T LOunge for October 28th 2025

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PinEfes Plus Restaurant, Richmond, London, UK

Well, it’s TUESDAY once again, darlings. Let’s just shut it out for as long as we can. Slide into a booth and order something distracting.

Janelle Monáe, HalloQueen
Janelle Monáe wants to make it clear: before anything else, she builds worlds. From her cinematic and revolutionary 2010 concept album The ArchAndroidto her new role as the “HalloQueen,” the 39-year-old is on a lifelong mission to live every moment as if she were in a movie. Or a stage play. Or a slasher film.
“Quote me on this,” she insists. “I want to play all fucking day.” Since bursting onto the scene in the late 2000s, Monáe has played many roles: android, sex bot, understudy, academic, prodigy (don’t forget that she was heavily mentored by Prince). And if it all seems maybe a little too theatre kid, that’s okay. The singer wants everyone to be in on the magic.
“I know I’m odd,” she tells PAPER. “I know I’m weird. And I love that. I love it in others, too. I want people to feel seen… like they’re not alone in loving science fiction, horror, and cosplay.”
For this month’s cover, Monáe channels that energy literally: a vampire on vacation. Shot on a sandy set strewn with beach chairs and fake blood, she lounges under a “No Vampires on Beach” sign with a crimson drink in hand. It’s part horror, part fashion fantasy. The shoot serves as a preview for Wondaween, an inaugural Halloween festival on October 30th in Los Angeles curated by Monáe and her wonderfully weird crew of creatures. Like, imagine this if a vampire wasn’t allergic to the sun. That’s what she was going for here.

Do we need to merge friendship groups to make a relationship succeed? Nobody Wants This says so…
The first episode of the new season left us with many questions about this “couple goal”.
Nobody Wants This is back, bringing with it many relationship-related debates as well as goals, along with its sun-bleached LA location and gorgeous cast. The first season was a 2024 hit amongst millennials in particular, as we watched Noughties TV stars Kristen Bell and Adam Brody play a fated couple from opposite sides of the tracks – namely the world of a rabbi and the life of an agnostic sex podcaster.
For those who didn’t immediately watch as soon as the new episodes dropped, the very beginning of the much-awaited second season sees protagonist couple Noah (Brody) and Joanne (Bell) throw a dinner party, with a mission of merging their friendship groups. It’s made obvious from the outset that this is a huge milestone in their relationship, in order to make it legit, built to last.

Viola Davis on Beauty, Sisterhood and Learning Not to Betray Herself
Finding beauty in authenticity
“I can’t believe I’m walking in a fashion show,” Viola Davis says, laughing. We’re talking hours before she takes on the catwalk of L’Oréal Paris’ annual fashion show, Le Défilé, in Paris, which brings together women of all backgrounds for an iconic celebration of empowerment and beauty in every sense of the word. “It’s like, diametrically opposed sometimes to who I am, which is so great, to get out of your comfort zone. Every year, I just enjoy it so much,” she adds. “It’s like a quick jolt of energy. It’s getting out of my comfort zone. It’s pushing myself. It’s feeling pretty.”

These Wool-Blend Jackets are the Perfect Midway Point Between Trenches and Winter Coats
The high street has come up trumps with this cover-up
Do you ever glimpse someone wearing a puffer jacket, a beanie hat and a cashmere scarf and find yourself wanting to ask them, “Excuse me but what are you going to do when it’s bitter?” I frequently do, conscious of not wanting to peak too early by diving into the heavy-duty side of my outerwear wardrobe, while freely admitting that my sports jacket isn’t quite cutting the mustard when the wind-chill factor means the “feels like” temperature is -1.
Having done plenty of research, however, I’ve realised there’s a solution to what to wear if the weather is cold but not bitingly cold—a wool jacket.

Animal Print is Back for Autumn/Winter 2025—But With Even More Power and Bite
The fashion world is going wild for leopard, zebra, cow and snake
The Autumn/Winter 2025 catwalks introduced an array of fresh new trends for season ahead, ranging from the niche and unexpected—like Victoriana details and punky leather—to the more predictable, weather-appropriate return of faux fur, ski-core and heritage dressing.
And then, there are those recurring trends that fashion just can’t seem to get enough of—and that everyone will be glad to hear will be sticking around for the foreseeable. Chief among them? Animal print.

How to apply lip liner correctly, according to pro makeup artists
Your lip combo will thank you.
Lip liner – a bona fide ’90s beauty hero – has had a major comeback in recent years. But before jumping on the bandwagon, it’s worth learning how to apply lip liner correctly. With the proper prep and technique, you can easily create a long-lasting look that takes your lip combo to the next level.
Like any makeup product that requires precision, practice makes perfect with lip liner. Once you’ve mastered the basics, there are so many ways to experiment and play. “Think of lip liner as both the blueprint and the barrier for your lip colour,” Sara Kuhl, makeup artist and product education director at SeneGence, tells Glamour. “It’s a small step that makes a big difference in your final look. That added definition instantly elevates your entire makeup look, giving it that refined, finished touch.”

