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Move Over Vagina Candle, Goop Has Launched Its Very First Vibrator

Of course, Gwyneth Paltrow announced the news on Valentine's Day

From controversial jade eggs to 24-karat gold sex toys and a candle that claims to โ€œSmell Like My Vaginaโ€œ, Gwyneth Paltrowโ€™s lifestyle brand Goop is no stranger to putting sexual wellness front and centre.

This time, the brand is entering the world of vibrators, launching their first-ever wand vibratorโ€”and of course, the news was announced on Valentineโ€™s Day. 

Taking to Instagram to announce the news, Paltrow shared a throwback image of herself at Vanity Fairโ€™s 1999 Oscars after-party in her iconic pink Ralph Lauren gown. 

โ€œBeat you to itโ€ฆโ€ she wrote. โ€œI know how to meme too, guys. Head to @goop to see what all the buzz is about.โ€

While the original photo shows Paltrow grasping her Oscar statuette, which she won for her role in Shakespeare in Love, the actress swapped it out for Goopโ€™s newly-released vibrator. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CLRq2bNrMr6/?utm_source=ig_embed

The double-sided wand vibrator is up for grabs on Goopโ€™s website for AUD $123. The device features a pink โ€œwonder-ball wand with deep, rumbly vibrations for external stimulationโ€ on one side, while the โ€œslim, flexibleโ€ opposite end โ€œprovides powerful and precise vibration for clitoral or internal stimulation,โ€ the productโ€™s official description states.

Plus, itโ€™s a โ€œthing of beauty on a nightstandโ€, the description adds. 

Sexual wellness is nothing new for the Goop community, fuelled by the brandโ€™s newsletters, workshops at its In Goop Health summits, podcast conversations and The Goop Lab series which aired on Netflix, which explored all areas of sex. 

GOOP WELLNESS Double-Sided Wand Vibrator
GOOP WELLNESS Double-Sided Wand Vibrator

Unfortunately, the product doesnโ€™t yet ship to Australiaโ€”so weโ€™ll have to wait before getting our hands on this one. 

But while weโ€™ll have to wait for the vibrator, Goop Beauty recently launched at MECCA, making its signature products finally available to Down Under. 

The brand, founded by Paltrow in 2008, features clinically proven ingredients at active levels to create skincare, body products and supplements that deliver results. All products are also made without parabens, petroleum, silicones and artificial dyes and fragrances, and arenโ€™t tested on animals.

Among the products that landed in-store are the GOOPGLOW Microderm Instant Glow Exfoliator, the GTOX Himalayan Salt Scalp Scrub and the GOOPGENES All-In-One Nourishing Eye Cream. 

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Home Page 43

Meghan and Harry Subtly Paid Tribute To Princess Diana In Their Pregnancy Announcement

The duchess wore a custom Carolina Herrera dress for the occasion

On Valentineโ€™s Day, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle revealed they were expecting their second child, and released a sweet new portrait to celebrate the exciting news. The couple made sure to honour their first child, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, and Harryโ€™s late mother, Princess Diana, in the sweet announcement. 

Sharing a new portrait taken by their longtime friend and photographer Misan Harriman, the expecting couple are seen sitting in their garden while holding Meghanโ€™s baby bump. 

According to People, the dress was made for Meghan by American label Carolina Herrera while she was pregnant with Archie. The publication notes that Meghan has a longstanding relationship with the brandโ€™s creative director, Wes Gordon.

โ€œWe can confirm that Archie is going to be a big brother. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are overjoyed to be expecting their second child,โ€ a spokesperson for the couple confirmed.

The day the Duke and Duchess of Sussex decided to share their happy news was also significant as itโ€™s the same date Princess Diana shared that she was pregnant with Harry, who also happens to be her second child. 

โ€œIt was exactly 37 years ago that Princess Diana shared with the world that she was pregnant with Prince Harry,โ€ tweeted royal reporter Omid Scobie alongside a black and white newspaper clipping of the late princess on the cover of The Daily Express in 1984.

The article was fittingly titled, โ€œValentineโ€™s Day joy for Charles and Diana.โ€

The happy news comes after Meghan revealed she suffered a miscarriage last July. In a raw, first-person essay for the New York Timesthe Duchess of Sussex detailed the โ€œunbearable griefโ€ she suffered following the experience. 

โ€œLosing a child means carrying an almost unbearable grief, experienced by many but talked about by few,โ€ she wrote. โ€œIn the pain of our loss, my husband and I discovered that in a room of 100 women, 10 to 20 of them will have suffered from miscarriage. Yet despite the staggering commonality of this pain, the conversation remains taboo, riddled with (unwarranted) shame, and perpetuating a cycle of solitary mourning.โ€ 

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Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Donald Glover Are Starring In A New โ€˜Mr. & Mrs. Smithโ€™

The dream team making the one 2021 reboot we'll allow
Two people smiling, one holding a BAFTA award, against a black background.

Between the remakes of Sex and the CityWinx ClubThe Powerpuff GirlsGossip Girl and a multitude of others we can barely keep up with, the general trend on TV currently seems to lean towards โ€œmake old new again.โ€ A commendable sentiment when it comes to extending the life of a vintage treasure or Depop bargain, but perhaps a little overdone when it comes to entertainment? One reboot that we are genuinely, actually looking forward to however comes from dream team Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Donald Glover.

The comedian-actress and multi-talent musician-actor-producer are joining forces on a new series based on the 2005 film Mr. And Mrs. Smith. Yes, they are presumably taking on the titular roles originated by Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie and we cannot wait. The news came via social media: Glover taking the route of a Fortnite dance to share the announcement of the upcoming Amazon Prime series. Meanwhile, Waller-Bridge went the route of a TikTok trend. Mimicking the beginning of the popular silhouette challenge, she walks over to her doorframe to recreate Jolieโ€™s pose on the Mr. & Mrs. Smith poster.

As well as starring in the series, both Waller-Bridge and Glover will serve as executive producers on the show. The team is rounded out by co-creator Francesa Sloane, currently a writer on Gloverโ€™s show Atlanta, whoโ€™ll serve as the rebootโ€™s showrunner. Jennifer Salke, Head of Amazon Studios, shared the announcements to her own social media, as well as revealing that the 2005 filmโ€™s studio New Regency Productions would be involved with the reboot.

Plot and cast details beyond this initial announcement are thin on the ground, but we can apparently expect the series in 2022. Waller-Bridge and Glover have previously graced screens together in Solo, the 2018 Star Wars standalone film. Separately, both have also proven their comedy chops: Waller-Bridge with the acclaimed Fleabag and Glover in his time on the sitcom Community. 

Suffice to say, we will be waiting here until we see a blow-for-blow remake of that fight scene. This time, with 100% more fourth-wall-breaking asides. 

Lead image via Frazer Harrison/BAFTA LA/Getty Images for BAFTA LA.

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A Resurfaced Lindsay Lohan Interview On David Letterman Has Sparked Backlash Online

Fans label the exchange "horrifying to watch"

The Framing Britney Spears documentary, which explored Spearsโ€™ rise to fame and how she ended up in a conservatorship, has sparked a very uncomfortable reflection at the way famous young women were, and still are, treated in the media. 

The most recent moment to resurface is a 2013 late-night chat between Lindsay Lohan and David Letterman that came at a time when the actress was preparing to check herself in for a court-appointed rehab session in lieu of jail time following a shoplifting conviction. 

Prior to entering the facility, the actress appeared on The Late Show to promote her appearance in Scary Movie 5, and while the chat started off smoothlyโ€”with Lohan making a few self-deprecating jokes about โ€œstealingโ€ Lettermanโ€™s mug and the dress she was wearingโ€”things took an ugly turn when the host insisted on pushing Lohan to talk about her upcoming time in rehab. 

โ€œArenโ€™t you supposed to be in rehab?โ€ the host asks a then-27-year-old Lohan. Upon telling Letterman the date sheโ€™s set to check into a facility, Lohan continues to answer the hostโ€™s seemingly endless questions: โ€œHow long will you be in rehab? How many times have you been to rehab? What is on their list? What are they going to work on when you walk through the door? Do you have an alcohol addiction?โ€ 

Lohan looks to the audience, โ€œWe didnโ€™t discuss this in the pre-interview,โ€ before stealing the hostโ€™s question sheet from behind his desk and stating, โ€œYou canโ€™t make a joke of it, thatโ€™s so mean. You canโ€™t do that, itโ€™s my show now.โ€

Twitter user @treytaylor shared the clip on Saturday morning, noting that the 2013 interview โ€œis horrifying to watch now.โ€

On Twitter, people called out Letterman for perpetuating the stigma of addiction and continuing to make an obviously uncomfortable Lohan even more so. Meanwhile, others praised her for remaining poised during the awkward exchange.

The clip caused โ€œThis clip is horrifying in so many ways but one thing that stuck out to me is it is the perfect example of when women try to politely advocate for themselves in a way that society would hopefully deem โ€œnot bitchy โ€œ and yet they get steamrolled and ignored,โ€ one user wrote. 

Another wrote, โ€œThis is vile on so many levels. The misogyny. The blindsiding. The stigma of addiction & rehab. The hypocrisy of wanting people to recover, but then judging how they choose [to] do so. I hope Lindsay Lohan knows how loved she is. The world has treated her and so many others so unfairly.โ€ 

โ€œEveryone really did wrong by Lindsay, Paris [Hilton], Britney [Spears] and Megan Fox. Itโ€™s pretty sad to look back now to see how poorly they were treated,โ€ another added. 

The resurfaced clip comes amid Justin Timberlakeโ€™s apology to both Spears and Janet Jackson for the way he mistreated them during his early careerโ€”specifically, his destruction of Spearsโ€™ character following their 2002 breakup. 

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Justin Timberlake Finally Releases Lengthy Apology To Britney Spears And Janet Jackson

Following the explosive documentary, 'Framing Britney Spears'

The Framing Britney Spears documentary, while intent on deep diving into Spearsโ€™ rise to fame and how she ended up in a conservatorship, the New York Times Presents docu-series also looked at the singerโ€™s breakup with Justin Timberlake and the way the former NSYNC member handled their 2002 breakup. 

In light of the recent #FreeBritney movement, Timberlake has faced backlash for not just his mishandling of the fallout of his relationship with Spears, but for the actions following his appearance at the Super Bowl halftime show alongside Janet Jackson in 2004. In both instances, fans claim Timberlake actively took part in the destruction of both their characterโ€™s.  

On February 12, Timberlake wrote an official apology to Spears for his misogynistic behaviour following their breakup in the early aughts, and also apologised to Jackson for his inaction in the wake of their controversial performance. 

โ€œIโ€™ve seen the messages, tags, comments, and concerns and I want to respond,โ€ he wrote on Instagram. โ€œI am deeply sorry for the times in my life where my actions contributed to the problem, where I spoke out of turn, or did not speak up for what was right. I understand that I fell short in these moments and in many others and benefited from a system that condones misogyny and racism.โ€

He continued, โ€œI specifically want to apologise to Britney Spears and Janet Jackson both individually. Because I care for and respect these women and I know I failed.โ€

https://www.instagram.com/p/CLMxYbGhTno/

โ€œThe industry is flawed. It sets men, especially white men, up for success,โ€ Timberlake continued. โ€œItโ€™s designed this way. As a man in a privileged position, I have to be vocal about this. Because of my ignorance, I didnโ€™t recognise it for all that it was while it was happening in my own life but I do not want to ever benefit from others being pulled down again.โ€

Timberlake ended his message by promising that the apology was just his โ€œfirst stepโ€ in his plans to take โ€œaccountabilityโ€ for his โ€œmissteps.โ€ 

The singerโ€™s wife, Jessica Biel, showed her support in the comments, writing, โ€œI love you. โค๏ธโ€ 

Jackson responded to the apology via an emotional video message on Twitter. 

โ€œI was at home just the other day by myself and I began to cry. I was crying because I was so thankful for all that God has blessed me with,โ€ she began in the video. โ€œAll that he has given me and Iโ€™m so thankful for him being in my life, and Iโ€™m so thankful for all of you being in my life.โ€

Following the release of the documentary, Jacksonโ€™s album Control has been topping the charts, and she thanked fans for their continued support. 

โ€œYouโ€™re so special to me and I want to thank all of you for making Control No. 1 once again after 35 years,โ€ she said. โ€œI never, never in a million years, I would never think that this would happen. I really appreciate you and I love you so, so much. Thank you.โ€

Spears is yet to publicly comment on the apology, but she did seemingly responded to the documentary on February 9. โ€œEach person has their story and their take on other peopleโ€™s stories !!!! We all have so many different bright beautiful lives,โ€ she tweeted. โ€œRemember, no matter what we think we know about a personโ€™s life it is nothing compared to the actual person living behind the lens.โ€

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Itโ€™s Official, Prince Harry And Meghan Markle Are Expecting Their Second Child

Big brother duties ahead for Archie

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are expecting their second child.

โ€œWe can confirm that Archie is going to be a big brother. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are overjoyed to be expecting their second child,โ€ a spokesperson for the couple has confirmed.

Alongside the announcement, the couple released this beautiful black and white image. However, they are yet to release their due date or reveal the gender of their growing bundle of joy.

This happy news comes after Meghan revealed in November last year that she had had a miscarriage in the summer of 2020. Writing for The New York Times, she said โ€œI knew, as I clutched my firstborn child, that I was losing my second.โ€

The couple, who are already parents to baby Archie, have made it very clear of their desire to grow their family in the past. Prince Harry was seen asking members of the public what it was like to be a parent of more than one child at an event in late 2019.

We wish the couple the well as they prepare for a little brother or sister for Archie.

This article originally appeared on marie claire U.K.

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The Lunar New Year Is Here & So Is An Excuse To Wear Red

Gong xi fa cai!

For many of us living in Australia, this marks the second Lunar New Year that hasnโ€™t been celebrated with a trip back to see family overseas. While ringing in the Year of the Ox wonโ€™t quite be the same when not surrounded by aunties, there are personal traditions that weโ€™ll be observing regardless.

Many traditions around celebrating the Lunar New Year are based on calling in good fortune, luck and prosperity for oneโ€™s family and oneself. There are actions like cleaning the outside of your house before the new yearโ€”definitely not after, that could wash away the good luck. It wouldnโ€™t be the Lunary New Year without the giving and receiving of red packets, hongbao in Mandarin and lai see in Cantonese, these little monetary gifts always go down well.

One of the traditions that many of the more materially-minded also love to embrace? Many people still observe the practice of heading into the new year in new clothes, all the better if theyโ€™re red too. A more minimal approach to this is at least making sure youโ€™re wearing new underwear, but, if youโ€™re looking to splash a little red packet cash, weโ€™ve rounded up some of our festive favourites below.

(Yes, there are eight picks, for extra luck!)

A Luxe Lunar New Year Gift Guide

Rotate Jumper

Iris oversized appliquรฉd organic cotton-jersey sweatshirt by ROTATE Birger Christensen, $146.58 from NET-A-PORTER.

ilia

Colour Block Lipstick In Flame by Ilia, $42.58 from NET-A-PORTER.

Caw Mask

Jade Crystal Eyemask, $149 (currently on sale for $99) at CAW Life.

Gucci sweater

Intarsia mohair-blend tank by Gucci, $1,499.99 from NET-A-PORTER.

SKII

Facial Treatment Essence Lunar New Year (Limited Edition) by SK-II, $288 from Sephora.

Jade gua sha

Gua Sha tool in Jade, $35 from Lanshin.

Sisley

Lunar New Year Ecological Compound Gift Set, $315 from Sisley Paris

fenty

Candy Hearts Lace Bralette, $54.87 from Savage x Fenty.

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All You Need Is Love: 11 People Share Their Stories of Devotion

From best friends to sisters, married couples and family, they represent the transformative and diverse nature of modern love.
Ben Simpson
Alyce & Caro
Image: Ben Simpson

Whether a relationship is passionate or platonic, imbued with romance or cemented in respect, love is the key. In 2021, Valentineโ€™s Day should be an opportunity for us to celebrate the many forms love takes, so thatโ€™s what weโ€™re doing. Here, 11 people to share their stories of devotion, highlighting the vast and varied nature of love. 

Madison Cobb & Allegra Butera: Best Friends

Ben Simpson
Allegra & Madi (Credit: Image: Ben Simpson)

In pure synergy with the theme of this photoshoot, 13-year-old Madi Cobb radiates love. From the moment she arrives on set, she urges the marie claire team to gather together for group hugs around her wheelchair, and nestles in close to one of her best friends, Allegra Butera, 12.

โ€œSheโ€™s always happy and makes me laugh,โ€ says Allegra of Madi, who was born with incredibly rare blood and brain diseases but has not been given an overall diagnosis. They play with a ball and bubbles, then grab the communication device (Madi is non-verbal) that they use to converse.

โ€œThe girls met in kindy, and Allegra sees Madi as her friend, she doesnโ€™t necessarily see her disabilities,โ€ explains Madiโ€™s mum, Nerida. โ€œI hear from parents at school that their kids are learning lifelong lessons around empathy and inclusion from Madi. Two people might be from different countries or backgrounds and still be friends โ€“ itโ€™s the same thing.โ€

Madi has a photo of Allegra and another best friend, Eliza, next to her bed. โ€œSheโ€™s always thinking of them,โ€ says Nerida fondly. Meanwhile, Allegra is in awe of her โ€œbrave and resilientโ€ friend: โ€œSheโ€™s opened my eyes to see different perspectives.โ€

Anisha Khopkar & Nakul Legha: Married

Ben Simpson
Anisha & Nakul (Credit: Image: Ben Simpson)

When Nakul and Anisha exchanged vows in her motherโ€™s backyard, they were interrupted by pots banging in a kitchen 10,000 kilometres away in India. โ€œMy parents had sent the Zoom link to lots of uncles, aunties and friends overseas,โ€ Nakul says, noting the hilarity of having overseas relatives witness their intimate 20-person wedding, despite being separated by an ocean and a pandemic. โ€œThere were people who didnโ€™t know how to mute themselves, and others who were sharing their desktop and overriding the ceremony,โ€ Anisha adds, laughing.

For the young couple, falling in love has been a lesson in unlearning prior assumptions about what it takes for a relationship to work. When they met, Nakul was fresh out of a long-term relationship, Anisha had recently lost her father, and dating was not on her to-do list. Despite this, by their third date, they both knew it was more than just a hook-up. โ€œI said to her, โ€˜There are all these things that I feel for you right now that I know we canโ€™t say to each other [because itโ€™s so early].โ€™ And she said, โ€˜I feel the same,โ€™โ€ Nakul remembers, smiling at Anisha. โ€œAnd that was it. Then we ate dumplings.โ€

โ€œIโ€™ve learnt that you can have fun the whole way through, which is so cool,โ€ Anisha says. โ€œI didnโ€™t think that was possible until I met Nakul.โ€

Ned Henderson & Michele Peters: Grandson & Grandmother

Ben Simpson
Ned & Michele (Credit: Image: Ben Simpson)

How do I get Zoom?โ€ It was the question that perplexed grandparents across the globe in 2020. Lucky for Michele, she had Ned, one of her four beloved grandchildren, on speed dial. โ€œHeโ€™s always coming over to my place and fixing this and that, and teaching me how to do stuff,โ€ she says. โ€œNetflix, Zoom, WhatsApp. He does it all.โ€

As the duo take their place in front of the camera, however, itโ€™s clear that Nedโ€™s so much more than just her tech guy. The 18-year-old smiles affectionately at his immaculately dressed nonna โ€“ a pet name given by her first grandson, who lives in Italy. โ€œI didnโ€™t inherit her sense of style,โ€ Ned admits, sharing that Nonna travelled to London as a fashion buyer in the 1960s. โ€œBut youโ€™re very creative,โ€ she insists. โ€œHeโ€™s a photographer โ€“ he just won a big competition. Iโ€™m in awe of everything he does, and he does it with no drama, and such grace and sincerity.โ€

The pair agree that their intergenerational bond is special and rare. โ€œWe only live five minutes apart, so weโ€™ve always been close,โ€ says Ned. Adds Michele, โ€œIโ€™m blessed to have him in my life.โ€

Alyce & Caro Tran: Sisters

Ben Simpson
Alyce & Caro (Credit: Image: Ben Simpson)

As a seven-year-old, Alyce Tran (left) was not the jealous or jaded type. โ€œI was incredibly excited the day Caroline was born,โ€ she says. โ€œAs the story goes, my mum had been so horrified by my labour that she didnโ€™t want to have any more children โ€“ but eventually she felt sorry for me as an only child, so I finally got a sister.โ€ From that day forth, Caroline recalls being โ€œobsessedโ€ with her elder sibling. โ€œI never wanted to leave her so Iโ€™d pull my mattress into her bedroom and sleep there.โ€

Over the years, the pairโ€™s age gap has evened out (they often get mistaken for twins), and theyโ€™ve both grown into successful businesswomen โ€“ Alyce as the co-founder of The Daily Edited and In The Roundhouse, and Caroline as an in-demand stylist and brand consultant. They share a friendship group, often work and travel together, and were housemates for six years โ€“ though that time around, Caroline stayed put in her own room. โ€œItโ€™s kind of flipped now,โ€ she teases Alyce. โ€œI feel like you have separation anxiety. Sheโ€™s always texting me; she has me on Find My Friends and she tracks where I am.โ€ Their constant contact โ€“ not to mention their clothes-sharing โ€“ mimics that of best friends, but itโ€™s more than that. Says Alyce, โ€œItโ€™s unconditional love.โ€

Emily J. Brooks: Self

Ben Simpson
Emily J. Brooks (Credit: Image: Ben Simpson)

Itโ€™s commonly understood that the most important relationship in life is the one we have with ourselves. But when Emily Brooks set out to write her first book at 25, she was exasperated by the lack of literature that treated women as autonomous beings. โ€œThere are so many dating books for women, and they always encourage us to get the man and do what we need to, to attract him,โ€ she says of the drive behind penning The First Move (Murdoch, $32.99). โ€œI wanted to flip that on its head and say, โ€˜Well, who are you? And what do you want?โ€™ Because your desires are equally important.โ€

While Emily, 29, is now in a relationship, sheโ€™ll never underestimate the one she shares with herself. โ€œIโ€™m one of those people whoโ€™s perfectly happy being single,โ€ she explains. โ€œIโ€™ve always had the viewpoint of: Iโ€™ve got everything I need, anything else is in addition.โ€ The purpose of writing the book was to share her perspective, and help women understand the empowerment that comes with realising being single can be a legitimate and positive choice.

โ€œLove is a verb. Itโ€™s not a state youโ€™re just always going to be in; it takes work,โ€ Emily says. โ€œThat applies to a romantic relationship, and it also applies to your relationship with yourself. Through doing small acts that foster that relationship with yourself, the better relationship youโ€™re going to have with yourself and with others.โ€

Kelly, Spencer & Alexis Dezart-Smith: Family 

Kelly Spencer
Kelly, Alexis & Spencer (Credit: Image: Ben Simpson)

A Hole cover band was playing the first time Kelly (left) told Spencer they loved him. The couple had only known each other a few days โ€“ a Melbourne resident at the time, Spencer was visiting San Francisco for the Pride Festival and the pair didnโ€™t expect the romance to extend past the holiday. But it just felt right. โ€œI remember thinking, Well, itโ€™s OK to immerse yourself in this for right now; whatever happens next,  happens next,โ€ says Kelly.

Nearly 10 years, a few stints of forced long-distance, a wedding, and one (exceptionally adorable) baby named Alexis later, the duo are just as in love. They credit couples therapy and an enduring commitment to each other for keeping their relationship strong beyond its whirlwind beginning. โ€œOur story hasnโ€™t always been perfect. We really work for our relationship,โ€ explains Kelly. โ€œBeing queer, sometimes things like marriage or having kids feels really heteronormative and youโ€™re like, โ€˜Oh, thatโ€™s just not my vibe,โ€

Kelly continues. โ€œI realised that you can do all those things and still be quite radical.โ€

When they welcomed their son 18 months ago, their concept of love was again transformed. โ€œIโ€™m in awe of watching my partner with our child, watching my family, and our friends,โ€ says Spencer. โ€œItโ€™s so beautiful. Once you have a child, in our experience, love just expands to these whole new realms.โ€

For more, be sure to pick up a copy of the March issue of marie claire Australia, on stands now. 

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Home Page 43

This Queer Family Will Make Even the Harshest Cynic Believe In Love

Kelly, Spencer and Alexis Dezart-Smith subvert convention with a transformative and committed ethos of love and family.

A Hole cover band was playing the first time Kelly (left) told Spencer they loved him. The couple had only known each other a few days โ€“ a Melbourne resident at the time, Spencer was visiting San Francisco for the Pride Festival and the pair didnโ€™t expect the romance to extend past the holiday. But it just felt right. โ€œI remember thinking, Well, itโ€™s OK to immerse yourself in this for right now; whatever happens next,  happens next,โ€ says Kelly.

Nearly 10 years, a few stints of forced long-distance, a wedding, and one (exceptionally adorable) baby named Alexis later, the duo are just as in love. They credit couples therapy and an enduring commitment to each other for keeping their relationship strong beyond its whirlwind beginning. โ€œOur story hasnโ€™t always been perfect. We really work for our relationship,โ€ explains Kelly. โ€œBeing queer, sometimes things like marriage or having kids feels really heteronormative and youโ€™re like, โ€˜Oh, thatโ€™s just not my vibe. I realised that you can do all those things and still be quite radical.โ€

When they welcomed their son 18 months ago, their concept of love was again transformed. โ€œIโ€™m in awe of watching my partner with our child, watching my family, and our friends,โ€ says Spencer. โ€œItโ€™s so beautiful. Once you have a child, in our experience, love just expands to these whole new realms.โ€

Here, the couple share how the fell, and stay, in love. 

marie claire: How did you first meet?

Spencer: It was 2011, we met in a bar in San Francisco called SF Underground. I was visiting San Francisco with some friends for Pride. I walked in and Kelly was standing at the bar, Iโ€™d seen them on the internet before because they were connected with some friends. I thought, โ€˜thereโ€™s nothing to loseโ€™, so I offered to buy them a drink, they said yes and then, when I got the drink, I took it over to them but they were talking to someone else. I guess I was a little shy and wanted to give them space so I gave them the drink and walked away. They had the drink and then they left. It wasnโ€™t until days went on that I kept running into them around the streets. We ran into each other on our way to this beautiful theatre in the neighbourhood, The Castro, where we were both going to see Paris Is Burning. We just started chatting and eventually I asked a friend for their number and on the final day of Pride, we finally connected and that was it. We spent the rest of my trip together in San Francisco. Afterwards, I flew home and three months later they followed me back to Melbourne.

mc: Wow. So, letโ€™s go back a bit. Something Iโ€™m always interested to hear from people is: at what point โ€“ or was there a point โ€“ where you looked at Kelly and thought, โ€˜I love this personโ€™?

Spence: Well, no, actually, five days into my trip, we went camping with some friends. Kelly had never been camping, so showed up in some fashion sandals and I was like, โ€˜oh, shitโ€™.

Kelly: They were a pair of leather sandals that I thought were so cute and chic, and then there were bindis.

Spence: Someone had to lend them some socks so they didnโ€™t get torn up feet. That night, we were sitting around the fire and there was a Hole cover band playing and Kelly told me that they loved me. I was like, โ€œWhoa, this is intense.โ€ It was one of those things where they said it, and it was such a whirlwind time. We were in this really romantic city and everything was falling into place. We had no real responsibilities, it was just very magical. I guess when you say something like that in that moment, it feels normal.

Kelly: He was in San Francisco on a holiday, so it always felt like, โ€œOh, thereโ€™s an expiration date on this.โ€ I just remember thinking to myself, โ€œWell, itโ€™s okay to submerge yourself in this for right now, and then whatever happens next, happens next.

Kelly Spencer
Kelly, Alexis and Spence (Credit: Image: Ben Simpson)

mc: And so what changed? Because you (Spence) left.

Spence: I remember Kelly drove me to the airport and I got on the plane, and we talked about it like, โ€œWell, maybe Iโ€™ll come back for Pride againโ€. Really casual conversations. But then when I landed in Melbourne, we stayed in touch on WhatsApp, and it was just like we didnโ€™t put the fire out, it just kept simmering-

Kelly: Smoldering.

Spence: Smoldering. It wasnโ€™t long after that that there was talk of like, โ€œWell, maybe Iโ€™ll come out thereโ€. And then it just ran from there.

mc: When you (Kelly) came out to Australia, did you come with the intent of moving?

Kelly: No, I was in grad school and I took a three month sabbatical. Three months passed really quick, and then I decided to take three more months. Then six months is the longest you could stay on a tourist visa, so at the end of the six months we were like, โ€œOh, what do we do next?โ€ All right, if weโ€™re going to be together, then we have logistical things to figure out. Like visas, how do we get visas for me to stay? We were visiting Sydney for Mardi Gras and we were hanging out with a friend whoโ€™s a lawyer, and she was like, โ€œWhy donโ€™t you guys just get married? You love each other and youโ€™ll probably get married one day. Why donโ€™t you just get married now?โ€ And then we were just like, โ€œYeah, I guess thatโ€™s an option.โ€

Spence: People often say you should get married, especially around visa stuff, like itโ€™s the go-to and itโ€™s interesting because itโ€™s actually not that easy to get. Itโ€™s not like you get married and then get a visa, thatโ€™s not how it works. I donโ€™t think we really knew what everything meant, what it would mean in the future to get a visa, but we were like, โ€œFuck it, letโ€™s just get married. It canโ€™t hurt.โ€

Kelly: But also in Australia, you canโ€™t just have a shotgun marriage. You canโ€™t be like, โ€œOh, Iโ€™m going to get married,โ€ and you go to the courthouse and you get married that day. You have to put in an intent to be married, and thatโ€™s 30 days. So we put that in and then had 30 days to be like, โ€œOh, are we really going to do this?โ€

Spence: We got married, and then Kelly literally left the country two days later. And we were apart for three months again, and then I came to San Francisco. I had planned to be there for a few months, and then during that time Kelly got offered a job they really wanted to take. So we decided to try to get visas, I ended up getting a green card and we stayed.

