T LOunge for May 20th 2025

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PinBaur’s Brasserie – Zurich, Switzerland

It’s TUESDAY and we feel that calls for some sunny, modern elegance in the Swiss mode. Agree/disagree? Rhetorical question, darling. Have a seat.

‘Death Becomes Her’ Costume Designer Paul Tazewell Leaned Into Old Theater Magic for Helen’s Hole-in-the-Stomach Moment and Other Iconic Looks From the Original Film
It’s been a little over eight weeks since Paul Tazewell made history by becoming the first Black man to win an Oscar for best costume design for “Wicked.”
When asked if he’s had a moment to let it all sink in, Tazewell replies, “I don’t know that I’ve had an opportunity to just sit back and reflect.” He’s full steam ahead. Tazewell has landed his 10th Tony Award nomination for the Broadway adaptation of “Death Becomes Her,” and he’s still in production with Steven Spielberg on the director’s upcoming untitled sci-fi film. Later this year, “Wicked: For Good” will be released.

Gwyneth Paltrow is still defending Goop’s ‘This Smells Like My Vagina’ candle, tells critics to ‘Go f‑‑‑ yourself’
The $75 candle lives on in Paltrow’s heart.
Gwyneth Paltrow has a few choice words for those still criticizing her controversial candle.
Back in 2020, Paltrow’s lifestyle brand Goop made some memorable headlines for selling the $75 candle “This Smells Like My Vagina.” Evidently, the public still hasn’t recovered because Paltrow once again felt the need to defend herself against critics at Saturday’s Mindvalley Manifesting Summit in Los Angeles.
“That product is so fascinating because we were messing around with different scents one day,” the Goop CEO explained. “I smelled something and I was like, ‘Oh, that smells like — you know.”

Wes Anderson Tapped Cartier to Create an Ornate Rosary for The Phoenician Scheme
If there’s anything we can expect from the Wes Anderson Cinematic Universe, it’s that everything will be beautiful. Famously dedicated to aesthetics, no detail is too small for the director. For his latest film, The Phoenician Scheme (which premiered yesterday at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival), Anderson tapped Cartier to fashion one of the most recurring props: a rosary.
Anderson’s 12th directorial venture follows a wealthy, embattled businessman, Zsa-zsa Korta (Benicio del Toro), who designates his only daughter, Liesl (Mia Threapleton), as the heir to his estate. Liesl, a nun, is almost always pictured with the rosary wrapped around her hand.

Meet The Five Female Artists You’ll Be Listening To On Repeat This Summer
ELLE sits down with the women musicians dominating Spotify playlists across every genre.
Start a Youtube Channel. Catch Fire on Jazztok. Drop a divorce EP. There’s a new way to make music, and, as these viral singers show, the rule-breakers are reaping the rewards. ELLE meets the new age female musicians dominating our Spotify playlists.

The Bloom Boom: How Gardening Became This Year’s Hottest Hobby
I spend evenings glued to Gardener’s World, drop my paychecks on clematis and exotic tulip bulbs, and have a growing crush on Monty Don. My weekends aren’t complete without pottering in my garden and seeing what I can encourage to live once I’ve planted it, and the notion of getting an annual membership to the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) is an absolute no-brainer. A classic case of the ‘mid-thirties’? As it turns out, no, and I’m far from being alone.
Whether you’re lucky enough to have a back garden, access to a community allotment, or you prefer visiting green spaces nurtured by the professionals (see the forthcoming Chelsea Flower Show or the National Trust’s many properties), there is no doubt that gardening is cool again.

There isn’t a summer perfume out there that I haven’t tried—these 23 are undeniably the best of all time
The best fragrances for hot weather, this way
As a beauty editor with an affinity for all things scent, one of the topics I get asked about most is the best summer perfumes. You see, selecting the best perfume for summer is complex. Firstly, we have the issue of longevity. Truthfully, even some of the most long-lasting perfumes out there will struggle to hold up under the sun. Why? It’s basic physics—heat causes fragrance to evaporate at a faster rate, resulting in the scent ‘fading’ more quickly. (Although, there are some great holiday-approved scents that hold up in the heat.)