35 of the best hotels in the UK and Ireland
From countryside retreats to city escapes.
The best hotels in the UK and Ireland should not be underestimated compared to their overseas competitors. Take our word for it.
Sure, beach holidays and long-distance trips are forever special. But many of us have grown to appreciate the great British staycation over the past couple of years, and there are countless hotels in the UK good enough to make you feel like you’re ~actually away~. Not just a few minutes up the road from your own abode.
If you know where to look, that is. The good news? We’ve been working hard (*ahem*) visiting some of the most luxurious hotels the UK has to offer, in a bid to reveal the very best hotels dotted about England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland.

If You Buy One New Thing This Autumn Make It A Kilt. Here Are The 6 Best Pleated Skirts To Shop Now
It’s one of the hardest workers in the world of skirts.
It’s been something of an interesting time if you happen to be a skirt. While there have always been variations in length – mini, midi and maxi – this season it’s been more about flavour than footage. And the one skirt that’s emerged as something of surprising contender isn’t a whippet-thin pencil or a shorn-off denim mini (though, having said that, both will be entering the big leagues come spring). Instead, it was something that could be considered staid in comparison — although, really, it’s anything but. The pleated skirt.
If you think it’s schoolgirlish or rather too sensible on the approach to party season, think again. In fact, from the stock levels on shop floors, it appears shoppers need little encouragement when it comes to understanding the appeal of the sleeper hit.

31 Stunning Throwback Photos Of ’90s Rom-Com Legend Julia Roberts
To paraphrase the Elvis Costello rendition of “She” which plays in the beloved rom-com Notting Hill, Julia Roberts has a face you can’t forget – just think of that grin, those sparkling eyes, the big curly red mane. She’s impossible to miss – or, at least, she has been ever since she broke out as the charming wild child Daisy in 1988’s Mystic Pizza. Then came Steel Magnolias, a certain instant classic called Pretty Woman, and everything from My Best Friend’s Wedding to Erin Brockovich, with the latter marking the prolific actor’s official transition from glamorous romantic lead to Oscar-winning powerhouse.

30 Remarkable Photos Of A ’90s-Era Winona Ryder
It tracks that Winona Ryder, every goth girl’s ’90s style icon, would be born just two days before Halloween. From Heathers to Edward Scissorhands, Bram Stoker’s Dracula to The Age of Innocence, the off-kilter and other-worldly characters she played on screen seemed totally in tune with her off-duty penchant for black slip dresses, white lace and a bright red lip.
But, before she became the poster girl for her era, and earned two Oscar nominations while doing it, Ryder was a child star, who started acting lessons aged 12, and made her screen debut at 14, in the high-school drama Lucas, opposite a young Corey Haim and Charlie Sheen.
Two years later, Tim Burton came calling with Beetlejuice, and the part of the hollow-eyed, shimmying Lydia Deetz, which swiftly made the actor a household name.

What Are Microplastics — and How Do They Get Into the Food We Eat?
Findings show that shellfish, beer, salt, and even produce carry some of the highest concentrations of microplastics in the human diet. But there are ways to mitigate exposure.
By 2050, Duke University explained, the amount of plastic in the world’s oceans could surpass the total weight of fish. One estimate suggests that more than 170 trillion microplastic particles are currently floating on the ocean surface. These particles have been found in our fish, water, and soda bottles. They’ve also been detected in our livers, reproductive organs, hearts, and brains.
Microplastics seem to be the health topic du jour. But to address them, you first need to understand precisely what they are and where the research stands. Here’s what you need to know about microplastics, how they might affect our bodies, and what you can do about them.

Some People Can’t See Mental Images. The Consequences Are Profound
Research has linked the ability to visualize to a bewildering variety of human traits—how we experience trauma, hold grudges, and, above all, remember our lives.
When Nick Watkins was a child, he pasted articles about space exploration into scrapbooks and drew annotated diagrams of rockets. He knew this because, years later, he still had the scrapbooks, and took them to be evidence that he had been a happy child, although he didn’t remember making them. When he was seven, in the summer of 1969, his father woke him up to watch the moon landing; it was the middle of the night where they lived, near Southampton, in England. He didn’t remember this, either, but he’d been told that it happened. That Christmas, he and his brother were given matching space helmets. He knew that on Christmas morning the helmets had been waiting in the kitchen and that, on discovering his, he felt joy, but this was not a memory, exactly. The knowledge seemed to him more personal than an ordinary fact, but he could not feel or picture what it had been like to be that boy in the kitchen.

“The Masked Chase” Brings Orville Peck to The W Hotel Austin, “Tale Series”
The country icon takes center stage in W Hotels’ latest “Hotel Tales” episode, filmed at the newly reimagined W Austin
With its latest Hotel Tales installment, W Hotels calls on travelers to be part of the story, this time with country music’s masked star, Orville Peck, leading The Masked Chase. The series first launched in December 2024 with Chloë Sevigny at W New York – Union Square, marking the debut of a new creative era for W Hotels. What began as a single short film celebrating New York’s cultural edge has since evolved into a global anthology series, spotlighting the personalities, cities, and creative communities that define the brand’s world.