Kelly: Thatโ€™s the short end of it.

Spence: Itโ€™s been a long process.

mc: I was going to say, and long distance. Was it because you started off that way, that you were able to find a rhythm with your relationship that just adapted to long distance?

Kelly: Totally.

Spence: There wasnโ€™t a lot we could do about it. But since then, weโ€™ve been able to weather lots of long distance stints, weโ€™ve spent chunks of three months apart, but it just works. It sounds clichรฉ, but once you build a relationship where you both feel really secure or safe, those things, they seem super easy to navigate.

mc: One of my favourite sayings is: all relationships take work, and sometimes, it wonโ€™t matter how much work you put in, it just wonโ€™t work.

Kelly: Totally.

Spence: I do think that once you find that person, you start to want to make it work. So you find the person that gives you the drive to make it work, and then if you put in work โ€“ which we have put in so much work โ€“ then it will. And look, it never ends, to be honest. Kelly and I are big proponents of therapy and couples therapy, and weโ€™ve had a consistent therapist now for, like, five years. Sheโ€™s in San Francisco, to this day, we still see her.

mc: Thatโ€™s amazing. What went into that decision?

Kelly: It came to a point where we were reaching our four year mark of being together, and we realised it was the longest either of us had ever been with someone and we were like, โ€œOh, we donโ€™t know what a long-term relationship looks like beyond this.โ€

Spence: No, thatโ€™s not how it happened. Yes, that was the intent, but remember, we had another friend who got a therapist? And they were like, โ€œYou should get one, this is actually really helpful,โ€ Then Kelly was like, โ€œYeah, we donโ€™t know what it is beyond this, maybe we should.โ€ We interviewed a couple different therapists, because we wanted to find the right one. And we did and I now consider her to be part of our story, because if it wasnโ€™t for her advocacy for our relationship and her support, I donโ€™t know that our relationship would what it is today.

mc: Do you think that there are any particular parts of the relationship that sheโ€™s really helped?

Spence: Understanding one another. Because people have patterns or things about them that come from so many places โ€“ their upbringing, etc. Therapy has really helped me to understand who Kelly is as a person. Once you do that, you get context to understand different behaviours.

A perfect example is before, whenever something would come up, I would want to talk about it straight away. I would be like, โ€œWhatโ€™s wrong?โ€ And Kelly would be like, โ€œI donโ€™t want to talk about it right now, I need some time,โ€ and I would push, โ€œNo, no, no, but I want toโ€ฆโ€ And in that situation, no oneโ€™s going to win; you both have your own ways of dealing with it and theyโ€™re conflicting. Over time, I started to understand that that doesnโ€™t mean that they donโ€™t want to tell me or Iโ€™ve done something wrong, it just means โ€˜chill outโ€™.

Kelly: We just had different communication styles, and we had to learn each otherโ€™s. Through therapy it gave us perspective on each otherโ€™s communication style, and then allowed us to actually communicate.

mc: Yeah. I mean, itโ€™s meeting someone where theyโ€™re at, because thatโ€™s the thing, everyone is just a whole universe of a person. That kind of answers another question I have, which is: what do you think it takes to stay in love?

Kelly: You have to put in the work, and that can look lots of different ways; seeing a therapist together, or actively communicating. But it also looks like making sure that youโ€™re always dating. Weโ€™ve been together almost 10 years, and we still actively date each other. Sometimes when people are in long-term relationships, they forget to date each other. They get really comfortable and theyโ€™re like, โ€œI see you every day.โ€ And Iโ€™m like, โ€œYeah, but do you really see them? You see them maybe in passing, but when was the last time you actually looked at your partner?โ€

Our story hasnโ€™t always been perfect rainbows and sunshine. We really work for our relationship, but making a commitment is committing to working through the difficult times, too. When things come up for Spence and I, I never think to myself, โ€œOh, this is it, this is going to be the straw that breaks the camelโ€™s back,โ€ or, โ€œThis is going to be the thing that ends us.โ€ Iโ€™m always like, โ€œbeing alive means that things are going to come up and Iโ€™ve committed to working through things when they do.โ€

Spence: Society does a really big disservice around relationships, because movies and the portrayal of love and long-term love seems so fantastical. It never talks about the work it takes, it always just presumes that love stays in this romance, but thatโ€™s just not how it is. Itโ€™s not reality, because you work a job, you have a kid. You really have to have intention.

mc: Did you always know that you wanted to have kids?

Spence: I did.

Kelly: I did not. It was only after being together for a little bit I was just like, โ€œOh, if I was going to have kids, it would be with this person.โ€ We always had the dialogue around kids. It was really interesting. Being queer, sometimes things like marriage or having kids feels really heteronormative and youโ€™re just like, โ€œOh, thatโ€™s just not my vibe, thatโ€™s just not who I am as a person.โ€ And I realised that you can do all those things and still be quite queer and radical. Marriage for us allowed us to be together, it allowed us to find a way to cross borders, which is pretty subversive.

mc: Totally.

Spence: Yeah, and then having a child as two men was, again, a really radical idea. Itโ€™s interesting because weโ€™re a married couple, we have a young baby. Weโ€™re actually very conventional if you look at it, but then if you actually look at it, itโ€™s pretty radical: we immigrated to two countries, one during a time where gay marriage was illegal. We got denied by the immigration department in the United States for being two men, but then my birth certificate said โ€˜Fโ€™ on it, so we got in under that. Weโ€™ve stepped over all of these hurdles and still been very true to ourselves.

mc: Youโ€™re queering the idea of what constitutes โ€˜conventionalโ€™.

Spence: Yeah, the thing is; marriage, in and of itself, all it really does in society, it gives you access to things. Itโ€™s just a status that gives you access to stuff, and by being queer or whatever, we donโ€™t allow ourselves to have access to that because a lot of queers donโ€™t believe in marriage. Itโ€™s this religious institution, it doesnโ€™t really vibe with who we are, right? But in society, it actually comes with things. So we gain access to this thing that isnโ€™t meant for us, right?

mc: Itโ€™s kind of like a โ€˜fuck youโ€™.

Spence: Yeah, and on the other end of it, marriage has actually been a really beautiful experience for me. Itโ€™s been a really interesting shift in my mindset to know that thereโ€™s this person that is now very much my family in the eyes of everyone. No one can take that away. Kelly is the person that is there.

Kelly talks about how we think of our parents as this one unit, like theyโ€™re family, right? But they were strangers. They were strangers at some point and they came together and they became a family, and thatโ€™s what we have done, which feels really amazing if you think about it in that context.

mc: Exactly. And a lot of queer folk talk about family, and the idea of family being so much more expansive than just marriage because you have an entire community.

Spence: So we have a whole community, yeah.

Kelly: We were really fortunate, we got to work with this artist, Amos Gebhardt, and we did a queer family portrait. And I feel like what you were saying, that portrait for me highlights the vastness and the beauty of queer family. A part of the idea behind that portrait was every time the Royal Family has a baby, they have a Royal Family portrait, and I was like, โ€œOh, I would love to do a Royal Family portrait-esque portrait presenting Lexi, but I want to highlight the vastness of our queer family.โ€ And I feel super fortunate that we got to do that project, because it just reminded me again how, yeah, we might be partaking in lots of conventions that feel quite normative, the lens that we put on it is always queer.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CEGArv_BQI3/

mc: For sure. How has having Lexi changed your understanding of love?

Kelly: Having a baby is one of the hardest things Iโ€™ve ever done, but itโ€™s also one of the most fulfilling. Having Lexi has taught me that love is patience, love is support.

Spence: Itโ€™s being present at every step of the way. Being a parent has been really hard. Like Kelly said, itโ€™s challenging, itโ€™s time consuming, itโ€™s sacrifice. But on the flip side of that, itโ€™s awareness, beauty. Iโ€™ve learned so much patience. Iโ€™m in awe of watching my partner with our child, watching our child, watching my family, watching our friends. All of these things are so beautiful. Once you have a child, in our experience, love just expands to a whole new realm. No longer is it just this circle that we sit in, itโ€™s all of a sudden this massive thing that is going to go on for ages.

mc: Yeah, absolutely. What do you hope he knows or understands about love and family, or finding someone?

Kelly: I hope Lexi learns how to be accountable in love, and I hope Lexi learns how to fully let himself go in love, even when love hurts.

Spence: I really hope that Lexi, during his childhood, gets to experience two parents communicating, being open and working through whatever it is that comes up. I hope heโ€™s able to take that into his own relationships and that, as a partner, heโ€™ll be patient and willing and kind and respectful, and also vulnerable.

This conversation has been lightly edited for clarity.

For more of our LOVE Reportage, be sure to pick up a copy of the March issue of marie claire Australia, out now. 

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Home Page 43

โ€˜Clariceโ€™ Is The New Psychological Horror Crime Show Taking On The Hannibal Legacy

She's breaking her silence

There are too many characters in film and TV that are prematurely given the title of โ€œiconic,โ€ but Hannibal Lecter is not one of them. Created by writer Thomas Harris, the serial killer and those unlucky enough to fall into his orbit have been explored in a number of incredible live-action offerings. The standouts, of course, being the Oscar-winning film The Silence of the Lambs and Bryan Fullerโ€™s transgressive NBC series Hannibal. Now a new TV series, Clarice from CBS, is taking up the dark material.

The new psychological crime drama was created by Alex Kurtzman and Jenny Lumet, and stars Australian actress Rebecca Breeds as the titular Clarice Starling. It might be jarring to see the Home and Away regular as the Appalachian detective, but from what we can hear the accent ainโ€™t too bad. Watch the official trailer for Clarice:

What is the plot of Clarice?

Clarice takes up Starlingโ€™s story quite swiftly after her run-in with Jame โ€œBuffalo Billโ€ Gumb. The new series takes many cues from the original Silence, even recreating the scene of the serial killer fashioning a suit from his victimโ€™s skin.

We meet Starling as sheโ€™s going through the messy process of recovering from the trauma of her confrontations with these โ€œmonsters.โ€ Thatโ€™s cut short when sheโ€™s tasked by former senator Ruth Martin (Jayne Atkinson) to investigate a new serial killer.

Jayne Atkinson as Ruth Martin in Clarice
(Credit: Jayne Atkinson as Ruth Martin)

Without giving too much away, the series follows Starling as she attempts to unravel a new serial killer mystery without her own mind and personal life unravelling. In an intriguing parallel to world events, Clarice makes no heroes of the law enforcement characters in the series. Instead, Starling is continually facing down internal corruption, dismissal from superiors with ulterior motives, and sheer inadequacy within the Justice Department.

Why isnโ€™t Hannibal in Clarice?

Due to a novel legal situation involving the rights to these characters, Clarice actually will not mention or acknowledge the character of Hannibal at all. In a similar fashion, Fullerโ€™s Hannibal never noted the existence of a Clarice character.

The rights to the characters are divided between MGM and the Dino De Laurentiis Company, which, for the meantime, means never the twain shall meet.

In spite of that, the showโ€™s co-creator Kurtzman believes itโ€™s a good thing. โ€œIโ€™m still trying to understand how the rights are divided,โ€ he told EW. โ€œBut itโ€™s been quite liberating because we have no interest in writing about Hannibalโ€”not because we didnโ€™t love the films and the show, but because it was done so well by so many people that it didnโ€™t feel fresh for us.โ€

Who is in the cast of Clarice?

Rebecca Breeds as Clarice Starling

Rebecca Breeds as Clarice Starling

This isnโ€™t Breedโ€™s first time at the American TV network rodeo, having previously appeared in Vampire Diaries spin-off series The Originals, as well as the later seasons of Pretty Little Liars as Nicole. When speaking with Variety about Clarice, Breeds noted the importance of not reiterating the incredible work Jodie Foster did in the role.

Instead, Breeds drew heavily from the books: โ€œHer intelligence and her nuance and her humour and her bravery and all of the psychological trauma thatโ€™s trying to poke its head in that she uses in her job, itโ€™s just fascinating.โ€

Devyn A. Tyler as Ardelia Mapp

Devyn A. Tyler as Ardelia Mapp

American actress Devyn A. Tyler plays Ardelia Mapp, having previously held roles in Fear The Walking Dead and Antebellum among others. Mapp is one of the few allies Starling has, somewhat bonded by their experiences being marginalised women among the FBI world dominated by white men.

Marnee Carpenter as Catherine Martin

Marnee Carpenter as Catherine Martin

Like Breeds, Marnee Carpenter is also stepping into a role originated by another. In Clarice Carpenter stars as Catherine Martin, the final near-victim of Buffalo Bill who Starling manages to narrowly save.

โ€œIn a lot of ways, sheโ€™s got her only counterpart in Clarice who, from the outside, seems to be thriving and going about her life,โ€ Carpenter said of the character in an interview. โ€œI think Catherine is really struggling with that because thatโ€™s just not where sheโ€™s at.โ€ Carpenter has previously appeared in Good Girls and Criminal Minds

Lucca De Oliveira as Tomas Esquivel

Lucca De Oliveira as Tomas Esquivel

Little much is known about FBI agent Tomas Esquivel, one of the main characters in the upcoming Clarice TV series. Heโ€™ll be played by Lucca De Oliveira, who has worked on series such as Animal Kingdom and SEAL Team.

Kal Penn as Emin Grigoryan

Kal Penn as Emin Grigoryan

Youโ€™ll recognise Kal Pennโ€”or at least find his face very familiarโ€”from his numerous film and TV credits. Penn has held recurring roles in How I Met Your Mother, House and of course, the Harold & Kumar films. Grigoryan is the seriesโ€™ forensic wizard: an agent with a PhD in library science. โ€œAll of our conversations about Clarice thus far are so grounded in art and storytelling. Itโ€™s suspense, itโ€™s a thriller, and itโ€™s thoughtful,โ€ Penn told Deadline.

Nick Sandow as Murray Clarke

Nick Sandow as Murray Clarke

Orange Is The New Black alumni Nick Sandow is back as yet another shitty boss. Sandow plays Murray Clarke, an agent who slid into the FBI off the back of a lacrosse scholarship and his familyโ€™s law enforcement background. The series sees him as Starlingโ€™s chief antagoniser-ally.

Michael Cudlitz as Paul Krendler

Michael Cudlitz as Paul Krendler

American actor Michael Cudlitz, of The Walking Dead and The Kids Are Alright takes on the role of Paul Krendler. Like others in the series, his self-interest and political motivation colour his investigative skills, though his legal prowess is sound.

Where can you watch Clarice in Australia?

Clarice officially premieres in Australia tonight, at 8 pm on February 12. You can watch it on Stan here.

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The Eerie Similarities Between Horror Film โ€˜Dark Waterโ€™ & Elisa Lamโ€™s Death Will Keep You Up At Night

The 2005 horror and Lam's mysterious 2013 death share a creepy connection

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Much like other mysteries that have plagued the minds of true-crime fanatics around the globe, Elisa Lamโ€™s 2013 death continues to fascinateโ€”and remains the catalyst of wild internet conspiracy theories thanks to Netflixโ€™s latest docu-series, Crime Scene: The Vanishing At The Cecil Hotel

The streaming serviceโ€™s documentary has, once again, fuelled internet sleuths to further speculate about Lamโ€™s mysterious death, after her body was found in the water tank on the roof of Los Angelesโ€™ Cecil Hotel.

While her death was eventually ruled an accidental drowning, those fascinated by the case have posed a number of possible explanations for what really went down following the events of her disappearance. 

The most recent? Many have noted eerie correlations between Lamโ€™s death, and the unsettling viral video of Lam in the hotelโ€™s lift, to that of a Japanese horror film, Dark Water

Dark Water is a 2002 Japanese horror film that was adapted into an American version starring Jennifer Connelly and John C. Reilly in 2005. In both films, based on Koji Suzukiโ€™s short story โ€œFloating Waterโ€, a mother and daughterโ€”named Dahlia and Ceciliaโ€”find dark water leaking from their bedroom ceiling. They soon discover that the apartment above theirs has flooded and the family who used to live there disappeared under mysterious circumstances. Dahlia eventually finds the body of the little girl who once lived in the apartment above and discovers sheโ€™d been abandoned by her parents and drowned after accidentally falling into the buildingโ€™s water tower. 

Many have pointed out that the filmโ€™s most basic plot points mimic that of Elisa Lamโ€™s death, with LAPD being led to the roof of the Cecil Hotel after guests complained of black-tintedโ€”or dark waterโ€”coming from their taps. 

Others also noted that Dark Waterโ€™s trailer shows multiple scenes where the elevator buttons in the apartment complex appear to malfunction, similar to the viral footage of Lam acting strangely in the hotel elevator that initially made her case worldwide news back in 2013. 

The CCTV footageโ€”which has millions of viewsโ€”shows the 21-year-old student acting incredibly erratic, showing her jumping in and out of the elevator seemingly hiding from someone, with online theories suggesting everything from alien abduction to ghosts as the cause of her bizarre actions. 

Another one of the wild, and very peculiar, theories to arise from Lamโ€™s death came when a tuberculosis outbreak plagued Los Angeles, specifically the homeless community that lived around the Cecil following her death. The test that was created was, quite hauntingly, Lamโ€™s name backwards: LAM-ELISA, which stood for Lipoarabinomannan (LAM) Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA), according to DeciderConspiracy theories speculated that Lam was used as some sort of biological weapon, especially considering she was a student at the University of British Columbia, which has a highly reputable tuberculosis research centre. This theory has since been debunked, with the autopsy report showing Lam did not exhibit any signs of tuberculosis. 

Eight years on and Lamโ€™s case continues to inspire television and film, including How To Get Away With Murder, where a characterโ€™s dead body was found in a water take, and most recently, American Horror Story: Hotel, which was set in a hotel with a reputation similar to that of the Cecil. Creator Ryan Murphy even noted Lamโ€™s viral elevator surveillance footage as something that inspired the AHS series, telling Entertainment Weeklyโ€œThere was a surveillance video that went around two years ago that showed a girl getting into an elevator in a hotel that was said to be haunted. And she was never seen again.โ€

You can watch Crime Scene: The Vanishing At The Cecil Hotel now on Netflix.

Facebook has banned the sharing and viewing of Australian news articles on its platform. Keep up with the latest in fashion and culture by following marie claire Australia on Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest. Sign up for our newsletter for curated content with substance and exclusive offers.

Facebook has banned the sharing and viewing of Australian news articles on its platform. Keep up with the latest in fashion and culture by following marie claire Australia on Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest. Sign up for our newsletter for curated content with substance and exclusive offers.

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Home Page 43

7 Valentineโ€™s Day Date Ideas That Arenโ€™t All Gross And Romantic

New research shows that 90 per cent of us have no idea how to celebrate Valentineโ€™s Day

If weโ€™re to believe the dating trope that Hollywood serves up, Valentineโ€™s Day is supposed to be filled with red roses, candlelit dinners and grand romantic gestures.

But what if you donโ€™t want to spend the evening of February 14 staring longingly into your partnerโ€™s eyes over a shared plate of spaghetti? Perhaps youโ€™re single and dating, in the early stages of a burgeoning relationship or just find the whole Valentineโ€™s Day thing a bitโ€ฆ much.

According to a recent study by women-first dating and social networking app Bumble, more than 90 per cent of Australians have no idea what to do for Valentineโ€™s Day.

To be honest, weโ€™re not even sure if we should be celebrating at all. When asked how many dates is acceptable before going on a Valentineโ€™s Day date, 33 per cent said a first date is no big deal, 24 per cent said one or dates minimum, 26 per cent said three or four, and 16 per cent said five-plus dates.

For those who want to do something to mark the occasion without being too clichรฉ, Bumble and Airbnb have teamed up together to create a list of โ€˜active datesโ€™ that you can do with your partner, including:

  • A stargazing tour in the Blue Mountains (Wentworth Falls, NSW)
  • Stand up paddle boarding lessons (Currimundi, QLD)
  • A Vietnamese cooking class lead by a chef (Marrickville, NSW)
  • An art class at Yarra Glen (Melbourne, VIC)
  • A sailing trip to Carnac Island โ€“ AKA the worldโ€™s deadliest island (Perth, WA)
  • A wine tasting tour of the Adelaide Hills (Adelaide, SA)
  • Scuba diving lessons in Sydneyโ€™s south (La Perouse, NSW)

Not sure about you but a cooking class followed by a wine tasting tour sounds like something we can get behind. You can find Bumble and Airbnbโ€™s full list of suggestions here.

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Home Page 43

A Sweet Video Of Princess Charlotte Copying Kate Middleton Is Going Viral

Like mother, like daughter!

The Cambridges are undoubtedly the most talked-about family in the world, and with their roles elevated over the coronavirus pandemic, itโ€™s hardly surprising that Prince William and Kate Middleton are making even more news.

Whether itโ€™s Prince William and Kate Middleton borrowing the Queenโ€™s Sandringham home as their office and their new secret puppy or the familyโ€™s recent snow day at their Anmer Hall home where they have been isolating, the Cambridges are all anyone can talk about.

This week, it was 5-year-old Princess Charlotte who made headlines as a sweet video of the miniature royal copying her mother went viral.

https://twitter.com/EniEnkela/status/1357662302921756675?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1357662302921756675%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.marieclaire.co.uk%2Froyal-news%2Fprincess-charlotte-copying-kate-middleton-728142

The video merges together video clips of Kate at a royal engagement via Zoom and Princess Charlotte on her first day at school, with both royals twirling their hair with their hands.

So, yes, it looks like Princess Charlotte has picked up the sweet habit from her mother, often spotted playing with her ponytail.

โ€˜Like mother like daughter,โ€™ posted one Twitter user as they shared the video. โ€˜Watch till the end to see adorable mom and daughter fixing their ponytail. So cute.โ€™

โ€˜Lovely girls!โ€™, one user commented on the TikTok version of the video, with another posting: โ€˜Two beautiful princessesโ€™.

Well, this is lovely.

This article originally appeared on marie claire U.K.

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Shia LaBeouf Denies โ€œEach And Everyโ€ Assault Allegation Made By Ex-Girlfriend FKA Twigs

The musician previously sued the actor for "relentless sexual, physical and emotional abuse"
Two people are side by side; one has long curly hair, and the other has short hair with a beard, both on a red carpet.

Trigger warning: This article contains references to domestic violence and may be distressing for some readers.

Shia LaBeouf has denied allegations made by ex-girlfriend FKA Twigs of โ€œrelentless physical and mental abuseโ€ during their year-long relationship. 

The British musician, real name Tahliah Barnett, filed a lawsuit against the Honey Boy actor in December 2020, claiming he was sexually and physically abusive, alleging LaBeouf knowingly gave her a sexually transmitted disease and once threatened her life by removing her seatbelt while he drove recklessly while on a trip to the desert outside of Los Angeles. 

In response to the singerโ€™s suit, LaBeoufโ€™s legal team states that he โ€œdenies, generally and specifically, each and every allegation contained in [Barnett]โ€™s Complaint, denies that [Barnett] has sustained any injury or loss by reason of any act or omission on the part of [LaBeouf], and denies that [Barnett] is entitled to any relief or damages whatsoeverโ€, per People.

According to The GuardianTwigsโ€™ lawsuit sought โ€œunspecified damages for alleged sexual battery, assault and emotional distressโ€ with LaBeouf now asking for the singer to be ordered to pay for his legal costs and โ€œfurther relief as the Court may deem just and proper.โ€

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(Credit: Getty Images)

Back in December, Twigs spoke out about her experience and the lawsuit to The New York Times, calling the relationship with LaBeouf and corresponding abuse โ€œthe worst thing Iโ€™ve ever been through in the whole of my lifeโ€, and saying that sheโ€™s speaking out because sheโ€™d โ€œlike to be able to raise awareness on the tactics that abusers use to control you and take away your agency.โ€ 

At the time LaBeouf responded to the detailed allegations in an email to the Times, saying that โ€œmany of these allegations are not trueโ€. โ€œIโ€™m not in any position to tell anyone how my behaviour made them feel,โ€ he said. โ€œI have no excuses for my alcoholism or aggression, only rationalisations. I have been abusive to myself and everyone around me for years. I have a history of hurting the people closest to me. Iโ€™m ashamed of that history and am sorry to those I hurt. There is nothing else I can really say.โ€

Twigsโ€™ claims were supported by another of LaBeoufโ€™s ex-girlfriends, Karolyn Pho, who also made allegations of abuse to the Times. 

Pho, who dated the actor from 2010 to 2011, alleged she was โ€œsubjected to the same kind of abuse, including physical abuse, he inflicted on Tahliah, fuelled by his jealous, impulsive, and irrational ways.โ€ 

In January 2021, Twigs further detailed her experiences with the 34-year-old actor while appearing on journalist Louis Therouxโ€™s podcast Grounded, where she outlined the alleged abusive moments she endured in the relationship and how she has suffered from panic attacks and PTSD since.

โ€œFor a long time anything that woke me up in the night, even if it was just my dog, or a noise outside, or just needing to go to the bathroom, it could trigger a really intense panic attack,โ€ she said. 

โ€œI was left with PTSD [post-traumatic stress disorder] from that, which again is just something that I donโ€™t think we really talk about as a society just in terms of the healing when leaving, and how much work that has to be done to recover, to get back to the person that you were before.โ€

And while Twigs is working on facing the trauma that resulted from the relationship, sheโ€™s said coming forward has helped her face what happened. 

โ€œAll I can do is just think about myself when Iโ€™m 50 years old [and] Iโ€™ve got kids, I think about what I want to have stood for,โ€ she shared.

โ€œThis is something that was completely unexpected. I never thought anything like this would happen to meโ€ฆ when Iโ€™m older, if I have a daughter, I want to be able to say, โ€˜This thing happened to me. And I dealt with it.โ€™ Itโ€™s a big thing to heal publicly and have to do it in front of everyone, but I can do it. Iโ€™m a big girl and I can do it.โ€

If you or anyone you know needs help or advice, contact 1800 RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or Lifeline on 13 11 14.

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Jennifer Aniston And Justin Theroux Prove Exes Can Be Friends Following Loving Birthday Tribute

The actor sent a sweet tribute to his "B"

Who said exes canโ€™t be friends? Justin Theroux and Jennifer Aniston are proof that just because things didnโ€™t work out, doesnโ€™t mean you have to be done with each other forever.

This week, the actress celebrated her 52nd birthday, and in keeping with his yearly tradition, Theroux was one of the first to send her a sweet message via Instagram. 

โ€œHappy birthday @jenniferaniston,โ€ he wrote alongside a black and white photo of The Morning Show star appearing at the bottom of a staircase. โ€œ[red heart emoji] you B!โ€

Theroux and Aniston tied in the knot in 2015, but announced their separation in February 2018, just days after the actressesโ€™ 49th birthday. The coupleโ€™s decision to split โ€œwas mutual and lovingly made at the end of last year,โ€ they told Associated Press at the time.

โ€œNormally we would do this privately, but given that the gossip industry cannot resist an opportunity to speculate and invent, we wanted to convey the truth directly,โ€ they said in the statement at the time. โ€œWhatever else is printed about us that is not directly from us, is someone elseโ€™s fictional narrative. Above all, we are determined to maintain the deep respect and love that we have for one another.โ€

Despite their split, the actor sends his ex a birthday message on social media every year, always using his sweet nickname for herโ€”B. 

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In 2020, Theroux shared a hilarious pic of Aniston โ€œgrabbing 2020 & another year just likeโ€ฆโ€, along with โ€œhappy Birthday, B โค๏ธ.โ€

Fans still have no idea what Therouxโ€™s โ€œBโ€ stands for, and E! News has previously attempted to decode the moniker. โ€œThere is no telling what exactly the Leftovers star meant by โ€˜Bโ€™ considering thatโ€™s neither her first or last initial, and her middle name is Joanna. Must mean itโ€™s a sweetโ€”and possibly secretโ€”nickname Justin has for his former love.โ€

justin theroux

In February 2019, before Aniston even joined social media, Theroux celebrated his ex-wifeโ€™s 50th birthday with another social media post. He wrote, โ€œHappy Birthday to this fierce Woman. Fiercely loving. Fiercely kind. โ€ฆ.and fiercely funny. โค๏ธ you B.โ€

Now, hereโ€™s hoping next yearโ€™s birthday post contains a detailed explanation behind โ€œBโ€. 

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Home Page 43

Meghan Markle Just Won Her Privacy Claim Against A British Newspaper

"For these outlets, itโ€™s a game. For me and so many others itโ€™s real life..."

Meghan Markle, The Duchess of Sussex, has won her privacy claim against a British tabloid. The claim was levelled at The Mail on Sunday tabloid, published by Associated Newspapers, who printed sections of a handwritten letter to her father, Thomas Markle, back in 2018.

โ€œAfter two long years of pursuing litigation, I am grateful to the courts for holding Associated Newspapers and The Mail on Sunday to account for their illegal and dehumanising practices,โ€ Meghan said in a statement.

The decision comes after her lawyers requested that Judge Mark Warby rule in her favour without a trial. Such a trial would have seen her in an adversarial situation with her father, who Meghan has been estranged from since her wedding in May 2018.