This semi-permanent make-up treatment is growing in popularity—here’s what you need to know
Your questions answered by an expert
Whether you’ve heard about lip blush and want to know more or you’ve booked in for the treatment and want to know what to expect, you’ve found yourself in the right place. Dubbed an alternative to lip filler and an upgrade on semi-permanent make-up of the past, lip blush is a cosmetic treatment that aims to give the lips a long-lasting stain of colour, usually in a pink or rosy hue. It can also be used to make lips appear more even or give them a fuller appearance without the plumping effect of traditional filler.

Trust me, ‘sweet pea nails’ are the perfect way to upgrade your clean girl manicure this spring
Pastel tones meet spring florals
When it comes to seasonal nail trends, I have to admit, spring manicures are my personal favourite. Soft, sophisticated and effortless to wear, they embody everything I want my nails to project, while feeling perfectly on brand for this time of year. Of course, there are some spring nail trends that come into play year after year, like candy coloured pastel nails and delicate florals, so I’m sure it’ll come as little surprise to hear the latest trend taps perfectly into both these things. Offering a 2025 twist on spring manicures, sweet pea nails are everywhere right now, and you’re going to want to save them for your next nail appointment.

The Chronology of Water: everything you need to know about Kristen Stewart’s directorial debut
“It was just such a miracle that we ended up making this film. It’s extraordinary.”
Kristen Stewart is getting behind the camera for the first time. The Chronology of Water sees the Twilight actor making her directorial debut — and it’s already premiered at Cannes.
The film is based on the memoir by writer Lidia Yuknavitch. In the harrowing book, Yuknavitch recounts the abuse she and her sister suffered at the hands of their father.
“The reason that I wanted to make this was to screw with form, because it’s not about what happened to Lidia Yuknavitch, it’s what happens to us all and how we can internalise that violence,” Stewart said of the project at a Cannes panel our Head of Content, Kemi Alemoru, attended. “I know it sounds dramatic, but it’s true. It’s incredibly violent to be a woman.”

The true story behind Netflix’s A Deadly American Marriage
This gripping documentary leaves us with more questions than answers.
A Deadly American Marriage is about to be your next true crime obsession. The Netflix documentary dives into the fascinating, devastating true story of Jason Corbett, an Irishman and widowed father of two who, in 2015, was killed by his new American wife, Molly Martens, and her father, Thomas Martens.
In 2017, the pair were convicted of second-degree murder, but the convictions were overturned after an appeal. In 2023, Molly pleaded no contest and Thomas pleaded guilty to lesser charges of voluntary manslaughter. They were released from prison in June 2024.
Featuring interviews with Molly, Thomas, and Jason’s children, Jack and Sarah, the documentary offers a complicated new perspective on the case, leaving it up to the viewer to decide what they believe really happened.

Burberry’s Bikini Is Back—Here’s Why It Girls Are Reviving the Swimsuit You Coveted in the 2000s
The early-aughts icon is riding high once again.
The year is 2002. Nelly’s “Hot in Here” is on the radio, “TikTok” is only known as the sound a clock makes, and Burberry’s check bikini is the hottest item to have at the pool. The two-piece swimsuit in the British brand’s signature tartan symbolizes luxury, sex, and status. All the rich It girls wear beige, black, white, and red bikinis—like a nearly-naked Kate Moss for Mario Testino’s Burberry campaigns and Beyoncé in Jay-Z’s “‘03 Bonnie & Clyde” music video, while Jay flows, “The only time you wear Burberry to swim.”

Who Is Britney Spears to You?
When Britney Spears released Oops!…I Did It Again in May 2000, she was arguably the most famous teen on the planet. As the record celebrates its 25th anniversary, writer Christopher Rosa spoke to moms and daughters who once clashed over crop tops and young gay boys who danced to “Stronger” in their bedrooms to articulate their complicated feelings about the icon.
Like Diana—and a small circle of stars that includes Madonna, Taylor Swift, Meghan Markle, and…not many others—Britney Spears doesn’t have a target audience. She’s amassed so much fame and interest that the globe is her audience. This was especially true in 2000, and it’s difficult to explain why. After all, Spears was one of many wildly successful pop acts to emerge at the turn of the millennium. Christina Aguilera, ’NSync, and the Backstreet Boys all sold out their fair share of arenas, but Spears was different. Her girl-next-door vibe paired with her inexplicable X factor made everything she said and did endlessly fascinating.