Shawn Mendes Takes His Style On the Road Again
With custom pieces by local designers, pre-70s vintage gems, and a touch of hometown flair, the singer’s new era on stage proves that his style evolution is hitting all the right notes
Since the end of summer, Shawn Mendes has been On The Road Again—literally. The Canadian singer-songwriter kicked off his latest global tour on August 2 at the Sunny Hill Festival in Pristina, Kosovo, marking a celebration of his greatest hits and the 10th anniversary of his debut album, Handwritten. From there, he took the stage in cities across London, Amsterdam, Madrid, Munich, Boston, Toronto, New York, Chicago, Vancouver, and San Francisco before wrapping things up on October 17 at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. As always, Mendes shines as a solo performer—but this time, there’s another star sharing the spotlight: his wardrobe.

Prunella Scales, Actress in ‘Fawlty Towers,’ Dies at 93
The petite TV veteran also starred on ‘Marriage Lines,’ ‘Mapp & Lucia,’ and ‘After Henry’ and traveled with her late husband on ‘Great Canal Journeys.’
Prunella Scales, who starred with John Cleese as the squabbling married co-owners of a quaint seaside hotel on the beloved British sitcom Fawlty Towers, has died. She was 93.
Scales died “peacefully at home in London,” her sons Samuel and Joseph said in a statement provided to The Hollywood Reporter. She had battled dementia in recent years.

‘Wicked: For Good’ Poised to Cast Another Spell on the Oscars as First Reactions Call It a ‘Heartbreakingly Tender Conclusion’ With ‘Jaw-Dropping Performances’
Is it time for “Wicked” to conquer the Oscars, for good?
Universal Pictures’ musical fantasy sequel appears poised to match or exceed its predecessor’s impressive showing at the Academy Awards, based on the first social media reactions that were shared on Monday night.
Director Jon M. Chu’s “Wicked: For Good,” written by Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox, continues the story begun in 2024’s “Wicked,” which adapted the first act of the hit 2003 Broadway musical by Stephen Schwartz and Holzman. The follow-up adapts the second act, exploring the aftermath of Elphaba and Glinda’s diverging paths — one as the infamous Wicked Witch of the West, the other as the beloved Glinda the Good.

Michelle Obama Reveals Why She’s ‘More Vibrant Than Ever’ in Her 60s, Spills Untold Secrets from Her First Lady Years
Nearly a decade after leaving the White House, Michelle Obama tells PEOPLE she’s “more confident about who I am” as she prepares to release her new style book, ‘The Look’
It’s like a scene from one of her past Let’s Move! campaign events: Michelle Obama is working it outside Washington, D.C. — fingers snapping, hips swaying, a couple carefree twirls. Only on this afternoon the former first lady isn’t surrounded by a cohort of cute kids, fans, news cameras and critics. No, that ship has long sailed, and she’s at peace not being on it. Instead, at her PEOPLE photo shoot, she’s draped in a colorful Jason Wu top, and moving entirely to the beat of her own drum (and the uncensored sounds of GloRilla, Beyoncé and Cardi B pumping through the speakers).
“Fundamentally, I’m the same person,” Mrs. Obama, who these days prefers just Michelle, tells PEOPLE in this week’s issue, on stands Friday. “But with each decade, I’ve grown wiser. I think I’ve become more confident about who I am. This version of Michelle probably cares less about what other people think.”

How to Clean Dusty Bookshelves (and Keep Them That Way)
Your shelves have been collecting more than just great reads.
If you’re a word nerd like me (guilty as charged), you likely have dozens of books sitting on a large bookshelf in your home. And while you’ll happily spend time poring over said books, cleaning the shelving is a different story altogether. But even though it may be a pain, it’s important to regularly clean your bookshelves to keep them from getting dusty (and you from sneezing 24/7).
To nail the proper dusting technique, we consulted with two cleaning experts for the 4-1-1 on the process and helpful tips for keeping shelving dust-free for longer.

How to Clean a Smelly Washing Machine and Keep It Odor-Free
Because your washer should smell as clean as your clothes.
Soap scum, fabric softener residue, and trapped moisture create the perfect environment for mildew and odor-causing bacteria to take hold in your washing machine—and those stinky smells can transfer to your laundry, too. The good news is that with the right approach, restoring your machine’s cleanliness and keeping it fresh is easier than you think.
A smelly washing machine can be surprisingly easy to fix once you know where to look and how to clean it properly. Following a few simple steps will tackle the odor at its source and help prevent it from coming back.

I’ve Lived in California for 20 Years—and This Small Town Is One of the Most Underrated in the Golden State
Buellton, California, is home to the longest zip line in the state and a movie-famous motel.
As a California resident of 20 years, and a person who never says no to a road trip, I’ve crisscrossed the state many times in search of places that surprise me. Buellton is one of those spots that started as a quick pit stop and quickly became one of my family’s favorite destinations.
Snuggled in the Santa Ynez Valley, between the Pacific Ocean and the gentle hills of wine country, Buellton has small-town charm—quiet backroads where you can grab coffee before wandering into a quirky quilt shop, offbeat roadside attractions, and folks who actually remember your name.

[Photo Credit: kapeti.com]

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