For those unaware, the letter was a handwritten and five-pages long, which Meghan wrote to her father after their relationship broke down in the lead up to her wedding to Prince Harry. Her father had also given a witness statement on behalf of the paper. 

Judge Warby did rule the articles were a breach of privacy, but Meghan may still need to face her father in a trial relating to the copyright issues involved with the letter. Associated Papers has said itโ€™s considering an appeal. Some are speculating that they may pursue the case even if they lose and are required to pay Megan $1.78 million dollars in damages and costs.

โ€œThe editors will know that this case is going to attract world attention and that it will be good copy for them,โ€ said Nigel Tait, a partner at a British law firm who has previously represented high-profile celebrities in battles with the media.

Itโ€™s a fear that Meghan seems prescient of in her statement. While she explained that she was grateful that The Mail on Sunday was being held responsible for their โ€œillegal and dehumanising practices,โ€ she also noted that โ€œthese tactics are not new. In fact, theyโ€™ve been going on for too long without consequence.โ€

โ€œFor these outlets, itโ€™s a game. For me and so many others itโ€™s real life, real relationships and very real sadness. The damage they have done and continue to do runs deep.โ€

โ€œThe world needs reliable, fact-checked, high quality news. What The Mail on Sunday and its partner publications do is the opposite. We all lose when misinformation sells more than truth, when moral exploitation sells more than decency, and when companies create their business model to profit from peopleโ€™s pain.โ€

Megan finished her statement with the hope that this decision marked a turning of the tide. โ€œWe now know, and hope it creates legal precedent, that you cannot take somebodyโ€™s privacy and exploit it in a privacy case, as the defendant has so blatantly done over the past two years.โ€

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โ€˜The Bachelorโ€™sโ€™ Matt Agnew Announces Heโ€™s Releasing A Debut Book To Explore โ€œSpace And Scienceโ€

"I'm humbled by the opportunity to share that curiosity and passion in my upcoming book"

Usually, when a former Bachelor heads to his Instagram to announce big news, itโ€™s typically a baby (or new radio gig)โ€”just ask Matty J. Today, former Bachie star Matt Agnew, who fronted the 2019 series, has headed to social media to announce heโ€™s releasing his very first book. 

โ€œIโ€™m absolutely thrilled to announce I have signed a publishing deal with @allenandunwin and will soon release my very first book!โ€, the former reality star wrote.

โ€œI make no secret of how much Iโ€™m fascinated by space and science, and Iโ€™m humbled by the opportunity to share that curiosity and passion in my upcoming book. 

โ€œIโ€™ve still got a solid slog ahead of me (Rome wasnโ€™t built in a day), but I couldnโ€™t help but share the news!โ€ 

Intrigued? Us too. 

In the book Agnew will reportedly explore โ€œthe search for life in the solar system and beyondโ€, according to WHO. 

Not much else is known about the upcoming book, but considering Matt is an astrophysicist who previously told Australiaโ€™s Science Channel he has โ€œambition to return to research, or even in the capacity of space exploration,โ€ we have a few guesses as to what could be in store. 

While past seasons of The Bachelor Australia have left quite an impression on us, fans of the Channel 10 dating franchise will remember Agnewโ€™s season as one with a minute level of drama. 

But despite the season itself being less than thrilling, Matt and winner Chelsie McLeodโ€™s split was quite the opposite, becoming the most memorable relic from their time on-screen.

Speaking to the So Dramatic! podcast in November 2020, a close friend of Chelsieโ€™s told host Megan Pustetto that โ€œthe astrophysicist [Matt] was a real pr*ck to her and yelled at her, and he was mean to her.โ€

Having announced their split in December 2019, neither Matt nor Chelsie shared any confirmed reason for their break-up. However, fellow contestant Rachael appeared on the podcast to set the record about what went down with the pair.

โ€œI guess what happened was that their relationship on the show didnโ€™t transpire into real life, โ€ she began.

โ€œHe broke up with her, she was like so devo for months. She was kind of like, โ€˜I just invested my whole year in this guyโ€™ and she just had a shit boyfriend before [dating Matt], and she was like โ€˜Again? Really?โ€™.โ€

Since appearing on The Bachelor, Agnew has kept a relatively low profile and remained largely off social media, a decision he told the Herald Sun was โ€œvery intentionalโ€ after he found himself not in โ€œgreat shapeโ€ after leaving the mansion. 

โ€œIt was an element of normality I was seeking, but the big thing for me was I was just putting myself back together,โ€ he said. 

โ€œI did not come out of both the show and the relationship in great shape and I needed time with my close friends and family to pick myself up and put myself back together, really.โ€

Agnewโ€™s book is expected to be released in 2022. 

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Taylor Swift Is Releasing Her New Version Of โ€˜Love Storyโ€™ Today, And Thereโ€™s Another Album Incoming

The best news

It feels like itโ€™s been an age since Taylor Swift announced she would be re-releasing her entire back catalogue as re-records. Finally, we have some news โ€“ overnight, Taylor Swift announced on Instagram that her new version of Fearless will be with us โ€œvery soonโ€, and her hero track Love Story is dropping tonight.

In case you werenโ€™t across, Taylor Swift was involved in a legal battle with Scooter Braun, after Big Machine Records โ€“ her previous label โ€“ sold him all the masters of her first six albums. While he went on to sell them to a private equity firm, Taylor made the brilliant decision to simply re-record her tracks. โ€œI have recently begun re-recording my older music, and it has already proven to be both exciting and creatively fulfilling,โ€ she wrote at the time. โ€œI have plenty of surprises in store. I want to thank you guys for supporting me through this ongoing saga, and I canโ€™t wait for you to hear what Iโ€™ve been dreaming up.โ€

The new version of Fearless will have double the amount of songs the original release had โ€“ 26 tracks in total. โ€œI decided to add songs from the vault, which are songs that almost made the original Fearless album, but Iโ€™ve now gone back and recorded those so that everyone will be able to hear not only the songs that made the album but the songs that almost made it, the full picture,โ€ Taylor told Good Morning America today.

She also attached a lengthy post to her Instagram announcement which, at first, seemed like it had typos. However, eagle-eyed fans thankfully worked out a code that they believe indicates the release date of Fearless as April 9. If you connect all of the capitalised โ€œtyposโ€, it spells out โ€œApril Ninthโ€. This is definitely in line with Taylor Swiftโ€™s way of doing things โ€“ April is the fourth month of the year, and 4+9 = Taylorโ€™s lucky number 13. 
We havenโ€™t got an official time for Love Story yet, but weโ€™ll be updating this article when it finally drops.

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Just Watched โ€˜Crime Sceneโ€™? This Is How Elisa Lamโ€™s Tumblr Blog Kept Posting After Her Death

The reason is quite simple, even if some aren't convinced

As is the nature of true crime entertainment, once a podcast or show is finished is when the real questions and loose threads start being pulled. Viewers of Netflixโ€™s latest offering, Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel, are currently doing just that.

The series tracks the disappearance, death and subsequent investigation into the fate of Elisa Lam. We have a more detailed primer here, for those who want to know what theyโ€™re getting in to, by many whoโ€™ve watched the series cam away with one question: how did Elisa Lamโ€™s Tumblr keep updating after her death?

The series makes heavy use of Lamโ€™s Tumblr. Titled nouvelle-nouveau and still very much live on the internet, Crime Scene employed an actor to read Lamโ€™s Tumblr posts as a voiceover.

โ€œ[Elisaโ€™s] story is an integral part of the Cecil Hotelโ€™s history,โ€ said Crime Sceneโ€™s director Joe Berlinger in an interview. โ€œI didnโ€™t want to invent dialogue or create speculative situations, so everything she says via voiceover in the show comes directly from her online posts.โ€

Despite the good intentions, it has come across as perhaps less than sensitive. One reviewer called the move โ€œa further intrusion on a private grief, that has already been blundered into by an army of web-sleuths.โ€ For those yet to watch the four-part docuseries, Lamโ€™s Tumblr kept updating into December 2013, well after her death in February of that year.

Elisa Lam's Tumblr page archive
A screengrab from Lamโ€™s Tumblr archive

How did Elisa Lamโ€™s Tumblr keep updating?

Veteran Tumblr users believe the answer lies in the social media platformโ€™s queue function. People have long been able to bank a number of posts up in a queue for them to auto-publish at a later date, and it appears Lam was using this function.

That said, other internet pundits donโ€™t believe thatโ€™s the full picture, โ€œPosts were made for ten more months, randomly skipping May and then July โ€“ November, then back in December,โ€ wrote one Reddit user. โ€œYou think she set a post queue almost a YEAR in advance, with no rhyme or reason? Itโ€™s not like she uploaded weekly.โ€

Itโ€™s unlikely weโ€™ll ever have clear answer, but the haunting Tumblr remains live regardless. 

You can watch Crime Scene: The Vanishing At The Cecil Hotel now on Netflix.

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Home Page 43

Claire Danes Has Signed On Lead โ€˜The Essex Serpentโ€™, A Period Drama With A Haunted Twist

Sign! Us! Up!

While Keira Knightley, the reigning queen of period-dramas, was rumoured to be taking on yet another historic role, Variety reports Claire Danes has signed on to star as the lead role in the upcoming Apple TV+ drama series, The Essex Serpent. 

Taking on the role of Cora in a TV adaptation of the Sarah Perryโ€™s novel of the same name, the series will be produced by See-Saw Films, best known for its work on The Kingโ€™s Speech, according to Deadline.

Based on Perryโ€™s original book, the story is set near the end of the 19th-century and follows Cora Seaborne, a young widow and keen amateur paleontologist. She leaves London for Aldwinter, Essex, to investigate a mythical creature wreaking havoc in the Blackwater estuary.

Once there, she meets the local rector, William Ransome, who becomes both her love interest and sparring partnerโ€”he is devoted to religion, she to science. The story becomes a Gothic tale of murder, romance, and fossil hunting thatโ€™s sure to have you holding your breath.

claire danes

Danes has an incredible list of credentials as an actress. A four-time Golden Globe winner and three-time Emmy winner, her Golden Globe wins were for My So-Called Life and Homeland, as well as for HBO film Temple Grandin. Of course, who could forget such projects as Baz Luhrmannโ€™s Romeo & Juliet alongside Leonardo DiCaprio, as well as The Hours, opposite Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman and Julianne Moore. 

And while we would have loved seeing Knightley in The Essex Serpent, we donโ€™t have to wait too long to see the actress return to our screens, with the star set to time-travel to the โ€™20s in the upcoming months, to play an elegant stenographer named Odalie in the Hulu series based on Suzanne Rindellโ€™s The Other Typist.

Against the backdrop of downtown Manhattan at the height of Prohibition, the plot follows Odalie and โ€˜prudishโ€™ fellow typist Rose, who work together in an NYPD station on the Lower East Side. As Rose becomes more intrigued with Odalieโ€™s fashionable way of life, she becomes deeply obsessed with her newfound companion in a way similar to 1999โ€™s The Talented Mr. Ripley.

The Essex Serpent is yet to have a confirmed release date on Apple TV+.

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Home Page 43

Treat Yourself With The Prettiest, Most Luxurious, Valentineโ€™s Day Lingerie Sets

Struck by Cupid

Lingerie and Valentineโ€™s Day are a quintessential pairing, but not for the reasons you might think. Instead of being defined by the male gaze, the season of love is a time to embrace being empowered and liberated in your own skinโ€”single or not.

*Or* if you do happen to have plans for Cupidโ€™s Day, lingerie is the perfect addition to the date-night experience and offers up no better time to stock up on dressy sets and silky two-piecesโ€”and letโ€™s face it, we all deserve to treat ourselves a little once in a while. 

Below, weโ€™ve found 10 stunning sets that are guaranteed to make you feel youโ€™ve been struck by Cupid. 

Main Image: @savagexfenty

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AGENT PROVOCATEUR Zadi Tulle Thong, $100.02; at Net-A-Porter & AGENT PROVOCATEUR Zadi Underwired Soft-Cup Bra, $172.31; at Net-A-Porter

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LOVE Stories Jane M Bralette, $115; at LOVE Stories & LOVE Stories Firecracker Brief, $59; at LOVE Stories

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Fleur Of England Signature Lace Balconette Bra, $142; at MatchesFashion & Fleur Of England Signature Lace Briefs, $128; at MatchesFashion

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LA PERLA Flower Explosion Soft-Cup Bra, $344.64; at Net-A-PorterLA PERLA Maison Contouring Stretch-Tulle Briefs, $263.43; at Net-A-Porter

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AGENT PROVOCATEUR Lindie Bra, $280; at THE ICONIC & AGENT PROVOCATEUR Lindie Mesh Thong, $117; at THE ICONIC

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LA PERLA Flower Explosion Triangle Bra, $245.00; at THE ICONIC & LA PERLA Flower Explosion Briefs, $245; at THE ICONIC

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Hopeless Lingerie Nancy Cami & Donna Knickers Set, $100; at Hopeless Lingerie 

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Simone Pรฉrรจle Saga Half Cup, $99.95; at THE ICONIC & Simone Pรฉrรจle Saga Bikini Brief, $54.95; at THE ICONIC

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Journelle Romy Soft-Cup Bra, $44.96; at Net-A-Porter & Journelle Romy Briefs, $24.08; at Net-A-Porter

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Araks Beatrice Bralette Peche, $103; at Araks & Araks Aaron Panty Peche, $70; Araks

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Savage X Fenty Puff Daisy Unlined Bustier, $103.06; at Savage X Fenty & Savage X Fenty Strap Up Lace Undie, $34.31; at Savage X Fenty

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Savage X Fenty Savage Not Sorry Unlined Lace Balconette Bra, $82.43; at Savage X Fenty & Savage X Fenty Savage Not Sorry Lace Cheeky, $34.31; at Savage X Fenty

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Home Page 43

Supermodel Ashley Graham Wants People Stop Asking Her About Her Body

The model revealed she "hates" having to discuss her body, but feels like she must

Itโ€™s a truth universally acknowledged that if a woman is a public figure with a larger body, people feel entitled to ask her about it. The phenomenon is one we see over and over again, no matter how tiring or insulting it can sometimes be. Womenโ€™s accomplishments, whether as brand founders, models, activists, or actresses are so often filtered through the lens of their body. โ€œLook at what she did!โ€ comes the first proclamation, with a silent-but-implied, โ€œeven though she looks like that.โ€

There has been a push in recent years towards a healthier and more realistic conversation about bodies, pioneered by many of those same figures. However, itโ€™s not without cost. Supermodel Ashley Graham has revealed that she hates having to โ€œconstantlyโ€ discuss her body in a new interview with the Wall Street Journal. In spite of this, Graham does it anyway. For her, itโ€™s important to model (literally) the type of person she needed to see in the world.

โ€œI hate that I constantly have to discuss my body, because I donโ€™t know any man that has to do that,โ€ Graham told WSJ. โ€œBut what motivates me to continue to talk about my body is that I didnโ€™t have someone talking about their body when I was young.โ€

โ€œThis is why I donโ€™t post like the โ€˜perfectโ€™ Instagram photos. I keep it real and raw constantly because I want [people] to know that there are women with cellulite, with back fat, with stretch marks,โ€ she explained. โ€œThere are a lot of curvy women, plus-size women, fat women, whatever you want to call them.โ€

โ€œMy brand is about confidence and owning who you are and being honest with who you are,โ€ Graham said. โ€œI think thatโ€™s incredibly reflective of my Instagram, my YouTube, my podcast. I just wish that I had someone that was as real and honest and open when I was in middle school, high school, moving to New York.โ€

โ€œI really feel like in so many ways my career and what Iโ€™m doing is to change an industry forever,โ€ she said. โ€œThis has to be the moment where fashion changesโ€”where TV, film, everything changes.โ€

โ€œIf youโ€™re not talking about something that youโ€™re passionate about, then what are you using your platform for?โ€ she added. โ€œHow are you creating change?โ€

Grahamโ€™s comments reveal a double-edged sword that so many women come up against. As much as she is held up as a body-positivity trailblazer, it also means sheโ€™s subject to constant critique, misguided health inquiries and ire, merely for existing in her body. Weโ€™re hopeful that the work that people like Graham are doing is impactful, even if weโ€™d prefer she didnโ€™t have to have these taxing conversations at all.

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โ€˜Buffyโ€™ Cast Members Accuse Creator Joss Whedon Of โ€œAbuse Of Powerโ€ On-Set

It follows a string of allegations levelled against the Marvel director

In yet another year of reckoning for powerful men in Hollywoodโ€”with allegations this year having already been levelled against Marilyn Manson, Shia LeBeouf, and Armie Hammerโ€”the cast of Buffy the Vampire Slayer has accused creator Joss Whedon of โ€œabuse of powerโ€ while on the set of the iconic โ€™90s series. 

On Feb. 10, actress Charisma Carpenter, who played Cordelia Chase on the popular series and spin-off Angelaccused Whedon of abusive behaviour while she starred in those shows as a teen. 

Carpenterโ€™s claims follow a long list of people taking a stand against the director, including the stars of his most recent film project, Justice League, and his ex-wife, who penned a scathing essay about him once their divorce was finalised. 

In a two-part tweet, Carpenter alleged that while filming Buffy, Whedon would find his misconduct โ€œamusingโ€ and his behaviours from the time triggered a โ€œchronic physical conditionโ€ that she still suffers from. 

โ€œJoss Whedon abused his power on numerous occasions while working on the sets of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel,โ€ Carpenter wrote in a statement.

โ€œWhile he found his misconduct amusing, it only served to intensify my performance anxiety, disempower me, and alienate me from my peers. The disturbing incidents triggered a chronic physical condition from which I still suffer. It is with a beating, heavy heart that I say I coped in isolation and, at times, destructively.โ€

According to Carpenterโ€™s statement, Whedon โ€œhas a history of being casually cruelโ€ and โ€œcreated hostile and toxic work environments since his early career.โ€ The actress added, โ€œI know because I experienced it first-hand. Repeatedly.โ€

The actress continued, โ€œLike his ongoing, passive-aggressive threats to fire me, which wreak havoc on a young actorโ€™s self-esteem. And callously calling me โ€˜fatโ€™ to my colleagues when I was [four] months pregnant, weighing 126 lbs. He was mean and biting, disparaging about others openly, and often played favourites, pitting people against one another to compete and vie for his attention and approval.โ€

โ€œAt six months pregnant, I was asked to report to work at 1:00am after my doctor recommended shortening my work hours,โ€ Carpenter continued. โ€œDue to long and physically demanding days and the emotional stress of having to defend my needs as a working pregnant woman, I began to experience Braxton Hicks contractions. It was clear to me the 1:00am call was retaliatory.โ€

Carpenter notes she decided to finally come forward to support actor Ray Fisher, who last year, accused Whedon of unprofessional behaviour during reshoots of Justice League. 

Sarah Michelle Gellar issued her own statement following Carpenterโ€™s social media post, writing, โ€œWhile I am proud to have my name associated with Buffy Summers, I donโ€™t want to forever be associated with Joss Whedon. I am more focused on raising my family and surviving a pandemic currently, so I will not be making any further statements at this time. But I stand with all the survivors of abuse and am proud of them for speaking out.โ€

Fellow Buffy co-star Michelle Trachtenberg posted to her Instagram in support of those coming forward. โ€œI am brave enough now as a 35-year-old womanโ€ฆ. To repost this. Because. This must. Be known. As a teenager. With his not appropriate behaviourโ€ฆโ€ฆWhat he did was very bad. But we win. By surviving!โ€

Fellow Buffy star Amber Benson added the show was โ€œa toxic environment and it starts at the top. Charisma is speaking truth and I support her 100%. There was a lot of damage done during that time and many of us are still processing it twenty plus years later.โ€

In July 2020, actor Ray Fisherโ€”who played the superhero Cyborg in the Justice League filmsโ€”accused Whedon of โ€œgross, abusive, unprofessional and completely unacceptableโ€ behaviour on set, alleging that Warner Bros. co-president of production Jon Berg, and former DC Entertainment president and chief creative officer Geoff Johns, both โ€œenabledโ€ the behaviour, per Variety.

Fisherโ€™s claims led to Warner Bros. parent company WarnerMedia launching an investigation into the matter. A detailed report of findings was never released, and the only statement from the studio was that some vague โ€œremedial actionโ€ had been taken. 

The actor later called out the behaviour of Walter Hamada, who was named as DC Films President in 2018, for the handling of the abusive conduct allegations heโ€™d levelled against Whedon. 

In January, Fisher claimed that he had been removed from a previously unannounced Cyborg appearance in the upcoming The Flash due to his accusations against Whedon and Hamada. โ€œIf the end of my time as Cyborg is the cost for helping to bring awareness and accountability to Walter Hamadaโ€™s actionsโ€”Iโ€™ll pay it gladly,โ€ he wrote at the time. 

Whedon, Hamada, Warner Bros. and DC Films have yet to respond to the allegations.

The string of accusations levelled against Whedon follows his ex-wife Kai Coleโ€™s scathing 2017 essay, published on The Wrap, for his behaviour throughout their 16-year marriage. 

โ€œHe hid multiple affairs and a number of inappropriate emotional ones that he had with his actresses, co-workers, fans and friends, while he stayed married to me,โ€ Cole wrote in the piece. โ€œHe deceived me for 15 years so he could have everything he wanted. I believed, everyone believed, that he was one of the good guys, committed to fighting for womenโ€™s rights, committed to our marriage, and to the women he worked with.โ€ 

โ€œBut I now see how he used his relationship with me as a shield, both during and after our marriage, so no one would question his relationships with other women or scrutinise his writing as anything other than feminist,โ€ she continued. 

At the time, a rep for Whedon said Coleโ€™s โ€œaccount include[d] inaccuracies and misrepresentations,โ€ but ultimately declined to comment โ€œout of respect for his ex-wife.โ€

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Home Page 43

Your Weekly Horoscopes Are Here! February 12th โ€“ February 18th

See what the stars have in store! ๐Ÿ’ซ

If you celebrate your birthday this week:

Your Year Ahead

Aquarians are rarely victims of circumstance.  While not everything goes the way you plan, most situations seem to work to your advantage.  Even more so this year, when the cosmos encourages you to follow your heart.  March brings a special mentor on the scene.  This wise old soul will help expand both your mind and your horizons.  April comes loaded with sparkle.  Your powers of persuasion prove irresistible in May and June โ€“ a time when you could talk yourself straight into new work or, perhaps โ€“ new love.  Donโ€™t be surprised if some outcomes are different from what youโ€™d imagined.  

Aries (March 21 โ€“ April 20)

Best Day:  Saturday 13th

Someone simply doesnโ€™t understand your thoughts or actions this week and they may even go out of their way to hold you back.  Best advice: never allow others to smother your dreams.  You knew what you wanted long before they arrived on the scene.  If this individual truly loves you, they will support you through thick and thin.  

Taurus (April 21 โ€“ May 20)

Best Day:  Sunday 14th

A chance to cash in enables enterprising Taureans to make the best of negotiating skills. Thereโ€™s a strong emphasis on money and property. This week also brings a crucial emotional crunch.  For a while now, youโ€™ve been battling with difficult restrictions; and youโ€™ve worn them well.  By late week, however, you can expect a happy surprise.  

Gemini (May 21 โ€“ June 21)

Best Day:  Monday 15th

Much can be achieved this week, but you must avoid burnout.  Push your energies if you really need to โ€“ but not to the point where youโ€™re teetering on the edge.  Similarly, donโ€™t let competitors force you beyond your limits.  Remember, you call the shots โ€“ not them.  Upside:  the week could also offer extra cash.  

Cancer (June 22 โ€“ July 22)

Best Day:  Wednesday 17th

Times have been hard for a while now, with money issues demanding more attention.  Good news: this week, anxiety starts to ease, to the point where you can relax.  Quality time isnโ€™t so easy to come by during difficult times, so accept this short spell of fun and friendship as a gift from the heavens.  Whatever happens, simply enjoy.  

Leo (July 23 โ€“ August 23)

Best Day:  Sunday 14th

Youโ€™re entitled to be proud of your resilience Leo, as youโ€™ve come through a difficult time. Now comes the irresistible urge for something new. This weekโ€™s changes release tremendous reserves of inner power โ€“ a perfect time for the real you to shine through.  If a constricting job or relationship is holding you back, this could be the time to break free.

Virgo (August 24 โ€“ September 22)

Best Day:  Saturday 13th

Many Virgos have been rushed lately.  Perhaps you should stop for a minute, and tend to more mundane tasks โ€“ groceries, for instance.  You need to eat, my friend.  On the upside:  you start to notice much self improvement.  Itโ€™s all to do with a clever mind, confidence and strong personal magnetism.  Youโ€™re also entitled to your fair share of fun!

Libra (September 23 โ€“ October 23)

Best Day:  Friday 12th

You long to confide in someone, but youโ€™re not sure who to trust.  Holding your cards too close to your chest isnโ€™t the best idea, since you need someone to help you process all those confused thoughts.  Just donโ€™t call that gossipy friend, or someone you casually know.  Dial up a true confidante.  You could also book a spa session to simply relax.  

Scorpio (October 24 โ€“ November 22)

Best Day:  Tuesday 16th

Your headโ€™s spinning, Scorpio.  Not surprising, considering this weekโ€™s cash crisis.  And for you, no funds means no fun.  Perhaps itโ€™s time to restore financial equilibrium. Soon the cosmos will step in with a emergency back-up plan, but not for a few weeks.  So until then, stay frugal.  There are many ways to have fun, without spending a fortune.  

Sagittarius (November 23 โ€“ December 21)

Best Day:   Thursday 18th

It doesnโ€™t matter whether you focus current attentions on moving house, career or love โ€“ this week instigates changes โ€“ mostly positive.  Some say youโ€™re impatient.  Possibly, but only regarding the trivialities of life.  The strong resolve youโ€™ve had to call on in recent months will now make you much more confident.  You wonโ€™t be disappointed.

Capricorn (December 22 โ€“ January 20) 

Best Day:  Friday 12th

If you can placate rather than push, youโ€™ll be fine.  Unfortunately youโ€™re in a stubborn mood and not really open to othersโ€™ suggestions. This week asks that you resolve any emotional issues. A tough ask, considering whatโ€™s been happening. Nonetheless, forgiveness of both yourself and others can only lead to peace of mind.

Aquarius (January 21 โ€“ February 18)

Best Day:  Wednesday 17th

Donโ€™t let it get to you, Aquarius.  If this week runs more like a comedy of errors, try to laugh with every turn.  If it all becomes too confusing, things will just run amuck โ€“ so whatever youโ€™ve had planned may not happen.  This neednโ€™t be a disaster, even if it is unscheduled.  If still pushed for direction, be inspired by your amazing creativity.  

Pisces (February 19 โ€“ March 20)

Best Day:  Thursday 18th

Now, hereโ€™s a better week โ€“ as others seem more prepared to grant your requests.  By now youโ€™ve probably accumulated a very long wish list,  so gently start hinting at what you want.  They say that thereโ€™s a time and a place for everything.  For you, itโ€™s now.  Thereโ€™s also focus on rebuilding friendships โ€“ more so via social media.  

EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNT for marie claire readers! For your unique 30-page Character Profile, or a 60 page day-to-day Year Ahead Transit Report โ€“ email Tanya Obreza at astrology@tanyaobreza.com. For more details, head here.

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Home Page 43

Sandra Bullock Is Teaming Up With Brad Pitt And Lady Gaga In New Action-Thriller, โ€˜Bullet Trainโ€™

The Hollywood trio we didn't know we needed

If you thought โ€™90s film stars Sandra Bullock and Brad Pitt had surely joined forces at one point in their impressive careers, think again. 

Sandra Bullock is reportedly set to star alongside the Fight Club alum and Lady Gaga in the upcoming action-thriller, Bullet Train, as per Deadline.

According to Colliderthe movie is based on Japanese author Kotaro Isakaโ€™s novel Maria Beetle and follows a group of five assassins who find out that each of their missions has something in common while travelling on a fast-moving train in Tokyo.

Details about Bullock, Pitt and Gagaโ€™s characters are yet to be released, but the publication reports the actress has signed on for a lead role alongside Pitt with Gaga featuring in a supporting role.

Lady Gaga

Being directed by David Leitch, the film will also reportedly feature performances from Joey King, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Zazie Beetz, Brian Tyree Henry, Andrew Koji and Masi Oka. 

No stranger to a blockbuster, Bullockโ€™s latest acting credits have included 2018โ€™s Bird Box and the female-led Oceanโ€™s 8. As for Gaga, this isnโ€™t the only acting role is preparing for. 

Gaga is also set to appear in Ridley Scottโ€™s Gucci in 2021 where sheโ€™ll play Patrizia Reggiani, the ex-wife of Maurizio Gucci. Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Jared Leto, Adam Driver are also appearing in that project. 

The musician-turned-actor is also coming off an Oscar-winning performance in the Bradley Cooper-directed A Star Is Bornwhile Pitt is coming off his recent Oscar-winning performance in the Quentin Tarantino-directed Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Stay tuned for more details. 

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Blake Livelyโ€™s Adorable Unicorn Cakes Gets โ€˜The Great British Bake Offโ€™sโ€™ Seal Of Approval

What can't she do?

What canโ€™t Blake Lively do? The A-lister regularly proves her acting abilities and has made a name as a fashion icon (with no stylist!), and now the star is looking to add master baker onto that abundant list of accomplishments. 

Taking to Instagram on Feb. 10, Lively showed off a glittering pink unicorn cake sheโ€™d baked for her sister Robynโ€™s birthday, and asked Paul Hollywoodโ€”host of The Great British Bake Offโ€”for his seal of approval.