The Surprising Origins of Cheez Whiz, From British Taverns to American Tables
Cheez Whiz seems like an all-American product, but that wasn’t the intended audience.
There are few things that seem more American than Cheez Whiz, though not necessarily for the best reasons. Its critics often cite its processed orange gooeyness as exhibit A to explain why our country’s diet can lead to a host of health issues. And, with apologies to the city of Philadelphia, which loves it on a cheesesteak, it doesn’t even taste all that good. (As one former Kraft employee put it, according to the National Post, Cheez Whiz “tastes like axle grease.”)
But, while seeming as American as mock apple pie, Cheez Whiz wasn’t invented for palates in the United States. Instead it was created for the British market as a shortcut for making the much beloved traditional dish, Welsh rarebit.

8 Coffee Orders That Every World Traveler Should Know
Here’s what to order in the birthplace of espresso, the home of Starbucks, and beyond.
To paraphrase a line from a famous American doughnut chain, the world runs on coffee. Originally from Ethiopia, coffee plants and beans traveled across continents, eventually earning a spot alongside tea as an essential daily drink. Along the way, every culture put its spin on the caffeinated beverage, whether through high-pressure machines or the addition of sweeteners or frothy, steamed milk. Here’s my ranking of the world’s eight most iconic coffee drinks and where to sip them like a local.

The Dictionary of Cooking Terms
Learning this list of the most common cooking terms is step one to cooking like the pros.
Batter: An uncooked pourable mixture usually made up of flour, a liquid and other ingredients. Examples are pancake, cake and brownie batters.
Beat: To stir ingredients very quickly to make a mixture smooth, using a whisk, spoon or electric mixer.
Blanch: To cook briefly in boiling water to seal in flavor and color; usually used for vegetables or fruit, to prepare for freezing and to ease skin removal (for example, tomatoes are often blanched to remove their skins before making tomato sauce).

22 Best Table Lamps to Make Your Space Shine
Regardless of your style, find affordable options for living rooms, bedrooms and more.
Let’s face it: No one likes solely relying upon “the big light.” Table lamps are more important now than they ever were — there’s just something harsh and unwelcoming about a glaring overhead light, after all. Yet with so many different lighting options on the market, it can be difficult to narrow down the best table lamps. However, we’re here to help with the following finds, which you’ll want to take a closer look at immediately.

The real story behind The Bitter End: Wallis Simpson’s personal assistant recounts the chilling final years of the Duchess of Windsor
Joan Collins and Isabella Rossellini are set to star in The Bitter End, an upcoming biopic following the ‘satanic’ influence of Suzanne Blum on Wallis Simpson. Yet, it was the Duchess’s personal secretary, Johanna Schutz, who saw the tragic events firsthand from Villa Windsor
When Joan Collins and Isabella Rossellini star in the upcoming biopic The Bitter End, the two Hollywood royals will join forces to portray the chilling true story of the last days of Wallis Simpson. Grieving the death of her husband, King Edward VIII, who chose love over duty when he abdicated the throne to be with the American divorcée, the Duchess of Windsor found herself ensnared in the web of her lawyer, Suzanne Blum.

To Bring Van Gogh to Life, They Just Needed Sunflowers
The New York Botanical Garden’s new exhibit draws inspiration from Vincent van Gogh for a colorful explosion of 18,000 sunflowers and other plants.
The New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx had just about everything it needed for an exhibition of real and sculptural sunflowers.
It had the inspiration: Vincent van Gogh, the Dutch artist who spent time in Arles, a region in the south of France whose sunflower fields are legendary in part because of his depiction of them.
It had the artist: Cyril Lancelin, a French artist based in Lyon who visited the Arles sunflower fields as a child.
And it had the location: its Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, which could host the indoor floral displays, and an adjacent lawn that could showcase the remainder of the 18,000 plants that organizers had in mind.

Thanks to Tourmaline, the Long-Awaited Biography of Marsha P. Johnson Is Here.
Tourmaline has been working through the life of Marsha P. Johnson for decades now. She’s organized on the ground, cultivated a visual practice, and made films in her honor, carrying the trailblazing communard’s legacy from grassroots movement-building through her own life as an artist. Now, Tourmaline has written Marsha, the first comprehensive biography of the mother of the Stonewall uprising. Johnson’s life story in its fullness is more beautiful and complicated than the Black trans patron saint status bestowed upon her over the last decade. By the steady hand of the author, Johnson has finally been made human again.

