when you arrive at your destination. Ahead, we spoke to organizing experts for their tips on how to pack the right way.

One of Canada’s Least-visited National Parks Is a Stunning Alternative For Banff—With Fjords, Coastal Paths, and Lush Forests
Gros Morne National Park has it all.
As Canada’s most visited national park, Banff National Park welcomes over 4.5 million visitors each year. And while Banff is certainly a place of outstanding beauty, those looking to soak in Canada’s wild landscapes without the crowds, should look not west, but east, to one of the country’s most hidden wonders: Gros Morne National Park.
Gros Morne lies on the western side of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada’s easternmost province and one of its least populated regions. Newfoundland and Labrador is startling in its expansiveness and is over 405,000 square miles large.

[Photo Credit: melia.com]

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