โ€œIf I donโ€™t get a handshake from @paul.hollywood after decorating this one, I quit,โ€ Lively said in her post, showcasing the incredible creation that was topped with an abundance of sugar flowers, a set of ears, and a golden horn. 

Soon after, the English chef reposted Livelyโ€™s video on Instagram with a handshake emoji, proving he approved of the design. 

โ€œ๐Ÿค consider it done โ€ฆ see you in the tent x,โ€ he wrote. 

Fans of the series will be aware that a handshake from Hollywood is the ultimate seal of approval on the amateur baking reality show.

Lively is obviously a keen baker, not only being a fan of the show but regularly showing off her baking prowess on social media. 

In October 2020, the Gossip Girl alum shared a birthday pie sheโ€™d whipped up for husband Ryan Reynoldsโ€˜ birthday, which the Deadpool actor had picked at and eaten a chunk of before the candles could be blown out.

In her usual fashion, Lively couldnโ€™t help but poke a little fun at her hubby. 

โ€œ1) Who is the lost soul that selects birthday PIE. 2) What ANIMAL eats their cake (pie) without first blowing out the candles. @vancityreynolds thatโ€™s who. Happy Birthday. I honestly canโ€™t believe weโ€™re still married.โ€ 

*Adds to list of reasons we Blake Lively. 

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Vanessa Kirby On Her Debut Lead Film Role & The Importance of Telling Compelling Female-Led Stories

The actress' latest role is sparking Oscar buzz, while also helping women deal with the trauma of a previously silent subject.

Vanessa Kirby is undoubtedly one of the most gifted actors working today. Which is why itโ€™s perhaps surprising that her turn in Pieces of a Woman, is her debut lead film role.

In the March issue of marie claireโ€”out Feb 11โ€”Kirby explains that despite playing complex characters on stageโ€”think Rosalind, the sharp heroine of Shakespeareโ€™s As You Like Itโ€”and on televisionโ€”sheโ€™s now all but synonymous with Princess Margaret following her award-winning performance in The Crownโ€”she struggled to find a compelling lead film role.

โ€œI could never find those roles at all on-screen; the ones that make performing feel like flying when you step onstage,โ€ she says. So she waited, using her smaller parts as opportunities to observe and learn, asking Anthony Hopkins about his craft when they worked together on the British TV drama The Dresser, and noting how generous Rachel McAdams was onset for the film About Time.

That all changed when she got the script for Pieces of A Woman. The film, currently streaming on Netflix, stars Kirby as Martha and Shia LaBeouf as Sean, a couple whose child dies during a home birth, leaving them to deal with the traumatic aftermath of neonatal death. Kirbyโ€™s devastating performance is garnering Oscar buzz, with her winning Best Actress at the Venice Film Festival and nominated for a Golden Globe, Critics Choice and SAG award. 

The pivotal event at the beginning of the film plays out in a 24-minute single-take. Kirby says the gruelling nature of the sceneโ€”shot six times over two daysโ€”evoked intense emotions in the cast, and left her sobbing after the first full take. โ€œIt was completely surreal because we were there, we were just there. We were witness to something,โ€ she says.

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While pregnancy loss is rarely featured in on-screen entertainment, recent outpourings from high profile womenโ€”including model Chrissy Teigen and Meghan, Duchess of Sussexโ€”sharing their experiences publicly are helping to open up more of a dialogue on the subject, allowing women who have endured these traumas to more effectively process their grief.

Kirby agrees, saying that while researching for the role, she found women who had experienced pregnancy loss were โ€œactually really relieved to talk about itโ€, and appreciated that someone wanted to understand.

Still, the experience left an emotional toll on the actor. While Pieces of a Woman was shot in just 29 days, Kirby says it took months for her to shake off the experience. โ€œI knew my job was to feel it, to feel what she felt,โ€ she says, but carrying that degree of empathy was โ€œreally difficult and disturbingโ€.

Not just a womanโ€™s woman in real life, her commitment to telling female stories is laudableโ€”Kirbyโ€™s next project will see her co-starring as Tallie, one of two farmersโ€™ wives who fall in love in 19th century America in The World to Come, a meditative drama from the Norwegian filmmaker Mona Fastvold. โ€œWe have a responsibility to portray women on screen that we identify with,โ€ Kirby says. โ€œThere are so many womenโ€™s stories that havenโ€™t been told yet, and we have an opportunity to go and find them.โ€

Read more of our interview with Vanessa Kirby in the March issue of marie claire Australia, out on February 11.

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Home Page 43

The 10 Style Staples You Need For A Chic Capsule Wardrobe

It's easier to put together than you think

If your wardrobe is bursting at the seams, but it still feels like you have nothing to wear, let us introduce you to the 10-piece capsule collection fashion girls swear by. The theory? Having less clothes actually gives you more outfit optionsโ€”provided you take proper care of them, of course.

Below, the key multi-taskers that will ensure you have a solution on hand to every fashion dilemma.

A black blazer

If you  canโ€™t go past a black blazer from the likes of Camilla & Marc or The Row, rest assured itโ€™s always a smart buy. A black jacket can instantly dress up any outfitโ€”simply pair it with jeans and a white tee for a smart-casual look, or throw it over the top of a dress to look like you mean business.

The perfect pair of jeans

As everyone knows, the search for the perfect pair of jeans is long and arduousโ€”so once you find the style that suits you, itโ€™s worth snapping up every available shade. Just think of the cost per wear.

Martha Hunt wearing a black blazer and jeans
(Credit: Getty)

The Breton tee

Channel your inner French girl via a stripe teeโ€”we guarantee itโ€™ll never go out of fashion (and will work with all the pieces in your capsule collection). Simply slick on a red lip to match and youโ€™ll look instantly polished.

A wear-anywhere skirt

If youโ€™ve been stalking that Realisation Par Naomi skirt for the last few weeks, hereโ€™s permission to buy it: not only is leopard print never going out of style, neither is the slip silhouette, which transitions easily from day to night.

Leopard print skirt
(Credit: Getty)

A cashmere sweater

Blair Waldorf was correct when she called cashmere one of lifeโ€™s necessitiesโ€”not only does the fabric feel luxurious, itโ€™s also lightweight enough to layer in any season. Bonus: many of todayโ€™s washers will accommodate the delicate material, which means less trips to the dry cleaner.

A leather jacket

Add a little grit to your prettier pieces by styling them with a staple black leather jacket. Perfect for weekend brunch with the girls or a night out on the town, this statement staple will easily become one of the most versatile investments you make.

Priyanka Chopra
(Credit: Getty)

A statement silk shirt

If youโ€™re an Instagram addict, youโ€™ll have noticed the new cool-girl way to wear a button-down: either paired with ripped Levis (half tucked in) or worn off-the-shoulder with a denim mini. Voilร ! Instant chic.

A classic trench

The best thing about a trench is its seasonal versatilityโ€”wear it open over a spring dress or buttoned up with a scarf in winter for the ultimate in Audrey-Hepburn level chic. Our pick? The iconic Burberry coat, of course.

Once youโ€™ve mastered these basics, you can easily incorporate cheaper, trend-driven pieces into your wardrobe. Keep in mind however, that each item need to be well-cared for in order to last the distance โ€“ so if youโ€™ve lived by the โ€œwash and wearโ€ mantra till now, itโ€™s time to embrace the humble fabric conditioner.

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The 8 Scandi Trends Weโ€™re Taking Away From Copenhagen Fashion Week

The Danes never disappoint on the sartorial front

While fashion week may have certainly looked different the last several seasons, one thing has remained the same: the covetable collections and enviable beauty that ooze from its collections. Copenhagen Fashion Week, in particular, will always offer up some of the worldโ€™s most sophisticated and lust-worthy pieces, expertly modelled by its equally as fashionable style set. 

And while lockdowns continue, designers found new and creative ways to showcase their collections, releasing them this week as part of a string of digital-only presentations. Below, we round up the highlights weโ€™ve seen so farโ€”including everyone from Rixo to Stine Goya and ROTATE Birger Christensen. 

ROTATE: โ€™80s Glamour Meets Comfort

Thanks to Rotate creative directors Thora Valdimarsdottir and Jeanette Madsen, weโ€™ll be embracing bright and shimmery designs this season, only with a comfortable edge. The pairโ€™s latest collection drew inspiration from the Eighties, particularly the 1988 movie Cocktail, starring Tom Cruise on a tropical island, where the female lead reminded the design duo of their own relationships with fashion. Kelly Lynchโ€™s character Kelly Coughlin, in their mind, represented full 1980sโ€™ glamour, which was perfectly translated into their most recent designsโ€”from high-waisted purple snakeskin pants to ruched satin-like seperates.

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Ganni: Green With Envy 

This season, to replace the runway show, Ganni presented its live performance โ€˜Love Foreverโ€™ with three talented female musicians, who each performed a mix of their own material and covers of songs while wearing the autumn/winter 2021 collection. Embodying the #GanniGirl, performers and models were dressed in the houseโ€™s signature quilted leathers, while there were oversized tailored suits in bold colours and dainty prints. But, it was creative director Ditte Reffstrupโ€™s sprinkling of lime green throughout the collection that truly made waves, proving the vibrant hue has made its bold return to the fashion scene. 

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Holzweiler: Classics With A Twist

Following a year defined by the pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement, Holzweilerโ€™s collection was all about reflection. For its โ€˜Twistโ€™ collectionโ€”inspired by the Kistefos Museum, The Twist, designed by architects B.I.G.โ€”the brand took signature classics and reinvented them with an edge, with oversized and loose minimalistic shapes taking form. Sibling design duo Susanne and Andreas Holzweiler kept their creative and playful spirit, showcasing puffer and ugg-like minis and rubber boots in a light, buttery colourways. 

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Stand Studio: Playful Proportions With Matching Accessories 

Presenting its latest collection in a private art gallery, Cfhill, in their hometown of Stockholm, Stand Studioโ€™s latest designs were ones that sat close to home. The fashion house played with proportions of classic silhouettes, complementing them with statement-making, matching accessories in bold prints and materials. Earthy tones were scattered throughout in high-shine gloss finishes, with its cult check coat being reinvented, and bolder than ever. 

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Remain: High-Shine Classics

Remainโ€™s โ€˜The Touristโ€™ collection was the perfect embodiment of the Copenhagen woman, who rediscovers the magic of her hometown through the eyes of a touristโ€”no doubt inspired by the year of lockdowns and travel bans. The collection revolved around a few standout pieces of the everyday wardrobe, from a mid-length puffer coat to a denim-on-denim set, while vibrant pink tie-dye was given new life and animal print, as usual, reigned supreme. 

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Lovechild 79: The Return Of The Sweater Vest

As an ode to the mundane joys of life weโ€™ve been missing since the beginning of the pandemic, Lovechild 79 staged their autumn/winter 2021 show in an arrival hall of an airportโ€”and unlike a usual runway show, models walked as stranger around one another, looking for their gates. Creative director Anne-Dorthe Larsen stuck to the brandโ€™s signature aesthetic, putting her modern silhouettes alongside feminine tailoring. The collectionโ€™s standout? Its reinvention of the classic sweater vest. 

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Stine Goya: Sensual Silks And Feminine Prints 

Offering up its signature bold brights and floral prints, Stine Goya drew inspiration from the New Romantics movement of the 1980s, as well as the neo-noir glamour of the roaring 1920s, for its autumn/winter 2021 collection. The โ€˜Grunge Euphoriaโ€™ collection, filled with flowing, silky silhouettes, paid tribute to the bustling energy, self-expression, and individuality that nightclubs once afforded, while the stunning and feminine prints were inspired by Japanese artist Tetsumi Kudo.

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Rixo: Dopamine Dressing For The Mundane

As always, the London-based labelโ€”known for its signature flowing designs in vibrant, clashing printsโ€”proved the power of its really, really, great dresses. Presenting its latest collection via a short video presentation, that was shot at home by influencers Nicole Huisman, Emma Fridsell, and Sara Flaaen, the beautiful pieces, usually saved for our most prestigious of occasions, proved to become everyday wear. Zoom calls, weekend walks, and lounging at home all became welcome places for Rixoโ€™s statement-making designs, and attesting that their bright colours, playful designs are bold patterns are a means of lifting our moods (and spirits) this season. 

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The Ultimate Guide To Decluttering Your Wardrobe

How to 'spring clean' in any season

Hereโ€™s a scary fact: most women wear 20% of their wardrobe, 100% of the time. The other 80%? Is probably taking up valuable space in your sartorial real estate.

And while spring is typically the season associated with major clean outs, thereโ€™s never a bad time to sort out your closet and embrace a more minimalist lifestyle. Simply set aside a weekend and follow the steps below to declutter your wardrobe once and for all: 

1. Sort your clothes into four piles

While you probably donโ€™t need your friends to come over with โ€˜Throwโ€™ or โ€˜Keepโ€™ signs (ร  la Sex and The City) nowโ€™s your chance to get brutally honest about every single piece in your wardrobe. That means narrowing everything down into four key categories:

The โ€˜yesโ€™ pile

These are items youโ€™ve invested money in (your Gucci t-shirt counts!) or that you wear regularly. As a rule of thumb, youโ€™ll find most of these pieces are basics rather than trend-driven items.

The โ€˜noโ€™ pile

These are pieces youโ€™ll find at the back of your closet that you canโ€™t remember wearing within the last five years. While itโ€™s true that everything comes back around again, itโ€™s probably going to be another 15 before youโ€™ll want to don them a second time, so be as discerning as you can here.

The โ€˜maybeโ€™ pile

These are items you canโ€™t quite bear to part with or that you find yourself trying to be rational about (โ€œI havenโ€™t worn it yet, but it could still workโ€). Adopt the two-season approach: if you havenโ€™t worn it in more than six months, it belongs here.

The โ€˜sell /charityโ€™ pile

Once youโ€™ve sorted your โ€œnoโ€ and โ€œmaybeโ€ piles, itโ€™s time to separate them even further to create your โ€œsell/charityโ€ pile. Make sure these pieces are in good used condition and washed appropriately before you offload them.

2. Clean everything so it lasts

Once youโ€™ve sorted your wardrobe, itโ€™s time to give everything a good clean, regardless of whether itโ€™s going back into your closet or not. While you should always read the label on each piece, youโ€™ll probably find many of your clothes can go straight in the washer. If youโ€™re serious about creating a long-lasting wardrobe though, youโ€™ll want to snap up a fabric conditioner as an additional step to your washing liquid.

3. Start selling

From Vestiaire Collective to Depop, there are a number of second-hand fashion sites that are prime for selling those too-small Chloe boots you bought on a whim can now be easily off-sold to one of over four million designer-hungry fashionistas.

If your wardrobe comprises more chain store chic than designer duds though, rest assured there are plenty of other places to sell your apparel, with eBay, Facebook marketplace and Gumtree among the most popular.

4. Organise your space

Now that youโ€™ve edited your wardrobe down to โ€œyesโ€ items only, itโ€™s time to think about how youโ€™ll order your closet from here-on-in. Instagram is perfect for this โ€“ search hashtags such as #wardrobeinspo to see what we mean. In a nutshell though, tshirts, jeans and lingerie can be folded and sorted into draws, but be sure to hang dresses and shirts. 

As a final tip, we recommend going through this process every six months to ensure you remain as organised as possible (and yes, that includes washing everything again). Just remember to treat your clothes the same way you would your hair, and follow up any washing liquid a good fabric softener to ensure your wardrobe remains next-level dazzling!

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Just When We Thought Weโ€™d Seen It All, A โ€˜MAFSโ€™ Groom Has Apparently Fallen In Love With The New Expert

Yes, you read that correctly

With the new season of Married At First Sight on the horizon, thereโ€™s bound to be some serious drama headed our way.

Every year, we tick off a list of expected โ€˜twistsโ€™ that are endlessly recycled and now borderline predictableโ€”that is, cheating scandals, protective brother/father figures, cold feet at the wedding, etcโ€”but apparently, thereโ€™s one surprise thatโ€™ll drop our jaws to the floor.

According to the Daily Mail, sources claim that one of the contestants, a groom to be specific, will confess their love for new expert, sexologist Alessandra Rampolla.

The publication claims that a couple from the social experiment will โ€œcall it quitsโ€ after the groom confesses that heโ€™s โ€œfallen for another womanโ€, in this case, one of the showโ€™s three experts, whoโ€”as a friendly reminderโ€”arenโ€™t up for grabs.

Apparently, the declaration of love comes out of nowhere, leaving the cast and crew speechless and Rampolla furious, leaving her to put him in his place.

She is supposedly said to call the crime of passion โ€œcompletely disrespectfulโ€ and tells the fella in question to โ€œpull his head inโ€.

WATCH BELOW: Alessandra Rampolla in Married At First Sight Trailer

Replacing Dr Trisha Stratford, Alessandra Rampolla is a certified clinical sexologist from Puerto Rico with over 20 years of experience in helping couples develop and grow sexual chemistry. 

In the new season trailer, couples are seen intimately embracing each other and having open conversation around sex and their sex lives, her expertise is set to โ€œstimulate the sparks of loveโ€.

โ€œSex is such an essential part of a long-lasting relationship,โ€ Rampolla says in the teaser. She also comes with a substantial Instagram following compared to her co-stars, John Aiken and Mel Schilling, boasting a whopping 687k followers on the platform.

โ€œI will be asking very direct questions,โ€ she said, before querying one of the contestants: โ€œHow would you describe yourself as a lover?โ€.

As to which season eight cast member is professing their devotion to Rampolla? Only time will tell.

Until then, be sure to take a peak at every contestant to star in 2021โ€™s Married At Fight Sight, which is set to air on Channel Nine on February 22.

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Home Page 43

You Can Actually Buy Royal-Approved Replicas of The Queenโ€™s Jewellery

From Her Majesty's brooches to Kate Middleton's earrings

Most of us can only dream of owning as lavish a jewellery collection as Her Majesty the Queen has. From her vast selection of historical tiaras to her significant brooches, diamond necklaces and earrings, they are simply priceless.

And even you could figure out their value, it would probably take several lifetimes to save up enough to purchase them. However, itโ€™s not all bleak, as Iโ€™ve found the next best thing.

You can actually buy royal-approved replicas of a few of the Queenโ€™s favourite jewels at none other than the official Royal Collection Shop.

While some of the jewels arenโ€™t exact copies, they are at least inspired by pieces from the royal vaults, as youโ€™ll see below.

camilla

This geometrical long pendant is inspired by the tiara made for Mrs Greville, in 1921, which was inherited by The Queen in 2002. She has since loaned it to The Duchess of Cornwall for various occasions, pictured above. As you can see, the pattern is very similar.

camilla

GREVILLE LONG PENDANT, $393 at Royal Collection Shop

The Queen is known for her love of pearls, and as you can see from the main picture, she is a fan of diamond and pearl studs, which she wears at almost all her daytime engagements. Remember, royals shouldnโ€™t wear diamonds before 6pm, so pearls are the perfect solution.

The earrings Her Majesty always wears originally belonged to The Queenโ€™s Grandmother and, as such, are sometimes referred to as Queen Maryโ€™s โ€˜Button Earringsโ€™.

earring

SMALL PEARL EARRINGS, $90 at Royal Collection Shop

Youโ€™ll also know she is a big fan of brooches, which always seem to have a special significance. Although the below floral brooch isnโ€™t specified as a replica, it does seem very inspired by this flower basket brooch The Queen has worn in the past.

queen elizabeth
floral

PASTEL FLOWER BASKET BROOCH, $98 at Royal Collection Shop

Another colourful set owned by Queen Elizabeth II is the Burmese Ruby Tiara, which inspired the below earrings.

The Burmese Ruby Tiara was made by Garrard & Co. in 1973 using stones from the private collection of Her Majesty, and forms a beautiful wreath of roses, with diamonds making the exquisite petals and striking rubies are at the centre of the flowers. Of course, the earrings arenโ€™t diamonds, but zirconia, making them far more affordable.

queeb'
floral

BURMESE HOOP EARRINGS, $152 at Royal Collection Shop

You might also be interested to know that you can also buy jewellery inspired by pieces worn by other members of the royal family, such as The Duchess of Cambridge.

kate middleton
nwes

PEARL FLOWER STUD EARRINGS, $214 at Royal Collection Shop

For example, these floral pearl earrings bear a striking resemblance to the ones Kate Middleton wore to Prince Louisโ€™ christening two years ago.

The originals, Cassandra Goadโ€™s Cavolfiore Pearl Studs cost $8,000, however, these are only $214 and made of real freshwater pearls.

This article originally appeared on marie claire U.K.

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Home Page 43

Jennifer Lopez Has Debuted A New Pixie Cut And Looks, Impossibly, Even More Glam

JLo looking fantastic? What a shock

Good morning to Jennifer Lopez proving once again that sheโ€™s absurdly photogenic. The singer and veteran performer has debuted yet another scroll-stopping beauty look, this time in the form of a stunning pixie cut for her appearance on the cover of Allure.

The look is a bold departure from the usual voluminous, glam hairstyles JLo favours. Other recent memorable beauty moments include her slicked-back ponytail from the presidential inauguration. The new pixie cut comes by way of celebrity hairstylist Chris Appleton, who called the look a โ€œ90s inspired wet look cropโ€ on his Instagram Story. And no, the Kardashian-favoured hair artist didnโ€™t deign to reveal if this was a wig or not.

Jennifer Lopez pixie cut Allure 2021

The pieceyness and texture of JLoโ€™s pixie cut could feasibly be her real hair, and itโ€™d certainly be a great way to show off her naturally curly hair texture in a very fresh, modern way. One thing that didnโ€™t waver for the cover was Lopezโ€™s glowing, high-glam makeup.

Makeup artist Mary Philipsโ€”responsible for many a JLo beauty momentโ€”kept most of the focus on her super sheeny skin. The pixie cut definitely allows those cheekbones to shine, but we also enjoyed the metallic drama of the rose-gold eye paired with a sparkly, glossy lip. Could this be foreshadowing a foray into makeup from JLoโ€™s eponymous skincare venture JLo Beauty?

Colour us intrigued, if only for the names that we might see. For those who missed it, the JLo Beauty line, currently an edit of seven skincare products, are all named after phrases and touchstones that relate to the pop megastarโ€™s cultural legacy. See a serum called, โ€œThat JLo Glowโ€, a cleanser called, โ€œThat Hit Singleโ€, and who could forget, โ€œThat Fresh Takeโ€, perhaps the most amusing name for an eye cream currently on the market.

If youโ€™re going to start a dramatically named celebrity skincare line, surely donโ€™t pass up the opportunity to call your lipgloss, โ€œThat Mouth To Mouth.โ€ Just a gentle suggestion.

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Home Page 43

Katy Perry Says โ€œNobody Talks Aboutโ€ The Realities Of Giving Birth

"Oh my god, that's wild! What a roller coaster!"

Katy Perry may be adjusting to life as a first-time mum after welcoming daughter Daisy Dove, but her fiancรฉ Orlando Bloom is an experienced dad since he shares his 10-year-old son, Flynn, with ex Miranda Kerrโ€”which, according to Perry has been her saving grace over the last several months. 

Appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live on Feb. 9, the singer got candid about welcoming her baby girl with Bloom and how sheโ€™s handling the responsibilities of being a new mum. 

โ€œItโ€™s the best decision that Iโ€™ve ever made in my entire life,โ€ Perry told the TV host. โ€œI have family and support, and Iโ€™ve got an incredible fiancรฉ whoโ€™s done this before. He has a 10-year-old son.โ€

Perry adds Bloomโ€™s parenting stories have helped her through. โ€œSo, as much as I was a little bit like, โ€˜I donโ€™t need to hear all those stories,โ€™ they actually helped,โ€ she said. โ€œโ€˜Oh, youโ€™ve had a run at this. You know how to do this.โ€™ Heโ€™s been amazing, incredible, and weโ€™re so in love and weโ€™re so grateful.โ€

daisy dove

The couple welcomed Daisy Dove in August 2020 after getting engaged on Valentineโ€™s Day in 2019. 

Perry also got candid about the demands of parenting, revealing that she wasnโ€™t prepared for the hidden realities of childbirth. โ€œNobody talks about the first six weeks after you have a baby,โ€ she said. โ€œOh my god, thatโ€™s wild! What a roller coaster! I had my fifth album coming out and I gave birth and every other album cycle thereโ€™d be some kind of celebration or party, but this time, I was giving birth to the greatest gift of all, and my album came out the next day and I was in the hospital and I could not wipe my own butt, and I was like, โ€˜This is the most unusual album release day and I love it.'โ€

You can watch the full interview below.

Itโ€™s also not the first time the new mum has kept it real following the arrival of Daisy. 

In September 2020, Perry posted a candid postpartum snap standing in front of the mirror in a nursing bra and underwear, on the same day sheโ€™d usually be attending the MTV VMA awards. 

โ€œHair n makeup by @exhaustion,โ€ she wrote, cheekily playing on the way celebrities credit โ€˜who theyโ€™re wearingโ€™. 

katy perry

And itโ€™s not the only move Perry has made that supports new mothers. Perry and Bloom announced the arrival of their daughter Daisy Dove on August 27 via UNICEF, the organisation for which the both serve as Goodwill Ambassadors, to help support pregnant women and newborns at risk of dying from preventable causes.

โ€œWe are floating with love and wonder from the safe and healthy arrival of our daughter,โ€ the couple announced in a statement. 

โ€œBut we know weโ€™re the lucky ones and not everyone can have a birthing experience as peaceful as ours was. Communities around the world are still experiencing a shortage of healthcare workers and every eleven seconds a pregnant woman or newborn dies, mostly from preventable causes.โ€

As part of their announcement, Perry and Bloom established a UNICEF donation page on their new daughterโ€™s behalf, in โ€œcelebration of the heart we know our daughter already has.โ€

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Home Page 43

Princess Eugenie And Jack Brooksbank Welcome Their First Child

Congratulations to the royal couple

A huge congratulations are in order for royal coupleโ€”and now new parentsโ€”Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank, with the pair announcing the arrival of their first child. 

The new parents announced the happy news via the official royal family Instagram account, with a black and white picture of their newbornโ€™s tiny hand holding onto Eugenieโ€™s and Jackโ€™s that read: 

โ€œHer Royal Highness Princess Eugenie was safely delivered of a son today, 9th February 2021, at 0855hrs at The Portland Hospital.โ€

The new baby is now 11th in line to the throne! 

Princess Eugenie shared the same picture to her own Instagram with a trio of blue hearts, hinting that she gave birth to a boy. And while the pair are yet to reveal a name, they did confirm that their little bundle of joy weighed in at 8lbs 1oz (3.6kg).

The couple first announced they were expecting their first child in September 2020, with the exciting news confirmed by the Palace. 

โ€œHer Royal Highness Princess Eugenie and Mr Jack Brooksbank are very pleased to announce that they are expecting a baby in early 2021,โ€ read the official statement. 

โ€œThe Duke of York and Sarah, Duchess of York, Mr and Mrs George Brooksbank, The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh are delighted with the news.โ€

Princess Eugenie, one of the few modern royals with her own Instagram account, followed up the birth announcement with an Instagram post of her own, showing her and husband Jack clutching a little pair of teddy bear booties.

โ€œJack and I are so excited for early 2021โ€ฆโ€ she captioned the sweet post.

princess eugenie

Ahead of the arrival of their first child, royal fans predicted that the couple would break a longstanding royal tradition. 

As Hello! reported, royal christenings are typically private family affairs, with photos released after the event. But, Eugenie was baptised by parents Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson at a public church serviceโ€”reportedly the first royal baby to be christened in publicโ€”and she might opt to follow suit with her own child.

Both the Cambridges and the Sussexes opted to hold private services for their children. 

A huge congratulations to the new parents!

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Home Page 43

Make Your Voice Heard: The 2021 Womenโ€™s March Is Going Digital This Year

Get involved in one of the largest and most important surveys ever conducted

While the 2021 Womenโ€™s March may be facing a few logistical challenges this year due to the ongoing pandemic, the current efforts of organisers are by no means any less important. As many countries are still experiencing lockdowns and maintaining social distancing, itโ€™s going to be a while before the historic turnout that weโ€™ve seen at previous Womenโ€™s Marches is likely to return. Instead, Womenโ€™s March Global, the organisation behind the protests and marches for gender equality are hoping to see an impressive digital turnout this year.

Launched in late January, Global Count is a โ€œcount of all women, non-binary, and transgender people from every country, culture and racial background around the globe.โ€ The survey aims to collect deep and detailed data about the issues that women are facing in the wake of the pandemic.

Through the initiative, they hope to remedy the scarcity of solid insights and data about what women need and want, as well as ensuring this data is actually utilised in policy and programme design. If you needed any more evidenceโ€”beyond our experiences, literally every dayโ€”that women are consistently short-changed in the world, consider the many ways that many common items and fundamental safety features arenโ€™t designed with women in mind at all.

โ€œEvery year since 2017, we have built our capacity to mobilise and assemble around critical issues around critical issues,โ€ says Uma Mishra-Newbery, a Womenโ€™s March Global board member. โ€œHowever, itโ€™s time that we truly understand and collect data on what issues people face around the world. Data around these key issues on a global and local level is scarce. Yet, it is vitally needed, not only for movements but local collectives, funding institutions and the non-profit sector at large. The data collected from Global Count will be shared across these spaces and will put power directly in the hands of the people who take the survey.โ€

What does the Global Count involve?