‘Swipe left if you’re under 6ft’: Why are we so obsessed with height?
Many women on dating apps claim they’re exclusively interested in men over 6ft tall. When did our expectations get so lofty?
As any straight woman will tell you, it’s not unusual to see some version of “6’1”, if it matters” in men’s dating app bios. The phrase has become something of a cliché, with offenders often ridiculed on social media for being so prickly about their height. But in fairness, these kinds of bios – while gratingly passive-aggressive in tone – are responding to an undoubtedly real phenomenon where growing numbers of women are seeking men of above average height.

How to Prep and Cook Morels, the Spring Delicacy Chefs Wait All Year For
These unique mushrooms are only available for a few weeks in the spring.
If you’re a food lover who enjoys savoring the earthly delights of each season, then knowing how to cook morel mushrooms is a major must. Springtime delivers a trove of treasures, from fava beans and ramps to asparagus and fiddleheads, but the haunting flavor and unique characteristics of these wild mushrooms weave a special spell all their own. We connected with foragers to learn more about this ephemeral fungi and how to savor every morsel.

6 Valuable Kitchenware Brands That Could Be Hiding at Your Local Thrift Store
Learn what experts say is worth hunting for.
There’s likely no section of the thrift store that holds such wins and losses as the kitchen department. Stained pans and chipped-beyond-repair dishes can proliferate across resale shop tables, leaving the real treasure for the pros who know how to spot them. Luckily, if you know what you’re specifically looking for, you can assess if an item is worth the purchase, estimate how likely it is to hold up, and quickly sift through the clutter.
“I’m drawn to specific brands because they stand the test of time,” says home décor and DIY expert Emily Huxford. “Those brands tend to have great longevity. I know that even though I’m picking up a piece halfway through its lifespan, it’s still got many great years ahead of it.”

The Best Thermostat Temperature for Your Home in Summer and Winter
Plus, heating and cooling experts weigh in on the financial and environmental impacts of choosing too high or low a setting.
Whether it’s sweltering outside or freezing cold, your thermostat helps keep things just right indoors. Finding the recommended thermostat settings for summer and winter can help you stay cozy when it’s chilly, cool during heatwaves, and avoid unnecessary strain on your HVAC system. It can also make a big difference in your monthly energy bills. To help you strike the right balance between comfort and efficiency, we asked two heating and cooling experts to share their ideal temperature guidelines—plus smart strategies for managing humidity, saving energy, and adjusting settings throughout the day.

How to Eat Passion Fruit 18 Delicious Ways
This unique tropical fruit shines in both sweet and savory preparations—and makes a gorgeous edible decoration.
If you’ve ever wandered down the produce aisle of the grocery store and wondered what that round, wrinkled, aubergine-hued fruit is, we can help—it’s passion fruit! A staple in many tropical and subtropical countries—including Brazil, which is the largest producer and consumer—passion fruit remains an underutilized ingredient here in the United States. Part of that comes down to accessibility; the rest probably has something to do with not knowing how to eat passion fruit.
We love to use passion fruit in sweet and savory dishes, from adorning a bowl of yogurt to adding an antioxidant boost to smoothies and acai bowls, but we’re always looking for more ways to enjoy this tropical treat. We spoke to a California tropical fruit farmer to get the lowdown on this sweet-tart tropical fruit.

This Swiss Village Is As Picturesque As It Gets—With the World’s Steepest Gondola, Gorgeous Waterfalls, and a 360-degree Rotating Mountaintop Restaurant
Mürren, Switzerland, is like stepping into a fairy tale.
Switzerland’s narrow Lauterbrunnen Valley is flanked by steep mountains, making it feel more like a deep, tree-speckled canyon. Partway up one of these lofty peaks, above a sheer rock face, lies Mürren, a historic mountain village you can only reach by train or via the world’s steepest gondola.
Cars aren’t permitted in Mürren, where the air is as clean as the surroundings are breathtaking. “We are sitting on a gemstone here,” Constanze Trommer, owner of Café Liv, the town’s morning hub, ​​tells Travel + Leisure. “Nature-wise, you have everything you need. You have mountains, you have forests, you have water all around.” On the latter, Trommer is referring to the valley’s many lakes and waterfalls, including Switzerland’s highest, the 1,370-foot-tall Mürrenbach Falls.

[Photo Credit: baurs-zurich.ch, mbds.com]

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