The poll will be live until International Womenโ€™s Day on March 9th or the 8th of March for us here in Australia. Up till then, the women, non-binary and transgender people from all over the world are encouraged to participate in the survey. The more respondents the better here, as the Womenโ€™s March Global organisation is hoping to โ€œuse our collective voice to design our new world.โ€ The survey flags up front, โ€œwe will be raising topics related to gender-based violence and abuse and asking questions that may be difficult for marginalised groups.โ€

The Global Count survey takes around 10-minutes to complete and encourages people to answer what issues most affect them and their community. The scope of options is quite wide and includes ending violence and abuse, reproductive freedom, economic freedoms and racial justice among others. From there, respondents can then rate the biggest barriers to achieving justice in those areas. The survey ends with a pertinent open-ended question: โ€œwhat does progress for womenโ€™s human rights look like for you in 10 years?โ€

If you want to make your voice heard and hopefully prioritised, join the Global Count.

Lead image via John Moore/Getty Images.

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Home Page 43

Celebrities Flood Britney Spears With Support Following Revealing Documentary

Justin Timberlake has some explaining to do
Britney Spears

The Framing Britney Spears documentary, presented by the New York Times and Hulu, has forced the #FreeBritney movement into hyperdrive following its release on Feb. 5โ€”and as a result of its deep dive into Spearsโ€™ multi-decade career, the women of Hollywood are calling for the pop star to be released from her conservatorship and demanding a string of fellow famous faces, namely Justin Timberlake, apologise for their treatment of the young star. 

While Spears herself took no part in the project, the latest installment of the NYT Presents series follows the pop sensationโ€™s life, focusing on her late-2007s breakdown, and the people around her that watched it unfold, and seemingly pushed the public narrative against her.

The documentary featured brand new interviews with Spearsโ€™ ex-assistant Felicia Culotta, the paparazzi who was famously hit by the entertainerโ€™s umbrella in 2007, and Britneyโ€™s Gram podcast hosts Tess Barker and Barbara Grey, who have been behind the fan-driven push to restore the singerโ€™s autonomy. 

Of the revealing footage, Timberlake is perhaps receiving the most backlash online, with many demanding the former *NSYNC member apologise for the role he played in shaping Spearsโ€™ image following their 2002 breakup.

โ€œAfter watching this Britney Spears doc, Iโ€™m realising (for the millionth time) how sh*tty Justin Timberlake has been towards women,โ€ Grammy-nominated performer Chika tweeted. โ€œAnd likeโ€ฆ nobody says sh*t.โ€

While the documentary focuses on Spearsโ€™ ongoing conservatorship, the tumultuous legal battle with her father Jamies Spears, and the #FreeBritney movement, it also delves into how Timberlake pushed the narrative that the singer had cheated on himโ€”claims that have never been proven.

โ€œThe way that people treated her, to be very high school about it, was like she was the school slut and he was the quarterback,โ€ NYT critic-at-large Wesley Morris said in the documentary. 

Morris goes on to suggest that Timberlake used his music video โ€œCry Me A Riverโ€ to place further blame on Spears and cast him as the victim, only to later appear on a post-breakup radio interview where he bragged about having sex with her, followed up by another alleged diss track, โ€œWhat Goes Aroundโ€ฆComes Aroundโ€, which was released four years post-breakup at the time Spears was publicly dealing with her second divorce and sobriety. 

The documentary caught the attention of Sarah Jessica Parker, who tweeted โ€œ#FreeBritneyโ€ and โ€œ#FramingBritneySpearsโ€ on Feb. 7. 

Country singer Kacey Musgraves took to Instagram to also voice her support, sharing a photo of young Spears, writing: โ€œEveryone should watch the NY Times documentary on Britney Spears that just came out. Never has one person been so used and abandoned by every facet around her. My heart goes out to her. She has always been such an inspiration to me my whole kid/teen life.โ€

She added, โ€œWE ARE SORRY BRITNEY.โ€ 

Hayley Williams, lead vocalist of Paramore, also watched the doco, claiming that the treatment Britney endured wouldnโ€™t have happened today. โ€œno artist today would have to endure the literal torture that media/society/utter misogynists inflicted upon her,โ€ she tweeted. โ€œthe mental health awareness conversation, culturally, could never be where it is without the awful price she has paid.โ€ 

https://twitter.com/yelyahwilliams/status/1358093963467620360?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1358093963467620360%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bustle.com%2Fentertainment%2Fcelebrities-react-framing-britney-spears-new-york-times-hulu-documentary

Meanwhile, Miley Cyrus, performing at TikTokโ€™s Tailgate performance ahead of Super Bowl LV, told the audience, โ€œWe love Britney,โ€ while performing her 2009 hit โ€œParty In The U.S.A.โ€.

Cyrus has been vocal about supporting the #FreeBritney movement for a while, previously yelling out โ€œFree Britneyโ€ while singing the song during a 2019 concert in Memphis, Tennessee. 

https://twitter.com/MileySmilerNews/status/1358539959100186625?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1358539959100186625%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bustle.com%2Fentertainment%2Fcelebrities-react-framing-britney-spears-new-york-times-hulu-documentary

Below, some more celebrity reactions to the Framing Britney Spears documentary. 

https://twitter.com/lukasgage/status/1358671060309209090?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1358671060309209090%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Few.com%2Fmusic%2Fframing-britney-spears-documentary-stars-react%2F
https://twitter.com/HeatherMatarazz/status/1358141133293907969?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1358141133293907969%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Few.com%2Fmusic%2Fframing-britney-spears-documentary-stars-react%2F

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Home Page 43

Harry And Meghanโ€™s Latest Appearance Just Provided A Further Look Into Their LA Home

If their artwork is anything to go by, the royals are embracing their new home state

Ever since their royal exit, and subsequent move to California, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been keeping a relatively low profile, starting afresh with their one-year-old son Archie Harrison on the west coast. But, that doesnโ€™t mean the pair hasnโ€™t been busy, with reports theyโ€™ve signed deals with both Netflix and Spotify to produce uplifting content over the next few years. 

This week, royal couple began to make their first appearances of 2021โ€”rumour has it the Duke of Sussex is set to appear on James Cordenโ€™s Carpool Karaokeโ€”and their most recent Zoom call has provided a rare glimpse into their Los Angeles abode. 

Surprising a group of youth poets participating in a Get Lit poetry class, the couple revealed a surprising new detail about their home and we can only assume Meghanโ€™s love of her home state had something to do with the artwork of choice. 

โ€œGuess who surprised our poetry class this weekend?!โ€ the organisation wrote on its Instagram. โ€œIt was the best weekend EVER! Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, were magic and kind and interested in poetry! The Duchess even shared some of her favourite poetry lines. We are so grateful for their visit in honour of Black History Month. It goes down as most epic experience in Get Lit history!!!โ€

The video call showed the couple in front of a stone fireplace, while on the wall behind them was an artwork of a bear hugging the state of California, created by Etsy seller Nicholas and Riley and inspired by Francis Silverwoodโ€™s โ€œI Love You, California.โ€ Recently, local artists used the bear image to raise funds for wildfire relief in the state. 

The family of the makers of the print shared their enthusiasm on Instagram, writing, โ€œHi All! I am taking over my Dads IG for this one post. Recently the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, a.k.a. Harry and Meghan, got their royal hands on one of my Dads framed I love you Californiaโ€™s. He doesnโ€™t think itโ€™s a big deal but it is. A lot of famous people have his work but this one is different, theyโ€™re royalty! Plus theyโ€™re the super cute and fun ones.โ€

The print is now exclusively available at Big Daddyโ€™s Antiques and retails for $1,295. 

california

Itโ€™s not the first time the couple has shared a sneak peek inside their Beverly Hills home. Last year, Harry and Meghan surprised Crisis Text Line staff by joining one of their Zoom meetings and, luckily for us, volunteer Ricky Neal shared a photo of the meeting on social media.

โ€œItโ€™s not every day that Meghan and Harry jump into your work meeting and champion the work you do! Blessed to still be working during these crazy times! [sic],โ€ he wrote.

Thanks to Rickyโ€™s photo, behind Harry and Meghan you can see a glimpse of the decor in their current homeโ€”and while its much darker than the room we saw in the Get Lit session, the pairโ€™s artwork and decor are equally as chic. 

The pair also recently revealed (accidentally) that they were redecorating their California home last year, while Harry surprised Invictus Games athletes on Zoom. 

The organisation posted a video from the call, with viewers noticing two large square dark navy and light grey swatches on the wall just behind the royalโ€™s left shoulder. 

We wonder which colour they went for?

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Home Page 43

Turns Out, Thereโ€™s A Very Real Reason Why โ€˜Bachelorโ€™ Contestants Fall In Love So Quickly

A neuroscientist breaks down why the sparks fly so fast

Despite its countless seasons and endless spin-offs, thereโ€™s something about The Bachelor that keeps romantics swooning long after the final rose.

And while we all enjoy the perfectly planned dates and red rose-ridden ceremonies brimming with glimmering cocktail dresses, the one question we all tend to ask both during and after a whirlwind series is: how on earth do contestants fall in love in just a few weeks? As it turns out, thereโ€™s a very real reason behind it.

According to neuroscientist Dr. Kristen Willeumier, thereโ€™s a perfectly rational explanation to the sudden infatuation that occurs between the 20-odd contestants and the Bachelor/Bachelorette.

โ€œThe Bachelor is the wildest โ€˜honeymoon phaseโ€™ you can get,โ€ Dr. Willeumier tells HelloGiggles. โ€œWhen youโ€™re on the show, itโ€™s a charged, highly emotional, intense, and surreal environment.โ€

And while we let that sink in, her in-depth explanation of how the on-screen love comes to be makes oh-so-much sense. After all, once each contestant steps inside the Bachelor mansion, they are prey to an impressive psychological experiment having been completely cut off from any communication to the outside worldโ€”no phone, TV, internet or music.

In another interview with Hello Giggles, former U.S. Bachelorette Rachel Lindsay opened up about what it felt like to be locked out from society for the duration of the show, saying:

โ€œYouโ€™re shut off from the rest of the world and outside distractions, so all you can do is focus on what you really want.โ€

She continued, โ€œItโ€™s just you and your feelings, and youโ€™re talking about them all day. Itโ€™s like this is the only man or woman in the entire world, the producers are your parents, and the girls are your only friends,โ€

โ€œIf you have an actual connection with the lead, it takes things to another level because at first, youโ€™re sceptical, and then youโ€™re like โ€˜Oh my gosh, they gave me a group date rose,โ€™ โ€˜they looked at me this way,โ€™ and you realise โ€˜this can be real,โ€™ and you start believing it.โ€

Of course, the influx of romance isnโ€™t solely due to their living arrangements. As we know, Bachelor dates are elaborately planned and excessively romanticโ€”from mountain climbing to fencing to candlelit dinnersโ€”you name it, they do it.

And thanks to those over-the-top activitiesโ€”that wouldnโ€™t necessarily happen in the real worldโ€”the enticing atmosphere also offers contestantsโ€™ rose-tinted glasses (no pun intended), messing with their desires and emotions.

โ€œItโ€™s science: studies find that adrenaline rushes can help spark sexual attraction,โ€ Dr. Willeumier explains.

Naturally, the rush of endorphins arenโ€™t simply a result of one too many moonlit kisses under the stars, the brain plays a rather vital part in the entire process, with neurochemicals in directly impacting how their emotions play out.

โ€œWhen the lead begins his journey on The Bachelor, he is initially in the attraction phase of love, with a surge of testosterone driving the more physical aspects of love,โ€ she reveals.

โ€œThereโ€™s also the release of dopamine in the pleasure centres of his brain. These neurochemicals provide the energy, focused attention, excitement, hope, motivation, goal-directed behaviour, craving, and longing that drives the early stages of love and gives him the stamina required to court the ladies.โ€

โ€œOther neurochemicals related to stress and excitement (like norepinephrine and cortisol) are also released, while some of the more calming neurotransmitters (like serotonin) are lower.โ€

And while we continue to profess how the heart wants what it wants, itโ€™s important to note that the process of falling in love isnโ€™t as simple as going from A to B. In fact, it happens in three stages: lust, attraction and attachment.

Itโ€™s in the attachment phase where couples can build a bond with one another and, you guessed it, confess their love for each otherโ€”which in Bachelor universe, traditionally takes place in the season finale.

Not ones to claim that love is a lie, there is also an incredibly logical reason as to why most reality TV relationships end up fizzling out post-show.

โ€œOn the show, youโ€™re away from work and youโ€™re going on all of these wild dates, but what is your real world scenario?โ€ she suggests. โ€œWhat do you and your new fiancรฉ do individually on the weekends? What are you both like at home after work? After the show, youโ€™re back in the real world. How compatible are you, truly?โ€

Given that off-screen romances often fall prey to the perils of real life challenges, whoโ€™s to say that canโ€™t happen to those who find love in less traditional ways? 

So remember, this year, while we sceptically watch The Bachelorโ€”who weโ€™re expecting to be another mildly famous faceโ€”thereโ€™s some significant science to consider.

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Home Page 43

All The โ€˜Married At First Sightโ€™ Couples For 2021

Love is in the air.

Our Married At First Sight couples for 2021 are finally being announced, and so far we donโ€™t have a lot of complaints. Well, some odd pairings have been presented, but generally we believe in love this year.

The Married At First Sight experts themselves have even said this, recently giving an interview dishing on how some of this yearโ€™s contestants, do, in fact, find real relationships.

Speaking in conversation with The Latch, series experts Mel Schilling, John Aiken and newcomer clinical sexologist, Alessandra Rampolla, touched on what we can expect to see transpire between the couples this season.

When asked if there were โ€œany love storiesโ€ between contestants in 2021, Schilling enthusiastically said: โ€œYes!โ€.

โ€œEveryone wants a happy ending,โ€ she continued. โ€œThey want a Disney fairy tale.โ€

Relationship expert Aiken also said this yearโ€™s crop of participants entered into the experiment with clear intentions of finding a partner.

โ€œAll of them were committed to this experiment and falling in love,โ€ he said.

According to Rampolla, the events of 2020 and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic may have been a driver for how this yearโ€™s contestants are approaching the experiment.

โ€œWith lockdowns, people are really focusing on the connections they make with someone else,โ€ she said.

โ€œItโ€™s not so much the touch and go situation you had before because you could just meet up with anybody, people have really turned back to wanting companionship and wanting someone who will listen to them and feel a real connection. I think that trickles down into the experiment for this season.โ€

Here are the couples announced so far.

1. Booka and Brett

MAFS

Booka Nile is a musician, playing in a popular metal band Make Them Suffer. She also has a degree in psychology. Brett is studying psychology after quitting his job as an electrician to pursue his dream.

2. Sam and Cam

MAFS

Sam is a single mum of two boys, having split from her partner after catching him cheating on her. Cam is a crane operator who says he wants to be a young dad.

3. Coco and Sam

MAFS

Coco has already cemented herself as the loud gal of the MAFS 2021 bunch (and possibly sparked a feud with Girl Sam). Her husband, also called Sam, has already put viewers at odds after his less-than-excited reaction around his bride.

4. Bek and Jake

MAFS

Bek and Jake have had a rocky start. The ex-footy player turned mental health advocate apparently, according to Bek, was more interested in her sexual appeal than her personality, and has therefore put her offside. Will they form a bond or be the first to split?

5. Melissa and Bryce

MAFS

Radio host Bryce has already started some controversy after revealing on the show that he split from his fiancee mere months before filming. Melissa, meanwhile, is probably the most vulnerable person on MAFS 2021, openly acknowledging she has insecurities around dating. 

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Home Page 43

Princess Anne Gives Rare Look Inside Her Very Normal (And Cluttered) Living Room

The Princess Royal shared a rare glimpse inside her cosy country home

Itโ€™s not often members of the royal family welcome us so openly into their homes, but when they do it usually offers up a rare glimpse into life behind palace walls. From Kate Middletonโ€™s impressive classic book collection to Queen Elizabethโ€™s adorable photos of George and Charlotte to Prince Harry and Meghan Markleโ€™s modern decorโ€”there is always something new to be learned from a quick look inside. 

And now, Princess Anne, and her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, have shared a photo taken inside their home. The Royal Familyโ€™s official account shared a sweet photo of the couple watching a rugby match in their living roomโ€”you know, just normal commoner things. 

โ€œAs @scotlandteam Patron, The Princess Royal often supports the team from the stands,โ€ the royal familyโ€™s official Instagram account wrote. โ€œHer Royal Highness and Vice Admiral Sir Tim cheered Scotland on from home today as they played England for the Calcutta Cup, 150 years since their first match๐Ÿ† Well played, Scotland! ๐Ÿด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ.โ€

The Princess Royalโ€™s Gatcombe Park residence, as it seems, is as cosy and lived-in as our own. From the photograph, we learn the warm space is filled with books, figurines, and sweet images of family, combined alongside orange, floral printed couches with dark wooden furniture. A shot from daughter Zara Tindallโ€™s christening sits centre stage on the top of a bookshelf beside a childhood photo of both her children, Zara and Peter Phillips. 

Basically, the scene is not the grandeur one would expect from the daughter of Her Majesty.

Much like fellow members of the royal family, Princess Anne has been conducting engagements via Zoom in recent months, which has meant we have been given unprecedented looks inside the palace walls.

Recently, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall shared a photo inside her home office at Birkhall in Scotland, giving glimpses of her personal life, from the dog ball thrower leaned against the wall to the paper cutouts of the royal family she has displayed on her bookcase.

โ€œToday, a great number of new NHS Volunteer Responders will take up their duties in support of the NHS during the Coronavirus pandemic,โ€ read the caption. โ€œOver 750,000 people signed up to the scheme in just four days after it was launched โ€“ three times the original target.โ€ 

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Home Page 43

Priyanka Chopra Was Told To โ€˜Fixโ€™ Her Proportions With Plastic Surgery To Have A Career In Hollywood

Even her manager agreed that she needed 'work'

It should come as no surprise that many consider Priyanka Chopra to be one of the most beautiful women in the world, especially given that she won Miss World in 2000.

However, it seems like Hollywood thought otherwise. 

Revealed in an excerpt of Chopraโ€˜s memoir, Unfinished, the Quantico star spoke candidly about a certain director-producer who exhibited extreme sexist behaviour and her own manager who supported their request.

โ€œAfter a few minutes of small talk, the director/producer told me to stand up and twirl for him,โ€ Chopra described in the book, as per Metro. โ€œI did. He stared at me long and hard, assessing me, and then suggested that I get a boob job, fix my jaw, and add a little more cushioning to my butt.โ€ 

She continued, โ€œIf I wanted to be an actress, he said, Iโ€™d need to have my proportions โ€˜fixed,โ€™ and he knew a great doctor in L.A. he could send me to. My then-manager voiced his agreement with the assessment.โ€

Chopra was clearly let down, not only by the industry, but by those who should have been looking out for herโ€”their compliance proves that there is clearly significant work that still needs to be done regarding sexism in Hollywood. Sadly, the 38-year-old actor told Metro that this type of behaviour is still wrongfully โ€œnormalisedโ€ in the industry. 

โ€œItโ€™s so normalised that it doesnโ€™t come up in conversation,โ€ she said. โ€œI talked about a movie that I walked out of because of how I was spoken to by the director.  It was early in my career, but I never told him why I walked out.โ€



Continuing, she said: โ€œI never had the courage to stand up for myself and actually admit it. Because I heard so often, โ€˜Donโ€™t be a nuisance, youโ€™re new in the industry, you donโ€™t want to have a reputation that you cause trouble or youโ€™re not easy to work with.โ€™โ€

โ€œNow on the other side of 35, I know thatโ€™s a normalised thing that girls hear so often.โ€

Chopra went on to note that the added presence of women behind the camera, rather than in front, is helping to change the industry slowly but surely. 

โ€œIโ€™ve mentioned a bunch of female producers in the book that I really admire, whoโ€™ve taken charge of their own lives and said, โ€˜Alright, youโ€™re not going to make a part for me or the movie that I want to be inโ€”Iโ€™m going to produce it myself,โ€™โ€ she explained.

โ€œWe see so many women that have banded together to be able to do it ourselves and [are] taking back our power. Now weโ€™re seeing, we are that generation that is hopefully going to see women in leadership roles, that is going to see women in roles of power, so that the next generation that comes after us doesnโ€™t have to inherit these issues.โ€

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Home Page 43

Chrissy Teigen Gets Candid On Pregnancy Loss, Calls Experience โ€œTransformativeโ€

"In a way, it saved me"

Ever since announcing the devastating loss of their third child, a son named Jack, in October, Chrissy Teigen and John Legend have been incredibly vocal about the heartbreaking journey, from why the couple chose to share such candid images in the hospital room to processing grief after losing a child, with the Cravings founder even revealing sheโ€™s decided to get sober

Four months on and Teigen is reflecting on how the tragedy โ€œtransformedโ€ her, speaking to Ellen Degeneres about how sheโ€™s become a โ€œbetter person now.โ€ 

โ€œLooking at those pictures now, it seems like so long ago,โ€ the stare told the TV host on February 8. โ€œOf course, everything was such a blur. Even thinking back to it now, I am still in therapy about it, and Iโ€™m still coming to terms with it.โ€ 

Continuing, Teigen said that the โ€œconstant remindersโ€ around her home had made moving on a challenge. โ€œI have maternity clothes, and there are things that I bought for my eighth month and my ninth month,โ€ she said. โ€œSo itโ€™s just hard because he wouldโ€™ve been born this week, so you look at those things and you have these constant reminders.โ€

The star went on to say that the experience, while heartbreaking, has been โ€œtransformative.โ€ 

โ€œBeing Thai and being raised in a house that was very open about loss, I think it was really helpful because I see it asโ€”it can be a beautiful thing. It was a really transformative thing for me, and in a way, it really saved me, because I donโ€™t think that I wouldโ€™ve discovered therapy and then sobriety and this path of feeling good about myself and feeling like a new person.โ€

chrissy teigen
(Credit: Instagram/@chrissyteigen)

This week, Teigen also reflected on what would have been Jackโ€™s upcoming due date, sharing several photos taken from the music video shoot for Legendโ€™s โ€œWildโ€ in which the couple first announced the pregnancy to the world.  

She captioned: โ€œthese are from our video shoot for โ€˜Wildโ€™ in Mexico. I was 10 weeks along and out of my mind happy. I knew the video would take a bit to get together so thought it would be cute to share our news with the world through the ol classic hand-on-belly trick at the end. I could have never imagined what would happen over the next 10 weeksโ€ฆโ€

โ€œnot sure Iโ€™ll ever be able to watch that video again without sobbing but I hope he feels my tears and knows we miss him so,โ€ Teigen emotionally wrote. โ€œHe would have been here any day now โ€“ if he were like Luna and Miles, Iโ€™d probably be holding him as we speak. I am so full of regret that I didnโ€™t look at his face when he was born. I was so scared of seeing him in my nightmares that I forgot about seeing him in my dreams. I hurt every day from that remorse.โ€

 If you or someone you know needs pregnancy loss support, please contact:โฃ Pink Elephants Support Network at 1800 882 436โฃ, SANDS at 1300 072 637โฃ, Bears of Hope at 1300 11 HOPEโฃ or Beyond Blue at 1300 22 4636.

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Home Page 43

Comedian Tommy Little Is Rumoured To Be Our 2021 โ€˜Bachelorโ€™ After That Ash Williams Debacle

Here's what we know

For years weโ€™ve endured The Bachelor Australiaโ€™s continuous selection of somewhat familiar, moderately famous television personalities, former contestants and retired footballers taking on the dating franchiseโ€™s leading roleโ€”much to the dismay of increasingly frustrated viewers who have been rallying for the series to step up its diversity game. 

Well despite such calls, and Channel 10 execs claiming this year the title role would be held by someone we โ€œdonโ€™t know yetโ€, it seems that the rumour mill is buzzing with yet another personality being handed the prestigious gig. 

According to a new report from Womanโ€™s Day, comedian and television host Tommy Little is being considered as our next Bachie. 

โ€œThe producers are really excited about Tommy and say he ticks all the boxes,โ€ a source told the publication. โ€œHeโ€™s handsome, funny and already knows how to work a camera. Heโ€™s also part of the Network Ten family, which is a huge bonus. Heโ€™s a safe bet for them.โ€

The 35-year-old is believed to have recently split from girlfriend Natalie Kyriacou after fans noticed the pair had unfollowed each other on Instagram. 

The latest rumour has caused some serious confusion considering just last week Channel 10โ€™s Head of Programming, Daniel Monaghan was asked by TV Tonight if Australia knew the person they had chosen, to which he responded: โ€œNot yet, but you will.โ€ 

Hmmm?

Monaghan added that the suitor for the upcoming ninth season will fit Australiaโ€™s โ€œmost eligible bachelor mouldโ€, but that the tagline was โ€œup for interpretation.โ€ 

โ€œWhich is why itโ€™s such a good phrase! Maybe you can be more desirable, for whatever reason,โ€ he said. 

This yearโ€™s selection of leading lad also came with its fair share of controversy, with another white, male comedian, Ash Williams, pegged to sign onto the role before being taken out of the running due to charges laid against him late last year, alleging that he recorded intimate images of a woman without her consent.

โ€œAs we know it was revealed he had been charged with intentionally recording an intimate image without consent, during a sexting incident on the 18th of December last year,โ€ So Dramatic! host Megan Pustetto revealed. โ€œFollowing these charges, Channel 10 made the decision to dump him and cancel his Bachelor contract. So weโ€™re already up to our Plan B Bachelor.โ€

Facing a Sydney court this month, Williams allegedly took screenshots of a woman without her knowledge, where she only became aware of the footage after being sent the images by the 38-year-old Iโ€™m A Celebrity alum, per the Sunday Telegraph

To be honest, if Channel 10 had chosen Little some years ago, especially considering the comedian has made his dating life part of his schtick, it wouldnโ€™t feel like such a lacklustre decision, but following the lineup of some disappointing male leads of seasons pastโ€”who I am sure donโ€™t need any explanationโ€”many were hoping the network would consider once again choosing a โ€˜normieโ€™ for its title role, one whoโ€™s ready to settle down, start a family and you know, genuinely find love? 

Sigh. At least Little is BFFโ€™s with Carrie Bickmore, and we trust her judgement, so it does have the potential to be one of the best seasons yet. 

Only time will tellโ€ฆ 

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Home Page 43

Happy Stalking! We Found Where To Follow The Entire โ€˜MAFSโ€™ 2021 Cast On Instagram

Because, the drama all unfolds on the 'gram

Married At First Sight Australia is almost upon us for another year, and while we know there is going to be plenty of drama to unpack onscreen, we all know the real tea gets dished on Instagram. 

So while we wait not-so-patiently for February 22, weโ€™ve gotten busy on social media, tracking down where to find the entire cast of the upcoming season. 

Below, where to follow (read: stalk) the 2021 cast of MAFS Australia on Instagram. 

Youโ€™re welcome!

Booka Nile

Instagram: @bookanile 

Followers: 20k

Samantha Jayne Harvey

Instagram: @sjkovu 

Followers: 3.3k

instagram.com/p/CJpEHXNJpZN/

Connie โ€˜Cocoโ€™ Stedman

Instagram: @peaceloveandcoco 

Followers: 3.5k

Brett Helling

Instagram: @fatman_scube 

Followers: 1k

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bs2WYcuAaId/

Bryce Ruthven

Instagram: @bryceruthven

Followers: 12.2k 

Joanne Todd

Instagram: @jotodd9 

Followers: 255 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CJ20oJvsTTS/

Cameron Dunne

Instagram: @cameron_dunne

Followers: 4k

James Susler

Instagram: @jamessusler 

Followers: 241

https://www.instagram.com/p/CJkcx0bLISx/

Jake Edwards

Instagram: @jake_edwards_official 

Followers: 5.8k

Alana Sinead Lister

Instagram: @alana.lister 

Followers: 319 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CKgDcvUr1K9/

Jason Engler

Instagram: @jasonengler_ 

Followers: 507

Rebecca Zemek

Instagram: @beckzemek 

Followers: 2k

Beth Moore

Instagram: @bettyrawmoore 

Followers: 534

Belinda Vickers

Instagram: @belindavickers_

Followers: 331

Melissa Rawson 

Instagram: @lissrawson

Followers: 527

https://www.instagram.com/p/BswwxjdBS1q/

Patrick Dwyer

Instagram: @patrickdwyer_official

Followers: 247

https://www.instagram.com/p/CKs2IQVALLl/

Russell

Instagram: @rustyduance

Followers: 426

Sam Carraro

Instagram: @samcarraro7 

Followers: 339

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Home Page 43

Feast Your Eyes On The Contestants Of โ€˜Married At First Sightโ€™ Australia 2021

Let the drama commence

Facebook has banned the sharing and viewing of Australian news articles on its platform. Keep up with the latest in fashion and culture by following marie claire Australia on Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest. Sign up for our newsletter for curated content with substance and exclusive offers.

โ€˜Tis the season to be jolly and no, not just because itโ€™s Christmas. As we approach a new year, we also await the arrival of Australiaโ€™s favourite reality showโ€”Married At First Sight.

And after having witnessed the chaos of The Bachelorโ€”along with the mayhem of 2020โ€”itโ€™s safe to say that we canโ€™t wait.

While we have been baited with the MAFS All-Stars Reunion and teasers about a brand new expert, thereโ€™s nothing quite like a revealed cast list to get our reality-loving blood pumping.

Thanks to The Wash, we have a list of faces who are reportedly heading to the screen for the eighth season. As we eagerly wait in anticipation for the drama to unfold, feel free to take a glimpse at the men and women who are expected to wed next year.

Ready to envision the next dinner party? Scroll on for every Married At First Sight Australia 2021 contestant set to join our screens.

Booka Nile

MAFS 2021
Booka Nile

A 31-year-old musician and law student from Perth, Booka looks to be one of the biggest names of the season. She regularly tours with her band Make Them Suffer and is a mental health advocate.

Instagram: @bookanile (currently on private)

Followers: 20k

Samantha Jayne Harvey

samantha
Samantha Jayne Harvey

An entrepreneur from Canberra, the single mum to two young boys has successfully launched two businesses to support her little family: Kaikora Australia and Milburn Estate.

She describes her looks to 9now as a โ€œlittle bit of Aussie boganโ€ and โ€œequally at home on the power tools or camping with her sons.โ€

Instagram: @sjkovu (currently on private)

Followers: 3.3k

Connie โ€˜Cocoโ€™ Stedman

coco
Connie โ€˜Cocoโ€™ Stedman

A former policewoman, Coco is now the proud owner of a KX Pilates in southern Sydney and is an aspiring influencer judging by her Instagram. She was divorced in early 2019, making this her second time walking down the aisle.

โ€œSheโ€™s now looking to be someoneโ€™s absolute number one,โ€ says 9now

Instagram: @peaceloveandcoco (currently on private)

Followers: 3.5k

Brett Helling

brett
Brett Helling

Brett (otherwise known as โ€˜Scubaโ€™) is a 31-year-old electrician and psychology student with a โ€œreal man-sized heart.โ€ According to 9now, Brett volunteers with the Salvation Army to assist the homeless, and his dream is to open a treatment centre to help the vulnerable.

Instagram: @fatman_scube (currently on private)

Bryce Ruthven

bryce
Bryce Ruthven

Move over Dean Wells, it seems thereโ€™s another self-described โ€œalpha-maleโ€ headed to MAFS. A radio host from Canberra, Bryce proves that working in media doesnโ€™t take you out of the running for a reality dating show. 

Heโ€™s described as, โ€œA footy bloke never shy to speak his mind, other guys tend to be intimidated by him. And if Bryce can see a way to benefit from that, heโ€™ll use it.โ€

Instagram: @bryceruthven (currently on private)

Followers: 12.2k 

Joanne Todd

joanne
Joanne Todd

A hairdresser from Melbourne, Jo is also a working mother, just like Samantha. And as one of the older brides from the cast, we can expect things to get rather interesting. Apparently, sheโ€™s a โ€œreal go-getter, outgoing, adventurous and vivacious.โ€ 

Instagram: @jotodd9 (currently on private)

Followers: 255 

Cameron Dunne

https://www.instagram.com/jotodd9/
Cameron Dunne

A Melbournian tradie and bodybuilder, Cameron has more than one spanner in the works. He also does charity work as the director of My Charity Change, an โ€œapp that changes livesโ€, according to The Wash.

Instagram: @cameron_dunne (currently on private)

Followers: 4k

James Susler

james
James Susler

Hailing from Melbourne, James is a luxury car salesman. Apparently just as flash as his job title, his company has turned over $11,200,000 in revenue since 2015. Apparently, he also loves travelling, sports and having fun. Heโ€™s also a father of three and describes himself as a โ€œcheeky chappyโ€ and the ringleader of social groups.

Instagram: @jamessusler (currently on private)

Followers: 241

Jake Edwards

jake
Jake Edwards

A former AFL player for Carlton and Port Melbourne, Jake chose to step away from his football career to take care of his mental health and is now the CEO of mental health charity, Outside The Locker Room. 

Jake is looking for โ€œsomeone to love him for himself, not for who he is.โ€ 

Instagram: @jake_edwards_official (currently on private)

Followers: 5.8k

Alana Sinead Lister

alana
Alana Sinead Lister

A 30-year-old teacher from the Gold Coast, Alana is โ€œpassionate about girl-power and empowering womenโ€, both in the classroom and in her own life. 

Instagram: @alana.lister (currently on private)

Followers: 319 

Jason Engler

jason
Jason Engler

Originally from Toowoomba, the music festival lover has a penchant for skateboarding, since he has been spotted skating around Sydneyโ€™s CBD, throughout filming earlier this year. Realising itโ€™s โ€œtime to leave the partying behindโ€ the construction estimator is focused on finding โ€˜The Oneโ€™. 

Instagram: @jasonengler_ (currently on private)

Followers: 507

Rebecca Zemek

rebecca
Rebecca Zemek

A food blogger from Perth, Rebecca is apparently already friends with a bunch of former MAFS/Bachie stars, which could make her a source of some binge-watchable drama. After a 10-year relationship with her fiancรฉ, an AFL player, Rebecca is looking to get serious again. 

Instagram: @beckzemek (currently on private)

Followers: 2k

Beth Moore

beth
Beth Moore

Hailing from Perth, Beth apparently quit her retail management job to pursue a psychology degree because she wants to help people. Closing in on 40, Beth has always wanted kids and is sad she may not have enough time left, โ€œbecause she has a lot of love to give.โ€ 

Instagram: @bettyrawmoore (currently on private)

Followers: 534

Belinda Vickers

belinda
Belinda Vickers

Another Melbourne native, Belinda works in sports management and unfortunately, very little is known about her. What we do know is that sheโ€™s โ€œconfidentโ€ and โ€œquirkyโ€ and has only been on three dates in her life, and has never had a boyfriend or been in a relationship. 

Instagram: @belindavickers_ (currently on private)

Followers: 331

Melissa Rawson 

melissa
Melissa Rawson

A 31-year-old workplace trainer from Victoria, Melissa has held a stable job for 13 years but has never been on a dateโ€”and is desperate to find love and โ€œput an end to her loneliness.โ€ 

Instagram: TBC. 

Patrick Dwyer

patrick
Patrick Dwyer

Admittedly โ€œunlucky in loveโ€, Patrick is looking to settle down and start a family. The โ€œbubbly, friendly and upbeatโ€ personal trainer from Victoria has a โ€œheart of goldโ€ and is ready to find the love of his life. 

Instagram: @patrickdwyer_official (currently on private)

Followers: 247

Russell 

russell
Russell

The 37-year-old diesel mechanic owns his own mechanic and contracting business in the mines of South Australia, and is happiest when heโ€™s โ€œdowning a beer and eating a steak.โ€ 

Instagram: TBC. 

Sam Carraro

sam
Sam Carraro

While working in construction, the 32-year-old Victorian has also been pursuing his dreams of launching a fashion label, Grouse Mouse. He has been single for three years while concentrating on his career.

Instagram: @samcarraro7 (currently on private)

Followers: 339

Facebook has banned the sharing and viewing of Australian news articles on its platform. Keep up with the latest in fashion and culture by following marie claire Australia on Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest. Sign up for our newsletter for curated content with substance and exclusive offers.

Facebook has banned the sharing and viewing of Australian news articles on its platform. Keep up with the latest in fashion and culture by following marie claire Australia on Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest. Sign up for our newsletter for curated content with substance and exclusive offers.

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Home Page 43

Regencycore Hair Is Our Next โ€˜Bridgertonโ€™ Obsession

We're eyeing off Eloise's modern take on the mullet

Between the ornate costumes, fresh-faced, flushed makeup and the showโ€™s sneaky parallels to modern day, Bridgerton has us utterly infatuated with the Regency era. Now that our wardrobes are filled with flowing, empire silhouette dresses and our cheeks are adorned in โ€˜rougeโ€™, weโ€™re looking to the show to reinvent our hair.

Whether youโ€™re feeling playful with intricate braiding like Philipa Featheringtonโ€™s, or are tempted by Daphneโ€™s Gigi Hadid-approved baby bangs or Eloiseโ€™s high-class mulletBridgerton is bound to find its way onto your moodboard.

Before you take matters into your own hands, the mane man behind some of the showโ€™s most unexpected hair looks, Marc Pilcher, talks marie claire through his favourite creations and on-set hair kit.

Eloiseโ€™s Lady-Like Mullet

โ€œEloise was a feminist and a tomboy, who hates the constrictions of dresses and corsets. I gave Eloise a mullet hairstyle, which was a Regency era style, and suited her personality. I topped if off with Grecian-style ribbons to keep her looking young, and because her mother probably would have made her wear them!โ€  shares Marc.
Bridgerton braided hair
(Credit: Courtesy Hask)

Cressidaโ€™s Towering Braids

โ€œThe character of Cressida was based on Nellie Olson from Little House on the Prairie โ€“ all sugary sweet on the outside, but catty and mean on the inside.

It was so important to tell a story through the hair and makeup at the Princeโ€™s Ball, so I sculpted her wired braids into the shape of a crown. The purpose for this was to show how hard Cressida was trying to convince the Prince that she should be his Princess,โ€ describes Pilcher.

Philipa and Prudenceโ€™s Quirky Ringlets

โ€œPhilipa and Prudence were our comedy duo, like the ugly sisters from Cinderella, but we still wanted them to look pretty,โ€ Pilcher explains.

Complete with curly bangs, โ€œPhilipa had a slight 1940s feel to her but still in the Regency period, topped off with flowers and gaudy hair jewels to match her colourful dresses.โ€

Sienaโ€™s Goddess-Inspired Curls

โ€œSiena was our opera singer, so I wanted her to be more gypsy-like, with a free spirit feel. I used the Grecian silhouette of the period, but with loose ringlets tumbling over her shoulders.โ€

The Queenโ€™s Crowning Glory

โ€œMy favourite look of all was Queen Charlotteโ€™s wig for the Hastings Ball. The mix of locks with hair bows, bird cages and birds was a show-stopper! When dressing this out, we used HASK Argan Oil from Morocco Repairing Hair Oil, which helped to keep the hair smooth and frizz-free. This product is a must have.โ€

In Marcโ€™s Regency Hair Kit

Below, Pilcher shares his kit must-haves for creating Bridgertonโ€™s big, bold and ball-ready hair.
Hask Biotin Thicken 5-in-1 Leave-In Spray
HASK Biotin Boost Thickening 5-in-1 Leave-in-Spray, $14.99; priceline.com.au
โ€œI used a HASK 5-in-1 Leave-in-Spray on every look in Bridgerton. The Biotin Boost 5-in-1 Leave-in-Spray works miracles with finer hair, strengthening and thickening the follicle, while the Argan Oil 5-in-1 Leave-in-Spray was my go-to for dyed hair, to keep it soft and manageable.โ€
Hask Monoi Coconut Oil Nourishing Deep Condtioner

HASK Monoi Oil Nourishing Deep Conditioner, $4.99; priceline.com.au

โ€œRegular conditioning treatments helped to keep the hair in great shape, day after day of styling. We also used these treatments on the wigs and hair pieces to keep them shiny and healthy.โ€

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Home Page 43

PSA: Thereโ€™s A Swedish Version Of โ€˜The Crownโ€™ In The Works, Set To Tell The Story Of King Carl Gustaf

Royal lovers, rejoice!

Attention fans of The CrownA Swedish version of the hugely popular Netflix series is officially in the works, set to tell the story of 74-year-old monarch King Carl Gustafโ€”and from what we know already, itโ€™s going to be filled with plenty of royal drama to devour. 

Swedenโ€™s TV4 and streaming service C More is reportedly developing the six-episode limited series about King Carl XVI Gustafโ€™s life, from his childhood to his decades-long reign since becoming king in 1973 at the age of 27.

โ€œIโ€™ve personally never been a fan of the monarchy, but I remember reading the treatment of six or seven pages while I was on a flight. As I was reading those pages, I started crying because it was so strong,โ€ said Josefine Tengblad, head of drama at TV4 and C More, according to Variety. โ€œItโ€™s a little bit like The Kingโ€™s Speech in the way that it portrays someone who is being groomed to become someone heโ€™s not and is having people trying to change him.โ€

But while it will tell the story of the royal family, Tengblad adds that the core of the series is about โ€œhuman beings who have flaws that everyone can relate to and the challenges we all face to stay true to ourselves.โ€

royals
King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden and his wife Queen Silvia of Sweden, 2015 (Credit: Getty Images)

ร…sa Lantz, the author of Selma, will be co-writing the series, and according to Variety, it is a โ€œpassion projectโ€ for the writer who has been researching the royal for years. 

โ€œOther kings and queens are said to have had an impact on world events. The history of our King is something different. Not as highlighted internationally but at least as dramatic and fascinating,โ€ Lantz said, per People. โ€œAnd for many of us, completely unknown.โ€

And according to reports, unlike Netflixโ€™s royal drama, the Swedish royal family has been informed and Margareta Thorgren, the Swedish Courtโ€™s Information Manager, met with Lantz to discuss the upcoming project. 

โ€œAs we understand it, it is planned as a drama-documentary. When it comes to documentaries, it is important that they are as close to the truth as possible, and that the facts are presented correctly,โ€ The Royal Court told Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter. โ€œAs for the dramatised part of the series, it is of course based on artistic freedom, something we have no control over.โ€

Below, a little bit to know about the Swedish royal family. 

Who Is King Carl Gustaf?

King Carl Gustaf is the King of Sweden, having ascended the throne following the death of his grandfather, King Gustaf VI Adolf, in 1973 when he was just 27 years old.

The monarch is the youngest child and only son of Prince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Vรคsterbotten, and Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.

King Carl Gustafโ€™s father died in 1947 in an aeroplane crash in Denmark when he was just nine months old, while his mother died of cancer less than a year before he ascended the throne. 

Who Is The Queen Of Sweden? 

King Carl Gustaf married Silvia Sommerlath after the pair met at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, where she was working as an interpreter and host. 

The wedding was held in June of 1976 at the Stockholm Cathedral, and Swedish group ABBA gave a performance of โ€œDancing Queenโ€ as a tribute to the future queen at a Royal Variety Performance the evening prior to the royal coupleโ€™s nuptials. 

King Carl Gustaf XVI of Sweden marries Silvia Sommerlath at Stockholm Cathedral on June 19, 1976
King Carl Gustaf XVI of Sweden marries Silvia Sommerlath at Stockholm Cathedral on June 19, 1976 (Credit: Getty Images)

Does King Carl Gustaf Have Children?

King Carl Gustaf has three childrenโ€”Crown Princess Victoria, Prince Carl Philip, and Princess Madeleineโ€”who have families of their own.

His eldest child, Princess Victoria, is his heir apparent, followed by her eight-year-old daughter, Princess Estelle. 

(L-R) Queen Silvia of Sweden, Princess Madeleine of Sweden, King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, Prince Carl Philip of Sweden and Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, 2009
(L-R) Queen Silvia of Sweden, Princess Madeleine of Sweden, King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, Prince Carl Philip of Sweden and Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, 2009 (Credit: Getty Images)

What Scandals Could The New Series Delve Into? 

Just like the British monarchy, there are plenty of royal scandals the six-episode limited series could use as inspiration in its writing room. 

Prince Carl Philip of Sweden caused a stir after breaking up with his partner of 10 years and began dating model, Sofia Hellqvist. During her career as a model, Hellqvist worked as a glamour model, appearing in the pages of Swedish menโ€™s magazine Slitz and (allegedly!) made out with adult film star Jenna Jameson on the set of reality show Paradise Hotel.

And in 2019, the King made some big changes that may have caused some family tension, deciding to denounce his grandchildren of their royal titles and duties. 

The children of Princess Madeleine and her husband Christopher Oโ€™Neill, and Prince Carl Philip and his wife Princess Sofia, lost their official HRH (His/Her Royal Highness) titles, and while they retained their titles of Prince and Princess, future spouses or children do not have a right to them.

The change did not affect Crown Princess Victoriaโ€™s two children, Princess Estelle and Prince Oscar, as they are heirs to the throne and will continue to be part of the royal house.

When Will The Series Air And How Can You Watch It In Australia?

No word yet on when the series will begin production or whether it will come across to an Australian streaming serviceโ€”so stay tuned for more updates! 

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Kate Middleton Just Proved This One Classic Staple Never Goes Out Of Style

A tried and true classic

From statement Alexander McQueen coats to custom-made Emilia Wickstead dresses, Kate Middleton has long been an advocate for timeless (and re-wearable) style.

The Duchess of Cambridge, this week, has once again proved that her penchant for classic styles is unmatched, logging on to Zoom to speak with teachers from the Ribbon Academy in County Durham in honour of Childrenโ€™s Mental Health Week in the U.K., recycling a blue tweed jacket from New Zealand-based brand Rebecca Taylor

The classic styleโ€”made famous by Coco Chanel in the 1920sโ€”will forever be a chic wardrobe staple, if Kateโ€™s latest look is anything to go by. 

First worn to the opening of Ronald McDonald House Evelina London in 2017, Kate originally wore the set with a deep navy suede clutch and sapphire earrings that perfectly matched her famous sapphire engagement ring. 

For this weekโ€™s event, Kate switched out the sapphires in favour of a pair of rose-gold drop earrings from Missomaโ€”which are still in stock. 

akte middlonet

Missoma Rhodochrosite Gold Pyramid Charm Hoop Earrings, $155; at Missoma

Kate has been completing most of her royal engagements via Zoom the past several weeks amid Londonโ€™s COVID-19 lockdowns, and recently shared new insights into her relationship with Prince William.

During a recent video call with fellow parents, the royal mum-of-three was asked to share who her โ€œgreatest supportโ€ has been throughout the pandemic. 

Revealing her answer, Kate held up a piece of paper that read: โ€œWilliam.โ€ 

โ€œThatโ€™s lovely, lovely to hear. We donโ€™t want it to be Bridgerton or something like that, do we?โ€ said moderator Melissa Loosemore. 

โ€œThis has been really difficult for lots of families, not being able to rely on their usual support systems,โ€ Kate added. 

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โ€˜Married At First Sightโ€™sโ€™ Jonethen Was Kicked Out Of A Club Thanks To His On-Screen Treatment Of Connie

Karma doesn't forget

As we mentally prepare for the onslaught of drama in the upcoming season of Married At First Sight, it looks like past contestants continue to get themselves in hot water for our entertainment.

Season seven alum Jonethen Musulin is the latest in the post-show limelight, after he recently was kicked out of a club over his treatment of his on-screen wife Connie Crayden back in 2020.

As reported by The Wash, Jonethen was waiting in line at Hobartโ€™s The Grand Poobah, but after he became sick of waiting, direct messaged the bar in an attempt to skip the line, thanks to his self-claimed celebrity status.

Asking to skip the line in exchange for a post, The Wash shared a screenshot of the conversation where Jonethen was told that he wouldnโ€™t be allowed to use influencer privilege to skip the queue as a result of how he treated Connie during their season.

The bar spokesperson replied, saying: โ€œNah you can stay in the lineโ€ฆ this ones for Connie.โ€

Fans of the series may remember Jonethen and Connieโ€™s tumultuous relationship, where the pair couldnโ€™t agree on whether their relationship was worth salvaging or not.

Between wanting to make things work and asking to leave the experiment, Jonethen played the ultimate game of flip-flopping when he chose to write โ€˜leaveโ€™ at one of Sundayโ€™s commitment ceremonies, but later confessed that he was secretly hoping that Connie would choose to stay for the both of them.

Breaking Connieโ€™s heart over-and-over again and claiming that he might develop feelings for her after committing to her for over six weeks, he led Australia to believe that he was purely looking to stick around for his five minutes of fame.

Ultimately, Connie and Jonethen made it to the finale, where Connie won hearts nationwide for her final commitment, not to him but to herself. In a gripping speech, Connie proclaimed:

โ€œBut, I had to put myself first for the first time in a long time. I stand by my decision, and although I didnโ€™t find love with you I found something so much more important, something so valuable. I found that I am brave, I am strong, I am confident and I am worthy.โ€

But while she may have forgiven his on-screen behaviour, Hobart certainly hasnโ€™t.

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Everything We Know About The Alleged Sex Slave Ring Operating In Brisbane

Matthew James Markcrow allegedly used tattoos to mark victims as his "property"

Last week, Queensland police discovered an alleged prostitution ring in Mount Gravatt East, Brisbane, with women as young as 17 allegedly kept as sex slaves.

Four women were found following a search of a property at Mount Gravatt East in Brisbane, per ABC Newsbut police said there may be more alleged victims. 

Matthew James Markcrow, 35, and Crystal Marie Sawyer, 23, appeared in Brisbane magistrates court on February 5 following a four-month investigation into the alleged prostitution ring.

Markcrow faces 10 charges, including conducting a business involving servitude, conducting unlawful prostitution, possessing drugs and tainted property, and breaching privacy. There were also allegedly drugs and secret recordings of sex acts found on the property, plus other evidence which police allege relates to the sexual servitude and organised prostitution offences.

Sawyer, who was alleged to have been in a relationship with Markcrow, has been charged with knowingly carrying on the business of unlawful prostitution.

According to police, at least four of the alleged victims had โ€œProperty of Matt Mโ€ tattooed on their bodies.

Detective Inspector Juliet Hancock, of the Prostitution Enforcement Taskforce, said the crimes were an example of modern-day slavery.

โ€œWeโ€™ve been shocked by this, we didnโ€™t think this was happening in Australia, let alone Brisbane,โ€ she said. โ€œItโ€™s something that you see thatโ€™s happening overseasโ€ฆ itโ€™s quite hard to shock police. This is quite horrendous offending.โ€

โ€œThis investigation has been confronting when you consider those aspects, vulnerable young women being recruited, being drugged, being prostituted and being tattooed, thatโ€™s pretty confronting.โ€

Police allege the women were given stupefying drugs, as well as placed in controlled living, financial and work conditions. 

โ€œThe allegations against Markcrow have a particularly sinister flavour and perhaps more will be revealed as the investigation is completed,โ€ the magistrate said.

Officers say the women are now safe, and have encouraged any other victims to come forward.

โ€œThe women are now safe thanks to the information from members of the public and the diligence of our officers,โ€ Hancock said in a statement. โ€œPolice are working with community service providers to offer the victims any care and support they may seek.โ€

Sawyer has been granted bail despite police claiming she โ€œexerted controlโ€ over the women and concerns she may run the business in Markcrowโ€™s absence.

โ€œI am satisfied that risk can be significantly mitigated,โ€ said the magistrate, ordering Sawyer not to contact any witnesses involved in the police case and return to court for mention on February 24.

Markcrow was remanded in custody and is scheduled to return to court on 24 February.

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Do Cats And Dogs Need To Be Vaccinated Against COVID-19?

Experts warn continued evolution of virus in animals followed by transmission to humans "poses significant long-term risk to public health"
A woman wearing a mask sitting on a couch, petting her dog.

As the COVID-19 vaccines continue to be rolled out worldwideโ€”with Australiaโ€™s rollout expected to be announced in the coming weeksโ€”the next question to stop the spread of the virus lies with our pets. Do our cats and dogs need to be vaccinated against COVID-19? 

Following Denmarkโ€™s cull of mink, with more than 2 million put down after posing a potential COVID risk, experts have suggested that domestic pets, namely cats and dogs, may need to be vaccinated in order to curb its transmission. 

In an editorial for the journal Virulence, researchers from the University of East Anglia (UEA), a Norwich-based research facility the Earlham Institute, and the University of Minnesota, say animal transmission of the virus โ€œposes a significant long-term risk to public health.โ€

โ€œIt is not unthinkable that vaccination of some domesticated animal species might be necessary to curb the spread of the infection,โ€ the journal read. 

Cock van Oosterhout, professor of evolutionary genetics, said although dogs and cats can contract coronavirus, there are no known cases of them passing it on to humans, per 7News.

โ€œIt makes sense to develop vaccines for pets, for domestic animals, just as a precaution to reduce this risk,โ€ he said. โ€œWhat we need to be as a human society, we really need to be prepared for any eventuality when it comes to COVID.

โ€œI think the best way to do this is indeed to consider the development of vaccines for animals as well.โ€

The researchers are not calling for domestic pets to be vaccinated at this stage though, but rather proposing the idea to be considered in the future. 

โ€œIt is important to stress that we are not seeing onward transmission in cats (or dogs) at the moment and there is no need for owners to consider vaccinating [their pets] right now, but we should be prepared for that as a possibility at some stage,โ€ Kevin Tyler, editor-in-chief of Virulence and co-author of the editorial, told Live Science.

The authors also called on governments to continue implementing strict control measures, including masks and social distancing to reduce the evolution and spread of new COVID-19 strains.

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The Three Skincare Products Under $20 That Gigi Hadid Swears By

The model just revealed her at-home beauty routine
We always assume celebrities have extensive (and expensive) beauty routines, but itโ€™s definitely welcome news when they reveal that actually, they use the same affordable products we do. The latest celeb to reveal their relatively cheap skincare and makeup routine? Gigi Hadid.
The model listed her favourite products during a video with Vogue, revealing that sheโ€™s a long-time fan of St Ives Apricot Scrub, as well as Cetaphil Daily Face Cleanser to remove makeup after shooting. โ€œIโ€™ve always gone for drugstore skincare,โ€ she says. โ€œI just always wanted good products and I donโ€™t think you have to pay a lot for that.โ€
Another affordable product she loves? Lanolips โ€“ specifically the Multi-Balm in Strawberry. โ€œI dab it on where my skin feels dry, sometimes on the tip of my nose. I find that right where my eyebrows start gets really dry. I think that eyebrow product and pencil goes on better.โ€
Gigi also let slip that sheโ€™s a big fan of using toothpaste to heal pimples โ€“ a controversial hack as some people say it irritates skin. โ€œI put toothpaste on spots at night, and it dries it out,โ€ she says in the video. โ€œI might get in trouble for saying that, but thatโ€™s what I do.โ€
Still, she likes some high-end products. Plant-based skincare brand Odacite gets a mention, as Gigi Hadid mixes their serum with Dr. Jart Ceramidin Cream, available at Sephora Australia.
On the makeup front Gigi of course uses Maybelline, as she is an ambassador. She goes light with foundation, mixing Charlotte Tilbury Wonderglow Face Primer with Maybelline New York Fit Me Foundation. She then uses a Maybelline concealer for her under eye area.
To finish her look she enhances her eyes with the Maybelline Nudes Of New York palette, plus mascara, blush and cream highlighter.

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Everyone Canโ€™t Stop Talking About The Ageism And Sexism Controversies In Netflixโ€™s โ€˜The Digโ€™

Here's everything you need to know

Facebook has banned the sharing and viewing of Australian news articles on its platform. Keep up with the latest in fashion and culture by following marie claire Australia on Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest. Sign up for our newsletter for curated content with substance and exclusive offers.

If thereโ€™s been one saving grace in the past year of turmoil, itโ€™s been Netflixโ€™s consistent line-up of incredible, binge-worthy films and TV shows. 

And while the internet has become infatuated with the grace and poise of Regency-era drama Bridgerton or the jaw-dropping extravagance that is Bling Empire, not all of Netflixโ€™s releases have been without controversy.

This time, one of the streaming serviceโ€™s most-recent releases has come under fire on the internet and for good reason.

Released on January 14, Netflixโ€™s The Dig is based on the 2007 novel of the same name, written by author John Preston. The story follows wealthy widow Edith Pretty, played by Promising Young Womanโ€™s Carey Mulligan, who hires amateur archaeologist Basil Brown, played by Ralph Fiennes, to excavate burial mounds on her East Anglican estate.

A retelling of the most famous archaeological dig in Britain, known as โ€œBritainโ€™s Tutankhamenโ€, its premise is based on the 1939 discovery of an Anglo-Saxon burial ship at Sutton Hoo.

And while the film has been long-anticipatedโ€”thanks to its cast of Lily James and Johnny Flynn to name a fewโ€”reviews of the sure-to-be smash hit were less than favourable. 

Mere days following its release, a plethora of viewers took to social media to air their frustrations over two main issues: the filmโ€™s supposed acceptance of ageism and the inaccurate portrayal of an intelligent female protagonist.

Below, everything you need to know about the controversies surrounding Netflixโ€™s The Dig.

Fans Are Calling The Film Ageist Due To Casting Choices

Fans have noted that a 35-year-old Mulligan, who steps into the role of Edith Pretty, was chosen by Netflix to play a 56-year-old woman. Expressing their disappointment at the casting, fans rightfully suggested that this situation is an example where the industry still relies on ageism to make its money.

Originally, Nicole Kidman, who is 53-years-old was cast to play the role of Edith. However, Mulligan was brought in as a replacement after Kidman pulled out. Many fans have commented on how Kidman would have been a more accurate portrayal, and that replacing her with Mulligan reinforces the idea that the film industry tends to abandon women after they reach their forties.

On the other hand, others pointed out that the film includes Ben Chaplin, who is 51-years-old, to play Stuart Piggott, a 27-year-old manโ€”which leads others to assume that the same ageism issue in the film industry clearly does not apply to men.

The Digโ€™s director, Simon Stone, has previously commented on the controversy during an interview with the BBC. He claimed that the original novel departs from the truth and that gave them the chance to depart from historical accuracy.

โ€œJohn Prestonโ€™s novel departs from the truth in a lot of aspects and doesnโ€™t purport to be absolutely accurate, so the scope for departing from historical accuracy was already there.โ€ 

Even Mulligan herself addressed the ageist approach, saying:

โ€œI suppose there is an age disparity between me and the real-life character, but then the sense of her I think was the most important thing.โ€

Adding, โ€œI was aged-up slightly with make-up to try and split the difference a little bit. But it was more important to honour Edithโ€™s character and the humble, generous, extraordinary woman she was.โ€

WATCH BELOW: The Dig Trailer

Others Are Calling Out The Filmโ€™s Inaccurate Portrayal Of Peggy Piggott

The Timesโ€™ writer, Mark Bridge, publicly noted that archaeologists have found issues with the filmโ€™s portrayal of Peggy Piggott, played in the film by Lily James. Throughout the film, Piggott is made out to be inexperienced and was only hired for the dig because her light weight would not impact the delicate archaeological site. 

However, by 1939โ€”when the film is setโ€”Piggott was an extremely experienced archaeologist. In fact, the film also portrayed the historical figure as being married to an older, more experienced man, when in reality, she was only two years younger than her husband, Stuart Piggott. 

And if that wasnโ€™t enough, Mercie Lack and Barbara Wagstaff, two female teachers who photographed the site, were completely left out of the film as to make way for a romantic storyline between Edith Prettyโ€™s cousin, Rory Lomax, and Piggott herself.

With the above controversies in mind, opinions can only be formed through personal experience.

In other words, go forth, and check out Netflixโ€™s The Dig on Netflix here.

Facebook has banned the sharing and viewing of Australian news articles on its platform. Keep up with the latest in fashion and culture by following marie claire Australia on Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest. Sign up for our newsletter for curated content with substance and exclusive offers.

Facebook has banned the sharing and viewing of Australian news articles on its platform. Keep up with the latest in fashion and culture by following marie claire Australia on Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest. Sign up for our newsletter for curated content with substance and exclusive offers.

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โ€˜Married At First Sightโ€™sโ€™ Michael Brunelli Reveals Behind-The-Scenes Filming Secrets From The Reunion

Including who earned the most from the show

Despite the Married At First Sight reunion airing almost one week ago, it looks like there is still plenty of MAFS-related drama to keep reality TV fans fed until the season eight premieres on February 22. 

And while the issues surrounding Cyrellโ€”and an Instagram video that saw Jessika Power joke about mental illness prior to filmingโ€”continue, this time, the rumour mill has a new face adding to whatโ€™s on offerโ€”Michael Brunelli.

The fitness influencer, and boyfriend to MAFS star Martha Kalifatidis, blessed fans with an array of juicy behind-the-scenes secrets from the reunion that those who donโ€™t work in TV land may not be aware of.

Taking to TikTok, Michael took part in a Q&A session with fans, answering any questions that they had about the show, how it was filmed and what really happened between the cast members.

One fan took to the platform to ask:  โ€œWhat were some of the bizarre rules you had to follow on the show?โ€

And to the joy of the showโ€™s drama-loving fans, he responded, โ€œOne of the weirdest things when we were on MAFS was that they didnโ€™t film all day, so when the camera crew left [at night], they told us, โ€˜Donโ€™t learn anything about each other, donโ€™t really talk to each other because it needs to be on cameraโ€™.โ€

Continuing, Michael went on to explain a certain rule that producers made contestants follow in order to catch any and all of their arguments on-camera.

โ€œIf you have a fight, you need to stop mid-fight, call the producer so they can bring the camera and can start recordingโ€ฆ then youโ€™ve got to keep going with the fight!โ€

However, Michael did admit that he and Martha broke said rule more than once, leading to the couple irritating the showโ€™s producer to no end.

But prepare yourselves, because the drama was far from over. Taking to his Instagram Stories, both Michael and Martha opened up about their salaries from their time on MAFS, after being asked how much they earned from their time in the world of reality TV.

And while fans were calculating which of the most high-profile from the cast would likely receive the most in their bank accounts, Michael went on to reveal that the relationship experts were actually paid the mostโ€”that was until Martha interjected to clarify, โ€œNo, we probably got more than them.โ€

The power couple also revealed that the filming process behind the MAFS reunion was longer than most expect. Taking a gruelling 15 hours to shoot, she revealed that the second-part of the episodeโ€”that involved their one-on-ones with the expertsโ€”was filmed at three oโ€™clock in the morning.

โ€œThat is how you make a reality TV show,โ€ she admitted. โ€œYou film for 12, 14, 16 hours a day and then you just show people 20 minutes.โ€

And while we can only hope and pray for more fascinating unknown moments from what goes on behind the lens, sadly, thereโ€™s nothing more we can do other than wait for the upcoming seasonโ€”and the drama that is guaranteed to ensue.

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Abbie Chatfield Reveals She Was Forced To Move Homes After Receiving Death Threats

The reality star got candid about the hate she receives on a daily basis
Woman with curly blonde hair and blue eyes gazes at camera in home interior.

Life in the spotlight is never easy, especially if youโ€™re a womanโ€”something Abbie Chatfield can attest to. 

Ever since rising to fame on Matt Agnewโ€™s season of The Bachelor (who could forget *that* viral Gemini moment that even got the attention of A-listers like Sarah Hyland), Abbie has gone on to host her own solo podcast, Itโ€™s A Lot with Abbie Chatfieldas well as made several other television appearances, including Bachelor In Paradiseand most recently, being crowned the winner of Iโ€™m A Celebrityโ€ฆGet Me Out Of Here! 

Safe to say, Abbie is a household name, and while sheโ€™s long been vocal about the abuse sheโ€™s received onlineโ€”from negative comments about her body to slut-shamingโ€”the reality star has revealed that recently threats got so bad, she was forced to move homes. 

Appearing on NOVAโ€™s Fitzy and Wippa on February 5, Abbie was asked if there were any โ€œmen we knowโ€ sliding into her DMโ€™s, and while she laughed and said it was mainly female fans flooding her messages, sheโ€™d recently been subject to death threats that, after paparazzi released photos of her outside her Brisbane home, forced her to move. 

โ€œI get literal death rates,โ€ Abbie told the radio hosts, going on to reveal the worst one sheโ€™s ever received was a voice note that has โ€œa lot of the C words on it.โ€ 

โ€œBasically like, โ€˜If I ever see you Iโ€™ll strangle you to deathโ€™,โ€ she said on-air. โ€œI live alone and I was papped outside the house that morning so I know that people knew where I lived, I live in Brisbane, and it was very obvious where I lived.โ€

Abbie said she went to the police about the potential threat but was told nothing could be done unless she was โ€œphysically hurt.โ€ 

Abbie is no stranger to speaking candidly about the trolls who regularly comment on her content, and in September 2020 the reality star took to Instagram to hit back at multiple anonymous commenters who continued to body-shame her, particularly one whoโ€”disgustinglyโ€”called her โ€œFlabby Abbieโ€.

Abbie showed an array of screenshots that displayed the awful comments that she receives about her body. The comments range from calling her โ€œfatโ€ to โ€œpatheticโ€, even accusing her of โ€œpretending to exerciseโ€.

In response to the hurtful remarks, Abbie wrote: โ€œItโ€™s been over a year of being in the media to a certain degree and comments like these only get a tiiiiny bit easier. Yes, theyโ€™re laughable. Yes, our value doesnโ€™t come from our weight and yes, being โ€˜fatโ€™ shouldnโ€™t even be a bad word BUT it still sucks.โ€

She added: โ€œIt gets exhausting and I just want it to stop. I want it to stop for me, but also for people who read these comments and think itโ€™s the norm. Speaking about women as objects, analysing their weight and saying you would โ€˜take them for a rideโ€™ is especially repugnant.โ€

While itโ€™s good Abbie has moved and sheโ€™s not afraid to speak up against her trolls, her actions prove that only bullying is as prevalent as ever, and they can cause damaging consequences to oneโ€™s mental health. 

A reminder: threatening, bullying and shaming someone is never okay. 

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Home Page 43

Netflixโ€™s Eerie Serial Killer Drama Has Added A New Character (And He Sounds More Menacing Than Joe)

"That was quick, quicker than Joe caging his victims"
YOU Season 2 Official Trailer | Netflix
YOU Season 2 Official Trailer | Netflix
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If you devoured both seasons of Netflixโ€™s serial killer drama You in one rather well spent weekend, albeit hiding from behind the sofa, then youโ€™ll be pleased to learn that Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley) will return to our screens once more.

Confirming widespread whispers, the streaming service announced You will be getting a third season in 2021โ€”yep, thatโ€™s our social calendar already on hold.

The announcement was made via the showโ€™s official Twitter account with an eerie clip which spells out: โ€œNew year, new you.โ€

Alongside the frustratingly untelling preview lies the caption, โ€œSee you soon, neighbour.โ€

Its title characters Penn Badgley (Joe Goldberg) and Victoria Pedretti (Love Quinn) will reprise their now-famous roles, while co-creators era Gamble and Greg Berlanti, will also take a seat behind the cameras once more as executive producers.

We have goosebumps already! 

Intrigued to learn more? Below, everything we know about You season three. 

Season three has finished filming, but production was delayed. 

Executive producer Sera Gamble confirmed in April 2021 that filming had officially finished, saying the cast and crew โ€œworked very hardโ€ to make the best show they could while staying safe amid the ongoing pandemic in the U.S., adding it was even during โ€œa significant and scary surgeโ€ in L.A. 

Gamble ended her thread with just a little teaser about what fans can expect from the upcoming series. 

โ€œAlso, the episodes are f*cking bonkers and the performances are insanely good,โ€ she wrote. โ€œThatโ€™s all Iโ€™ll say about that till we are ready to talk about the new season.โ€ 

Netflix has confirmed that its stars will return for season three.

According to Entertainment Weekly, the upcoming season will run for 10-episodes, with Penn Badgley and Victoria Pedretti reprising their roles, and we canโ€™t wait to see how they tackle parenthood. 

Thereโ€™s a new person joining Joeโ€™s world. 

On January 25, Netflix announced that Scott Michael Foster would be joining season three of Youโ€”and if previous seasons are any indication, he better watch his back around Joe (and Love). 

Per Deadline, Foster will be playing Ryan, a single dad and local television reporter who has โ€œovercome a history of addiction.โ€

The publication continues, โ€œRyan has secrets, including a controlling, calculating demeanour that he reserves for those closest to him and anyone who gets in his way.โ€ 

Foster joins several new cast members including, Dylan Arnold, Tati Gabrielle, Adam Speedman, Travis Van Winkle and Shalita Grant.

scott michael foster
(Credit: Getty Images)

The series is set to air in 2021. 

The release date has yet to be confirmed but it is likely that season three will be released in conjunction with the latest Caroline Kepnes book.

There is potential for a fourth season of You. 

Caroline Kepnes has finished her third book in the You series, and has been writing a fourthโ€”which means potential for a fourth season. Of course, the second book and season diverged pretty clearly from one another (Love is not a killer in the books, but she does forgive Joe for his transgressionsโ€”not to mention Joe is jail in the books, not roaming around cities wreaking havoc). 

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Home Page 43

In A Landmark Move, Victoria Has Officially Banned Gay Conversion Practises

Though, not without lengthy debate and opposition

Gay conversion practices have officially been banned in the state of Victoria. The passing of the bill happened last night, after a long debate in parliament. Itโ€™s a mammoth victory for the LGBTQI+ community, with some advocates calling it the โ€œworldโ€™s most significant achievement in legislation curtailing the diabolical influence of the conversion movement,โ€ per The Guardian.

The Change or Suppression (Conversion) Practices Prohibition Bill that was passed last night will seek to outlaw practises that attempt to stifle or change someoneโ€™s sexual orientation or gender identity. Itโ€™s a practise that UN independent experts have previously called โ€œan egregious violation of rights to bodily autonomy, health, and free expression of oneโ€™s sexual orientation and gender identity,โ€ noting that, โ€œUltimately, when conducted forcibly, they also represent a breach to the prohibition of torture and ill-treatment.โ€

While the new legislation has been passed, itโ€™s worth noting that it is now going to the Victorian governor for royal assent. When it comes into effect 12 months from now, the bill will hold those found to have perpetrated conversion therapy that results in serious injury to account. Penalties include up to 10 years of jail time and up to $10,000 in fines.

During the debate, two Liberal MPs, Bev McArthur and Bernie Finn broke with party ranks to vote against the bill. Laborโ€™s Harriet Shing called out the โ€œcognitive dissonanceโ€ and โ€œdoublespeakโ€ of MPs who were opposing the bill, despite the fact they did actually support a ban on conversion practices.

The crossbenchers Jeff Bourman, Clifford Hayes, Stuart Grimley, Tania Maxwell, David Limbrick, Tim Quilty and Catherine Cumming also all voted against the bill.

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โ€œIt is not acceptable that in a debate like this victims and survivors and our communitiesโ€”my communitiesโ€”are denied the opportunity to have our equality, our pain and hurt and trauma, on a footing which is of the utmost importance,โ€ said Shing.

Others also stressed the religious hand wringing and concerns around medical implications of passing such a bill were misdirectional. โ€œThis bill does not outlaw prayer,โ€ attorney general Jaclyn Symes said. โ€œIt does not prevent health professionals from doing their job. It does not stop parents from talking to their kids about their views about sexuality or gender. To suggest anything to the contrary is rubbish.โ€

Labor member Martin Foley also celebrated the passing of the bill, saying: โ€œThis means we are another step closer to a more equal Victoria where everyone can live safely and with pride.โ€

โ€œTo the survivors of these practices who have been instrumental in bringing about this landmark reformโ€”thank youโ€”we are all inspired by your incredible advocacy and strength.โ€

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Lead image via Getty Images.

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Home Page 43

Salma Hayek Gets Real About The Realities Of Achieving Her Incredible Summer Body

Spoiler alert: it's not easy

Seeing celebrities looking fit and toned all the time can take a toll on our mental health, so itโ€™s really refreshing when they get real about the realities of what it takes to look the way they do. The latest to address this? Salma Hayek, who spoke out after her recent holiday pics generated mass discussion.

Salma was interviewed by Entertainment Tonight about her recent swathe of bikini photos, which were seeing loads of responses from fans. She was quick to point out that she doesnโ€™t just have a naturally fit body. โ€œI had to lose a lot of weight and exercise to get into the bikini towards the end of last year,โ€ she told the publication. She jokingly said that since the holiday, she โ€œstarted eating againโ€ as, like all of us, the home-bound nature of a global pandemic saw us all really getting into homemade lasagna and tiramisu. If you didnโ€™t try to make tiramisu during lockdown, did you even lockdown?

While itโ€™s worth remembering that celebrities often donโ€™t have to work full-time jobs or wrangle kids as much as us regular folk do, it is nice to be reminded of the fact that maintaining a fit figure isnโ€™t easy, and even those that seem to always look ridiculously toned are putting in major work to get to that place โ€“ and donโ€™t always look the way they do on Instagram, as Salma was quick to point out.

Salma also added that if anyone was sick of her constant holiday pics, she wasnโ€™t planning on stopping anytime soon. โ€œIโ€™m glad I took a lot of pictures, I have no shame on it, because it was the first week of the vacation,โ€ she said. But, she added, โ€œTheyโ€™re going to think Iโ€™m wearing a bikini every day. No, theyโ€™re all from the same location.โ€ Guys, Salma Hayek is not gallivanting around Turks & Caicos during Americaโ€™s lockdown, FYI.

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Home Page 43

โ€˜The Bachelorโ€™sโ€™ Bella Varelis Debuts Dramatic Blonde Hair Transformation

The former reality star looks unrecognisable

She may not have walked away with Locky Gilbertโ€™s final rose, but Bella Varelis hasnโ€™t slowed down since her time on The Bachelor. 

This week, the former reality star took to Instagram to unveil a brand new look, saying goodbye to her signature brunette locks for something a little lighter. 

The 26-year-old took to social media on February 5 to debut the transformation, which shows her look completely different than her time on the Channel Ten dating franchise. 

โ€œBeen contemplating growing out my natural and dark again, but we went lighter and Iโ€™m in love,โ€ she captioned the video. 

Hairdresser Frankie Flanagan and her sustainable salon, Adilla Colab, were behind the bold new โ€˜do. 

The debut of her new locks comes after Bella decided to take some time away from social media, after being called out by Instagram account @Celeb_SpellCheck for using Russian influencer Ekaterina Mezenovaโ€™s photo as her own. 

โ€œGave myself a small social media detox the last couple days and geez it gives you a lot of time to think,โ€ she wrote. โ€œIโ€™ve never had a year that has been more of an emotional roller coaster than this year and scrolling through my camera roll today really put me through the motions.

โ€œIโ€™m so proud of the human I am becoming, a woman who is unapologetically herself and who will stand her ground when it comes to knowing what sheโ€™s worth.โ€

She went on to thank her followers for their โ€œlove and supportโ€, adding that she wished there was a way to โ€œgive it back to every single one of you.โ€

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Aside from ditching her brunette hair in favour of sandy blonde, Bella debuted a brand new tattoo to fans in December 2020. 

While enjoying a Bryon Bay holiday with some of her girlfriends to celebrate her birthday, the social media influencer revealed that sheโ€™d had a tiny butterfly design inked behind her earโ€”a dedication to her late grandfather who passed away that same year. 

During filming for The Bachelor, psychic Alison Maiden told Bella that spirits can show themselves as butterflies and the 26-year-old confessed that โ€œever since he passed theyโ€™ve been coming up almost every day.โ€

โ€œThe meaning behind this one goes deep,โ€ she captioned her post. โ€œI love it so much @gabdeer.โ€

Bella rose to fame on Locky Gilbertโ€™s season of The Bachelor, where she placed runner-up behind Irena Srbinovska.

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Home Page 43

Chrissy Teigen Reflects On Devastating Pregnancy Loss During Week Of Her Third Childโ€™s Due Date

Her third child, Jack, tragically passed away in October 2020

It has been three months since Chrissy Teigen revealed her devastating pregnancy loss with her third child, Jack. Now, in the week that would have seen Jackโ€™s due date approach, she has reflected on the heartbreaking tragedy and the impact itโ€™s left on her.

On February 3, Teigen opened up about the pain she has felt as the tough week approaches, around the same time as her upcoming endometriosis surgery.

โ€œMy little jack would have been born this week so Iโ€™m a bit off,โ€ she revealed on Twitter. โ€œI truly feel kicks in my belly, but itโ€™s not phantom. I have surgery for endometriosis tomorrowโ€ฆ but the period feeling this month is exactly like baby kicks. sigh.โ€

Teigen shared said caption along with a video of her stomach where there are visible โ€œkicksโ€ coming from beneath her skin. Teigenโ€™s post depicts the heartbreaking physical reminder from her body of last yearโ€™s tragedy. However, the Cravings author is looking for the silver lining, saying:

โ€œIโ€™ll pretend itโ€™s him saying hiโ€”it never stops.โ€

Back in October 2020, Chrissy Teigen and husband John Legend tragically lost their third child, Jack, at 20 weeks. Taking to Instagram, Teigen shared a series of heartbreaking black-and-white images showing the couple saying goodbye to their son, along with a statement depicting the pain and grief that has struck them as a result of a complicated pregnancy.

โ€œWe are shocked and in the kind of deep pain you only hear about, the kind of pain weโ€™ve never felt before,โ€ Teigen wrote. โ€œWe were never able to stop the bleeding and give our baby the fluids he needed, despite bags and bags of blood transfusions. It just wasnโ€™t enough.โ€

โ€œHe will always be Jack to us. Jack worked so hard to be a part of our little family, and he will be, forever,โ€ she wrote. 

Since Jackโ€™s passing, the couple have not only shared their grief and mourning with the public, they have also launched a charity in his honour that benefits sick and injured children.

โ€œPeople say an experience like this creates a hole in your heart,โ€ Chrissy wrote an essay on the tragedy with Medium. โ€œA hole was certainly made, but it was filled with the love of something I loved so much. It doesnโ€™t feel empty, this space. It feels full.โ€

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Home Page 43

Michaela Coel Gets SAG Award Nomination Following Controversial Golden Globes Snub

Plus, 'Bridgerton' and 'The Undoing' secure nods

Following the controversial list 2021 Golden Globe nominees released by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association on February 4โ€”with series such as Emily in Paris awarded over critically-acclaimed dramas such as Michaela Coelโ€™s I May Destroy Youโ€”it seemed award shows, once heralded reputations as true cultivators of the cultural zeitgeist, were keen to seal their fate as irrelevant.

On February 5, the SAG Awards released their official nominations for the 2021 show and thankfully, Coel was nominated in the Best Female Actor in a Limited Series category, alongside Cate Blanchett (Mrs America), Nicole Kidman (The Undoing), Anya Taylor-Joy (The Queenโ€™s Gambit), and Kerry Washington (Little Fires Everywhere).

Unlike the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which selects the Globes nominees. many members of the Screen Actors Guild are also members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AKA fellow actors) and will make up the largest branch of the Academyโ€”meaning shows like the SAG Awards are usually precursors to who will win at the Academy Awards. 

Twitter celebrated Coelโ€™s nomination as a victory, with her 12-part seriesโ€”that dives into and confronts the complexities of sexual assault based on her own experiencesโ€”was regarded as must-see viewing in 2021. 

The nominations list also included a few surprises: Netflixโ€™s mega-hit Bridgerton received a nom for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series and Regรฉ-Jean Page (The Duke of Hastings) was nominated for his Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series. 

The 27th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards will air Sunday, April 4. Below, the full list of nominees. 

Best Motion Picture Ensemble

Da 5 Bloods
Ma Raineyโ€™s Black Bottom
Minari
One Night in Miamiโ€ฆ
The Trial of the Chicago 7

Best Male Actor in a Leading Role, Motion Picture

Riz Ahmed, Sound of Metal
Chadwick Boseman, Ma Raineyโ€™s Black Bottom
Anthony Hopkins, The Father
Gary Oldman, Mank
Steven Yeun, Minari

Best Female Actor in a Leading Role, Motion Picture

Amy Adams, Hillbilly Elegy
Viola Davis, Ma Raineyโ€™s Black Bottom
Vanessa Kirby, Pieces of a Woman
Frances McDormand, Nomadland
Carey Mulligan, Promising Young Woman

Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role, Motion Picture

Sacha Baron Cohen, The Trial of the Chicago 7
Chadwick Boseman, Da 5 Bloods
Daniel Kaluuya, Judas and the Black Messiah
Jared Leto, The Little Things
Leslie Odom Jr., One Night in Miamiโ€ฆ

Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role, Motion Picture

Maria Bakalova, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
Glenn Close, Hillbilly Elegy
Olivia Colman, The Father
Yuh-Jung Youn, Minari
Helena Zengel, News of the World

Best Ensemble in a Drama Series

Better Call Saul
Bridgerton
The Crown
Lovecraft Country
Ozark

Best Female Actor in a Drama Series

Gillian Anderson, The Crown
Olivia Colman, The Crown
Emma Corrin, The Crown
Julia Garner, Ozark
Laura Linney, Ozark

Best Male Actor in a Drama Series

Jason Bateman, Ozark
Sterling K. Brown, This Is Us
Josh Oโ€™Connor, The Crown
Bob Odenkirk, Better Call Saul
Rege-Jean Page, Bridgerton

Best Ensemble in a Comedy Series

Dead to Me
The Flight Attendant
The Great
Schittโ€™s Creek
Ted Lasso

Best Male Actor in a Comedy Series

Nicholas Hoult, The Great
Dan Levy, Schittโ€™s Creek
Eugene Levy, Schittโ€™s Creek
Jason Sudeikis, Ted Lasso
Ramy Youssef, Ramy

Best Female Actor in a Comedy Series

Christina Applegate, Dead to Me
Linda Cardellini, Dead to Me
Kaley Cuoco, The Flight Attendant
Annie Murphy, Schittโ€™s Creek
Catherine Oโ€™Hara, Schittโ€™s Creek

Best Male Actor in a Limited Series or TV Movie

Bill Camp, The Queenโ€™s Gambit
Daveed Diggs, Hamilton
Hugh Grant, The Undoing
Ethan Hawke, The Good Lord Bird
Mark Ruffalo, I Know This Much Is True

Best Female Actor in a Limited Series or TV Movie

Cate Blanchett, Mrs. America
Michaela Coel, I May Destroy You
Nicole Kidman, The Undoing
Anya Taylor-Joy, The Queenโ€™s Gambit
Kerry Washington, Little Fires Everywhere

Best Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a TV Series

The Boys
Cobra Kai
Lovecraft Country
The Mandalorian
Westworld

Best Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture

Da 5 Bloods
Mulan
News of the World
The Trial of the Chicago 7
Wonder Woman 1984

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Home Page 43

Matty J And Laura Byrne Announce The Arrival Of Their Second Child, Daughter Lola Ellis

"You are perfection. You are dynamite"

A huge congrats are in order for one of our favourite Bachie couples! Matty J and Laura Byrne have announced the arrival of their second child, daughter Lola Ellis Johnson. 

The couple, who also share daughter Marlie-Mae, took to Instagram to share the special news, 

โ€œLola Ellis Johnsonโ€ฆ you had us all fooled!โ€ Matty wrote alongside a series of adorable photos. โ€œEveryone from your Mum, your Nana, the neighbour and even the postman thought you were going to be a boy.

โ€œPlaying pranks on us all alreadyโ€ฆ I love it! I also love that Iโ€™m now well and truly outnumbered by 3 beautiful and rambunctious girls at home. Welcome to the family.โ€ 

Laura also took to social media to announce the news, alongside her own series of sweet snaps. 

โ€œWelcome to the world my precious little Lola Ellis Johnson,โ€ the Toni May founder began. โ€œI said I would eat my own poop if you were a girl, and yet HERE YOU ARE! Already teaching me the worldly life lessons that come with being a mama โ€“ such as, just because I feel something to be true (in my waters) doesnโ€™t mean it is and not to make promises to @matthewdavidjohnson that I 100% do not intend on keeping.

โ€œYou are perfection. You are dynamite. We love you and your 95 percentile head endlessly.โ€ 

The couple first announced they were expecting their second child in September 2020 via Instagram, posting an adorable snap of themselves with their one-year-old Marlie-Mae at the beach.

โ€œI recon [sic] weโ€™ve kept this little beach ball under wraps for long enoughโ€ฆ.. Half way to number 2 ๐Ÿ‘ถ๐Ÿป,โ€ Laura wrote in the caption accompanying her post.

โ€œA big shout out to @matthewdavidjohnson for his contribution ๐Ÿ˜‚๐Ÿคฃ.โ€

Byrne has previously spoken candidly about being pregnant with Marlie-Mae on numerous occasions, frequently sharing a number of the real and relatable moments that come with being an expectant, from the stretch marks to hormone-fuelled tears.

โ€œI was one of those annoying peacocky pregnant ladies who said things like โ€˜pregnancy is bliss, itโ€™s breezy easy so farโ€™ and now I canโ€™t touch my toes, or breathe, and every burp could very well be a surprise spew,โ€ she shared in one Instagram post.

The all-star Bachelor couple announced their engagement back in April 2019. Their wedding was originally meant to go ahead this year, but was postponed after Laura gave birth to Marlie-Mae, and then a second time due to the pandemic.

In conversation with TV WEEK in April, Laura revealed that they are now looking to wed in 2021.

โ€œWe had originally thought that we would have our wedding this year, but juggling a baby and full-time work meant that we never got around to locking in a date and venue,โ€ she said.

โ€œLuckily our lack of plans and disorganisation meant that we didnโ€™t have to cancel anything. We are now looking to 2021.โ€

Congrats! 

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Home Page 43

Succulent Pillows Exist, So Consider Our Homes Officially Redecorated

Our houseplants obsession continues with this plush, cuddly discovery

Our love of succulentsโ€”and the joys they bring to both our minds and homesโ€”knows no bounds. From mini succulents to succulent candles and pretty-in-pink Princess Philodendronโ€™s, weโ€™ve long strived to find every variety of the calming plant to carry home with us. 

But for those not born with the natural ability it seemingly takes to keep our plants alive (guilty!) weโ€™ve found the perfect alternative.

Enter: succulent pillows. 

Our obsession officially continues with this plush, cuddly discovery, perfect for plant lovers that arenโ€™t particularly great at the whole water-and-sunlight routine. 

Created by Green Philosophy Co., the handmade succulent pillows, available in sage green, olive green, and blush peach, bring the great outdoors into the comfort of home.

If youโ€™re not particularly interested in succulents either, Green Philosophy Co. has also created luxurious, velvety Monstera Deliciosa Leaf pillows and Anthurium Clarinervium pillowsโ€”both in warm green tones. 

And you can feel good about the purchase too, because with every pillow sold the company will plant a designated number of trees in developing countries and communities with the help of Trees For The Future, a non-profit organisation that aims to end hunger and poverty for farmers in Africa by regenerating their land. 

Honestly I donโ€™t know how I lived without knowing these existed, and I have formally begun the redecoration of my home. 

Below, some inspiration to get you exhilarated to create your own indoor garden (albeit, an untraditional one). 

Instagram/@greenphilosophyco
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You can shop the Green Philosophy Co. pillows here

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Home Page 43

Iโ€™m Almost 35 And Still Donโ€™t Have Children. What If I Never Do?

Coming to terms with the possibility of a childless future.

When I was in my early 20s, I envisioned a future like this: meet perfect partner by 25. Be married around 30. Start having babies at 32, give or take a couple of years.

At 30, I was still very much a single-and-dating gal. Which was fine โ€“ as we all know, timelines you thought made sense years ago donโ€™t exactly line up when you reach that fantasy age. I would never have been ready to meet my life partner at 25 โ€“ I was having some major identity crises and just starting to kick career goals. And at 30, I felt like I still had some time to find them.

But for the last few years, Iโ€™ve been very aware that for some milestones, time is of the essence. One very obvious one being children. I could spend my 30s, 40s, any decade being single before settling down into a relationship, but biology says Iโ€™ve got a limited window left for procreation. Of course, I could be lucky and fall pregnant easily in my 40s โ€“ many women do. But statistics are against me the older I get.

Itโ€™s a strange experience to want something from life, but not want it at the same time. See, I love my life. I am still very much happy being the single-and-dating girl. I love the highs of dating โ€“ the first kisses, tipsy dates, new sexual partners who teach me new things. While I also love being in a relationship โ€“ the support and comfort of a partnership, the sexual freedom you feel with a trusted person โ€“ Iโ€™m more than happy to date around until I meet the next person who feels right for me.

The thing is, you canโ€™t force love. And as any woman who has been single in the last few years would know, the dating world is CRUEL. There is absolutely a trend of non-commitment and Iโ€™ve found plenty of men Iโ€™ve had a great connection with, only to find they arenโ€™t interested in settling down.

But even if I found a man who I felt that strong pull toward, and they were keen to rent a home together and start nesting with meโ€ฆ I still donโ€™t think Iโ€™d be ready for kids. Because itโ€™s not my single status that is holding me back, itโ€™s my lifestyle.

The niggling thought that I probably need to get serious about children has become a screaming banshee in my head โ€“ time is ticking, and will soon run out. But at the same time, I am hyper-aware that bringing a child into this world is a huge commitment. It changes everything โ€“ Iโ€™ve seen it with friends who have started families. Suddenly, you have this little person who is entirely reliant on you and your partner for everything โ€“ food, sleep, attention. Sure, when theyโ€™re teeny you can cart them around to coffee dates and dinner parties, but as they grow up they stop being little angelic cherubs and start having tantrums at random and interrupting your gossip sesh to ask why the sky is blue.

In conversations with friends, Iโ€™ve learned that you do just form this innate bond with your child where you want to help them understand why the sky is blue, and even with all the exhaustion and life-change and chaos, you love them unconditionally and wouldnโ€™t trade their existence for the world. But itโ€™s still a big choice to give up the freedom of long, boozy dinners that donโ€™t also cost $150 for a babysitter, spontaneous travel minus fifteen different baby bags and having the time to select a chic outfit every day. And Iโ€™m not sure I want to give that all up right now.

But letโ€™s also go back to being single for a sec โ€“ even if I wanted to sacrifice my lifestyle for the chance that motherhood may be an even better, more rewarding experienceโ€ฆ  I donโ€™t have a partner. Not that I need one โ€“ plenty of women have children solo. But for me, Iโ€™d like to take that step with a partner. So I have the added complication that even if I decided to take the leap on a personal level, I need the stars to align on the life-partner side, too.

For these reasons, Iโ€™ve had to look at this crossroads and assess the very real possibility that I may never have kids. If I donโ€™t meet someone I want to have kids with before the point where I lose the ability to, Iโ€™ll be facing a childless future. And if I do meet the man of my dreams, but we donโ€™t reach a point where we want children until itโ€™s โ€œtoo lateโ€, Iโ€™ll be facing a childless future. The odds are kind of stacked against me, you know?

But hereโ€™s the thing โ€“ that childless path doesnโ€™t look so bad when you actually stop to objectively consider it, even if you really, really want kids. Weโ€™ve been conditioned to believe that a childless existence will be void of love, companionship, family. But as with every life circumstance, there are positives and negatives for every experience. Sure, if I donโ€™t have kids I might miss some of those sweet family moments โ€“ no Easter Bunny egg hunting or 6am Christmas wake-ups for presents. No sticky Vegemite toddler kisses or the thrill of seeing a child grow and develop their little personality. But on the flip side, Iโ€™ll have the freedom to travel more, to do as I please and gather other experiences the financial and familial burden of a child would prevent me from doing. I can build family through strong friendships, my siblings, communities.

There is a full, wonderful life ahead of me โ€“ even if it doesnโ€™t involve children.

I suppose Iโ€™m writing this because I know there are women reading this who canโ€™t have children, and really wanted to build a family. There are some who are like me and just havenโ€™t had events in their lives line up in a way where theyโ€™ve got the opportunity to have kids, be it financially or support-wise. And there are some of you who are even more like me, and also feel this strange push-pull between wanting kids somedayโ€ฆ but still canโ€™t see when that โ€œsomedayโ€ will be โ€“ if it will even arrive.

When I started looking at what my life might be like if I just donโ€™t end up with children, really considered it and all its positives and negatives, it didnโ€™t seem as bad as I thought. Instead of perceiving a childless existence as the loss of something, I started to view it as simply a different route in life. Itโ€™ll have highs and lows, just like raising a family would. But Iโ€™ll have a far more wonderful life if I stop focusing on what I donโ€™t have, and consider all the beautiful things I do.

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Home Page 43

Who Is The Richest Cast Member Of โ€˜Bling Empireโ€™? A Very Important Investigation

Some may surprise you

Facebook has banned the sharing and viewing of Australian news articles on its platform. Keep up with the latest in fashion and culture by following marie claire Australia on Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest. Sign up for our newsletter for curated content with substance and exclusive offers.

We wonโ€™t lie: when Selling Sunset season three wrapped on Netflix, the withdrawals set in something awful. Incidentally, we neednโ€™t have worried, because the streaming giant had something else in mind for our bizarre fixation on the lifestyles of the rich and richer. Cue: Bling Empire.

Described as a fusion of Selling Sunset and Crazy Rich Asians, the show more than delivered with its kooky cast and the window into their (extremely) wealthy lives. Featuring friends Kevin Kreider, Kane Lim, Anna Shay, Kim Lee, Christine and Gabriel Chiu, Cherie Chan, Kelly Mi Li, Jamie Xie, Cherie Chan and Jessey Lee, Bling Empire quickly catapulted itself into Netflixโ€™s top 10 across the world, spawning many reactions in its wake.

Naturally, gauche or not, one of the biggest questions on our collective mind appeared to be: โ€œSo, just how rich is the Bling Empire cast?โ€

With the high-flying group composed of both heirs and heiresses and those with self-made money, it was one thing that stayed on the brain, even as their antics continued to call us poor in 26 different languages (Gucci bag claw machines, anyone?).

So, in the interest of staying entertained until season two comes along, we thought weโ€™d do a little digging. Below, a very serious investigation into the Bling Empire castโ€™s net worths.

Andrew Gray

Age: 34

Estimated net worth: USD $2 million (AUD $2.62 million)

Bling Empire's Andrew Gray's net worth is estimated an $2 million

As an actor who is best known for his role as the red Power Ranger in Nickelodeonโ€™s Power Rangers: Megaforce, Andrew is unsurprisingly not as wealthy as the rest of the Bling Empire cast. Besides acting, he also works as a model, music producer and manager and has his own clothing line, AMG Clothing. Based on his various occupations, reports estimate his net worth to be around USD $2 million.

Kevin Kreider

Age: 37

Estimated Net Worth: Unknown but projected USD $10 million (AUD $13 million)

Kevin Kreider from Bling Empire has a projected net worth of $10 million.

While he might be the showโ€™s โ€˜low outsiderโ€™, it appears model and cast member Kevin Kreiderโ€™s net worth is set to the up and up. Although his actual net worth is unknown, several sites, including The Tab, have listed his net worth as USD $10 million, which Kevin himself referred to as a โ€œpredictionโ€.

โ€œI think Iโ€™m probably the last person to know I was worth that much. Secondly, it seems more like a future prediction instead of a current prediction,โ€ he told E! News.

Kelly Mi Li

Age: 35

Estimated Net Worth: USD $5 Million (AUD $6.54 Million)

Bling Empire's Kelly Mi Li's net worth is an estimated $5 million

An entrepreneur who works as an investor and movie producer, these days Kelly Mi Li is a self-made woman whose net worth is reported to be an estimated $5 million. Fun fact? Sheโ€™s also the one who came up with the idea of Bling Empire as a show, pitching it to former Keeping Up With The Kardashians producer Jeff Jenkins and helping to put the cast together. 

While her wealth is entirely her own these days, viewers of the show may also recall Kelly Mi Li used to be married to a very rich man who was later arrested for running one of the biggest cyber scams in America.

Kim Lee

Age: 32

Estimated Net Worth: USD $10 million (AUD $13 million)

Bling Empire's Kim Lee has an estimated net worth of $1

Dubbed the โ€˜Calvin Harrisโ€™ of Asia by Kane, DJ Kim Lee is a self-made millionaire. The 32-year-old makes most of her coin from travelling the world for various gigs, and has also appeared as a model in music videos for artists like Nicki Minaj and Kanye West. Sheโ€™s even had a slew of acting roles in films and shows like The Hangover Part II and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. Her net worth is reportedly an estimated USD $10 million.

Kane Lim

Age: 31

Estimated Net Worth: USD $20 million (AUD $26.16 million)

Will Kane Lim return in Bling Empire season 2?

Hailing from a Singaporean family whose immense wealth comes from oil, real estate and shipping, Kane was both born into wealth and has made his own millions. The 31-year-old began investing in stocks when he was 17, made his first million by the time he was 19 and reportedly has an estimated individual net worth of USD $20 million (with a shoe collection valued around USD $300,000).

Jamie Xie

Age: 22

Estimated Net Worth: USD $50 million (AUD $65.4 million)

Will Jamie Xie come back for Bling Empire season 2?

A front row regular at fashion week and former equestrian champion (whose horses flew Emirates, naturally), Jamie Xie is the daughter tech billionaire Ken Xie, who is famous for building the worldโ€™s first VPN. While her father has an estimated USD $3.9 billion net worth and Jamie has very clearly born into wealth, sheโ€™s also been carving her own path as an influencer and model and has a personal net worth of around USD $50 million.

Christine and Dr. Gabriel Chiu

Ages: 38 and 53

Estimated net worth: USD $80 million (AUD $104 million)

What will happen with Christe and Dr. Gabriel Chiu in season 2 of Bling Empire?

Christine and Gabriel Chiu are quite the joint force when it comes to wealth, with Christine being an heiress from Taiwan, and Gabriel a celebrity plastic surgeon and descendent of the Song dynastyโ€”an imperial dynasty from China that dates back to 960 AD to 1279 ADโ€”which would have made him next in line to become emperor if the dynasty still existed today.

That said, they have very much made their own money as well, with the married couple co-founding Beverly Hills Plastic Surgery, putting their estimated net worth around USD $80 million. Fun fact? In 2019, Christine started a foundation with Prince Charles, called the Princeโ€™s Foundation Chiu Integrated Health Programme, in Scotland.

Cherie Chan and Jessey Lee

Ages: Unknown

Estimated Net Worth: USD $200 million (AUD $262 million)

Will Cherie and Jessy return to Bling Empire for season 2?

While Cherie Chan may be the heiress to a denim empire and former rising pop star in Japan, she and her now-fiancรฉ (who could forget that proposal?) Jessey Lee have accumulated a significant amount of wealth of their own. Together, they have an estimated net worth of around $200 million, and co-own a tequila company called Religion Tequila. Jessey also has his own furniture empire.

Anna Shay

Age: 60

Estimated Net Worth: USD $600 million (AUD $786 million)

Bling Empire's Anna Shay has an estimated net worth of $600 million

Are we surprised? The iconic Anna Shay, whose one-liners and silky smooth voice won the hearts of reality TV-lovers the world over, is the wealthiest of the entire Bling Empire cast with an estimated net worth of a whopping USD $600 million.

Her wealth is generational, with Anna inheriting it from her father Edward Shay, who founded defence technology company Pacific Architects and Engineers in 1955, before selling it for USD $1.2 billion in 2006 and giving half the money to Anna and half to her sibling. Of course, Anna has always been surprisingly humble and generous when it comes to her wealth.

When talking about never having seen Crazy Rich Asians in a recent interview, Anna revealed that she doesnโ€™t think โ€˜crazyโ€™ is a good descriptor in relation to wealth.

โ€œI didnโ€™t watch it. I was going to say, โ€˜I live itโ€™, but I thought that would be too snobbish. Because how would I know, if I didnโ€™t see the movie?โ€ she said.

โ€œIn the world I was raised in, โ€˜crazyโ€™ is not a good word to put next to the lifestyle I was born into. I didnโ€™t do anything except be born. Itโ€™s my parents. My dad is from the South Side of Chicago. My mother is from aristocracy. Those two are amazing. Theyโ€™re not here, but theyโ€™re here. [Cries]. My mother said, โ€˜You were born in a crystal ball with a silver spoon.โ€

We canโ€™t wait for more of this woman in Bling Empire season two.

Facebook has banned the sharing and viewing of Australian news articles on its platform. Keep up with the latest in fashion and culture by following marie claire Australia on Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest. Sign up for our newsletter for curated content with substance and exclusive offers.

Facebook has banned the sharing and viewing of Australian news articles on its platform. Keep up with the latest in fashion and culture by following marie claire Australia on Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest. Sign up for our newsletter for curated content with substance and exclusive offers.

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Home Page 43

Australia Has Officially Eased Its Blood Donation Restrictions For Gay And Bisexual Men

While it's a historic move, many LGBTQI+ advocates suggest the new rules "don't go far enough"

After decades of harsh restrictions for LGBTQI+ people who have wished to donate blood, Australia has finally relaxed its long-standing blood donation rules for gay and bisexual men, as well as those who are transgender. 

While the historic change was announced last year by the Red Cross Lifeblood Service, the easing of restrictions officially came into effect on January 31, 2021, which saw the previous waiting period reduced from 12 months of abstaining from sex with other menโ€”which has been in place since 2000โ€”to three months. 

According to the Queensland Times, the updated rules also apply to transgender people who have engaged in sexual contact with a man or transgender person within the past three months, as well as sex workers.

โ€œFollowing the approval of our submissions by the TGA, subsequent agreement by all Australian governments, and an update of Lifeblood systems including the donor questionnaire form, we are pleased to report this change was applied on 31 January 2021 and is now in place for all applicable sexual-activity-based blood donation deferral policies,โ€ said a statement from Red Cross Lifeblood.

โ€œAt Lifeblood weโ€™re continuing our focus to make it easier for all Australians to give blood, while always ensuring Australiaโ€™s blood and blood products are as safe as possible for blood recipients.โ€

Australia now joins the United States and Canada who have also changed their blood donation rules to three months, per Gay Times

But while the move is definitely a giant step forward, many LGBTQI+ activists have called into question the need for a celibacy period at all. 

Rodney Croome, a spokesperson for just.equal, said in a press release that the Australian government needs to โ€œadopt a new approach to blood donation that screens donors for their individual sexual risk rather than the gender of their sexual partner.โ€

โ€œThe current governments of both the United States and the United Kingdom are committed to replacing their gay blood bans with individual risk assessment, and itโ€™s time for Australia to do the same.

โ€œWe call on the Australian Red Cross Lifeblood Service to ditch a policy American experts label โ€˜illogical and unsubstantiatedโ€™, and adopt a policy based on scientific evidence instead.โ€

Croome also noted a recent study published in the American Journal of Public Health, which found individual measures โ€œare equally effective in protecting the blood supply.โ€ 

โ€œThis landmark study confirms that reducing the celibacy period is tinkering at the edges,โ€ he said. 

According to news.com.authe study also showed that among gay men who would donate blood, the prevalence of HIV is lower than in the general population. 

The easing of restrictions hopes to see more donations after the COVID-19 pandemic caused a severe downfall over the past 12 months. 

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Home Page 43

Woman Kidnapped And Locked In Boot Rescued After Driver Spotted Waving Hand

Two women will face court today over the alleged incident

Two women have been charged after another woman was allegedly found with stab wounds in the boot of the car they were driving, along the Hume Highway on February 3. 

According to the Sydney Morning HeraldLatia Henderson, 18, and Kayley Lee Ketley, 24, will appear in court via video link on February 4, after a truck driver reported suspicion of the kidnapping to police after he spotted the woman waving her hand through a hole created through a missing tail-light.  

The woman was allegedly found by police suffering multiple stab wounds to her knee, thigh, and forearm but had non-life-threatening injuries. She was transported to Liverpool Hospital and police have since said sheโ€™s been โ€œholding up remarkably wellโ€. 

NSW Police are currently working to discover why the pair accused of the kidnapping were in the Southern Highlands region after it was confirmed they are both from the Campbelltown area in Sydney.

Detective Chief Inspector Brendan Bernie from the Hume Police District told Sunrise he believed the alleged crime was motivated by โ€œpersonal violence.โ€ 

โ€œIt appears to be just personal violence-related,โ€ he said. โ€œWe are still following up inquiriesโ€ฆ but that is what the early indications are that I have been told.โ€

He added police had been told that all three women first met up at a place in Claymore, in south-west Sydney, on the evening of February 2.

โ€œSometime yesterday morning she was stabbed and placed in the boot,โ€ he said. โ€œWeโ€™ll be alleging she was in the car for several hours before she was sightedโ€ฆ Weโ€™ve got a few more investigative steps to take.โ€

Both women have been charged with wounding a person with the intent of causing grievous bodily harm, kidnapping offences, as well as taking and driving a car without the consent of its owner.

Ms Henderson was further charged with driving a vehicle without a license, while Ms Ketley was charged with driving a vehicle while disqualified and drug possession.

They remain in custody at Goulburn Police Station.

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Home Page 43

Evan Rachel Wood Details Alleged Abuse From Marilyn Manson

Wood's statement has led to an outpouring of similar accounts from other women
A person with red lipstick and floral hair accessory, wearing a black outfit, at an event with NBC and Emmy logos.

Update 04/02/2021: Marilyn Mansonโ€™s ex-wife, Dita Von Tesse, has publicly come forward for the first time since Evan Rachel Wood and four others revealed they were allegedly abused by the musician.

Posting her statement to Instagram, the burlesque performer opened up about her marriage to Manson and admitted that she had not experienced any of the abuseโ€”emotional, physical, sexual or otherwiseโ€”described by Wood and the others. Admitting that she chose to divorce Manson due to his excessive infidelity and drug abuse, Von Teese made it clear that she was not questioning the accusersโ€™ accounts in any way.

โ€œPlease know that the details made public do not match my personal experience during our 7 years together as a couple,โ€ she wrote. โ€œHad they, I would not have married him in December 2005. I left 12 months later due to infidelity and drug abuse.โ€

Von Teese and Manson began dating in 2001 and were married in late 2005, however, Von Teese filed for divorce in December 2006. In 2020, Manson married photographer, Lindsay Usich.

โ€œAbuse of any kind has no place in any relationship,โ€ she continued. โ€œI urge those of you who have incurred abuse to take steps to heal and the strength to fully realise yourself.โ€

https://www.instagram.com/p/CK2baFfg8m-/?utm_source=ig_embed

Original February 02/02/2021: On the evening of February 1, actress Evan Rachel Wood posted a statement on Instagram that named the abuser she has spoken about without identifying for many years. In her post, Wood alleges that her former fiancรฉ, artist and musician Marilyn Manson abused her during their relationship. 

โ€œThe name of my abuser is Brian Warner, also known to the world as Marilyn Manson,โ€ she wrote in her post. โ€œHe started grooming me when I was a teenager and horrifically abused me for years. I was brainwashed and manipulated into submission. I am done living in fear of retaliation, slander, or blackmail. I am here to expose this dangerous man and call out the many industries that have enabled him, before he ruins any more lives. I stand with the many victims who will no longer be silent.โ€

https://www.instagram.com/p/CKvmsUmF1ho/?utm_source=ig_embed

Wood and Mansonโ€™s relationship first became public in 2007. Manson was 36-years-old at the time while Wood was 19. The couple briefly became engaged in 2010 but separated later that year. 

As well as sharing her own statement, Wood has reshared a number of accounts from other women. These accounts detail alleged abuse from Manson that ranged across emotional, sexual and physical. During the height of the #MeToo movement in 2018, a police report was filed against Manson alleging โ€œunspecified sex crimes dating back to 2011,โ€ though his attorney denied the allegations

Many of the womenโ€™s stories shared by Wood claim that Manson employed manipulation techniques like โ€œlove bombing,โ€ in which an abuser floods their target with affection, gifts, special treatment, and declarations of love and adoration during the early stages of a relationship. This becomes both a way to overcome someoneโ€™s initial self-protective defences, as well as something to weaponise and withdraw when an abuser doesnโ€™t get their way.

This type of coercive control is not only limited to abusers who have money, fame or status, eitherโ€”but those factors can of course also play into the unequal balance of power and control.

Wood has mentioned being sexually assaulted in the past. In a letter to Rolling Stone that Wood wrote in 2016, she shared: โ€œI have been raped. By a significant other while we were together, and on a separate occasion, by the owner of a bar.โ€

โ€œThe first time I was unsure that if it was done by a partner it was still in fact rape, until too late,โ€ Wood wrote, โ€œAlso who would believe me.โ€

https://twitter.com/Kaytaaaa/status/1356247175970349057?s=20

Wood also spoke in detail about the situation to Harperโ€™s BAZAAR US in 2019.

โ€œI get a lot of people asking why I havenโ€™t named my abuser,โ€ Wood said at the time. โ€œPart of my story is that Iโ€™m too afraid, and I forgive myself for that, and I know thatโ€™s not my fault. I donโ€™t feel safe. And thatโ€™s one of the reasons I wrote the Phoenix Act. So when people ask why I havenโ€™t named my abuser, itโ€™s because I canโ€™t. I just donโ€™t feel safe enough, and thatโ€™s part of the problem.โ€

โ€œI mean, he definitely knows that Iโ€™m talking about him, Iโ€™m sure heโ€™s caught wind of it, and thatโ€™s a terrifying thought. But again, the reason that I really decided to go [public] with this was because I found out he had abused other women. That changed everything. It helped me feel stronger, because it wasnโ€™t just about meโ€”Iโ€™m not just fighting for me anymore.โ€

https://twitter.com/lalamasala/status/1356353593016782848?s=20

At this stage, at least four women have come forward with detailed accounts and allegations of the abuse Manson perpetrated against them. He has been dropped from his record label, but is so far yet to comment.

If you or someone you know is affected by sexual assault or coercive control please contact the 1800RESPECT, the National Sexual Assault Domestic Family Violence Service (1800 737 732).

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Home Page 43

Net-A-Porter And The Row Have Your Next Investment Bag Sorted

Be quick, the exclusive onsite pop up is for two weeks only

What are the two words that are usually music to any stylish ears? The Row. From minimalist classics to oft-copied originals, the Ashley Olsen and Mary-Kate Olsen helmed line has found a loyal fanbase for itโ€™s clean and considered aesthetic.

Now, fans of the brand will be able to shop The Rowโ€™s SS21 bag collection with ease. As of this month, NET-A-PORTER has launched a two-week exclusive bag pop up onsite.

โ€œWe are so excited to exclusively showcase The Rowโ€™s SS21 bag collection, together with some of the brands iconic and sought-after styles updated in seasonal colourways,โ€ shared Libby Page, NET-A-PORTERโ€™s Senior Market Editor. 

And if the scroll through curated selection is still giving you decision paralysis? Page has a suggestion: โ€œWe love the new N/S Park Tote, which is a true expression of the brandโ€™s uncompromising style and quality. The exclusive terracotta colourway will add an elegant finishing touch to any outfit.โ€

Below, some of the beautiful bags that are on our wishlists.

the row

Bindle Three textured-leather shoulder bag in Sand, $2,480 from NET-A-PORTER.

the row bag

Half Moon leather shoulder bag, $1,930 from NET-A-PORTER.

the row

Everyday medium textured-leather shoulder bag, $3,950 from NET-A-PORTER.

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Home Page 43

In A Wild Twist, MAFSโ€™ Sam Ball Has Released Footage Of Lizzie Fat-Shaming Him At Their Wedding

And it's causing quite the stir

Married At First Sightโ€™s Sam Ball, who infamously cheated on his TV bride Elizabeth Sobinoff with fellow contestant Ines Basic, has taken to Instagram this week to release footage that he claims proves Lizzie fat-shamed him, following his own negative comments made at their 2019 nuptialโ€™s. 

Sam became Australiaโ€™s biggest villain following his MAFS wedding, where he described his new wife as โ€œa little biggerโ€ than those he usually dates, as well as shared his plans to take her โ€œrunningโ€, which, understandably caused a backlash at the time. 

On February 3, the 28-year-old former reality star shared a clip that showed Lizzie making negative comments about his weight. The footage, which was a teaser to the pairโ€™s wedding, shows Lizzie spotting her groom ahead of the ceremony and asking her bridesmaid, โ€œDoes he look porky? He look tubby.โ€ 

Alongside the video, Sam wrote: โ€œI donโ€™t want to go into this but the fact the show is on in other countries and the reunion was on in Australia the last two nights I feel responsible to do so and set this straight because I want to keep living and enjoying the positive life I have without talking about this to every person I meet ๐Ÿ˜‚

โ€œJuicy part ๐Ÿ˜‚โ€ฆ I didnโ€™t watch the reunion, apparently I got brought on again for my โ€˜fat-shamingโ€™โ€ฆ I was the villain and that is fine, itโ€™s a shame they didnโ€™t show all the funny things that went on but either way I hope you enjoyed the show. I have copped it online and got painted with a brush for over 2 years while Iโ€™ve been gagged, not able to speak on this whilst others pushed to make me out to be the horrible man I was, without showing what really went on and the actual truth. I wasnโ€™t allowed to talk to media nothing!โ€ 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CKx4KWkhQND/

He continued, โ€œThis is a two way street, but nobody seemed to care or even hear other parts of the story just how bad I was and believe all the BS, you donโ€™t have to like me that is okay but at least be smart enough to think and listen and put all the facts together before constantly sending me death threats, abuse and just random shit because some are so invested in a show. Iโ€™ve got time and love for anyone but at least go about it the right way.โ€ 

While Lizzie has yet to respond to Samโ€™s footage, she used the Grand Reunion on February 1 to share her reflections over the past two years. 

โ€œHis comments, the weight comments, have still trickled over. I never escaped that, and I donโ€™t think I ever will be able to escape that,โ€ she told experts Mel Schilling and John Aiken. 

โ€œEvery day, every day walking down the street, not a day goes by my weight is not questioned thanks to this person,โ€ she continued. โ€œI will never forgive that person. For not apologising, and acting like, โ€˜Oh, itโ€™s not a big deal.โ€™ It is. Every day, I can never escape that, being the former fat girl.โ€

Interestingly, even the coupleโ€™s celebrant Glenn Millanta spoke up to defend Sam. 

โ€œIโ€™m glad you said something as itโ€™s been bothering me too,โ€ he wrote underneath the footage. โ€œI wasnโ€™t impressed with her comments either or her bridesmaids calling me tubby. Everybody just needs to remember to be kind.โ€ 

Sam also spoke up this week to claim the Channel Nine social experiment was โ€œscriptedโ€ and producers had told him what to say and how to act. 

โ€œโ€˜I thought Lizzie was a lovely girl, I was trying to give her positive compliments until they told me to say what was said, so thatโ€™s what happened,โ€ he said.

He went on to suggest that producers had encouraged him to make such comments,. 

โ€œI didnโ€™t want to fat-shame her at all, thatโ€™s not what my intentions were. They were the ones who said, โ€˜Sam, sheโ€™s a big girl mate, what are you doing?!โ€™ Thatโ€™s messed up, they shouldnโ€™t do it, itโ€™s all bullsh*t.โ€ 

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Home Page 43

15 Swoon-Worthy Valentineโ€™s Day Gifts For Your Loved One Who Has (Almost) Everything

Stress-free shopping

As the day draws closer, finding the perfect must-have for your loved one this Valentineโ€™s Day can leave one feeling rather lost.

And no matter how hard one tries, it can feel near impossible to find that special something for your just-as-special someone who already, well, has everything.

Whether they prefer to purchase whatever they like for themselves throughout the year or if theyโ€™re fans of a minimalist lifestyle, it can feel tricky to find the perfect must-have.

But fret not, there are a number of elegant items that are sure to make their heart skip a beat and leave you feeling stress-free.

15 VALENTINEโ€™S DAY GIFTS FOR YOUR LOVED ONE WHO HAS EVERYTHING

Whether your significant otherโ€”or yourselfโ€”are fashionistas, beauty lovers or home decor savants, thereโ€™s sure to be something out there for everyone.

Below, marie claire lists 15 chic gifts for those who (almost) has it all.

Bulgari
Bulgari

Zero 1 Four-Band Ring in 18kt Yellow Gold Or White Gold, from $3310 to $3530 at Bulgari

Nothing says โ€˜loveโ€™, quite like matching with your significant other. And thereโ€™s no better way to do that than with coupled-up jewellery. Timeless and elegant, Bulgariโ€™s four-band rings, in either 18k yellow or white gold, are the perfect way to prove your love long-term. The distinctive spiral that characterises the ring, is a metaphor for the harmony of past, present and futureโ€”which is entirely what lifelong love is all about.

Shop here and here.

Diptyque candle

Diptyque Limited Edition Graphic Collection Scented Candle in Roses , $69.32 at Net-A-Porter

As it is every Valentineโ€™s Day, love is in the air. And if itโ€™s not, then Diptyqueโ€™s rose scented candle is sure to do the trick. Grounded by notes of cypress and sandal wood, the popular fragrance brand captures the essence of fresh, sweet blooms. If that doesnโ€™t describe love in a nutshell, then we donโ€™t know what will.

Shop here.

Bulgari bag

Serpenti Forever Shoulder Bag, $4240 at Bulgari

What could be better than the gift of fashion? Surprise your loved one this Valentineโ€™s Day with the gift of eternity in Bulgariโ€™s Serpenti Forever Shoulder bag. Dating back to ancient Greek and Roman mythology, the serpent is a symbol representing wisdom, vitality and the circle of life. If youโ€™re looking to present your lover with the gift of eternal love and style, then this is the pick for you.

Shop here.

Old Fashioned Glasses

Two of a Kind Old Fashion Glasses, $61, The Everleigh Bottling Co.

Up their cocktail game with an expertly mixed bottled Old Fashion for two with classic rocks glasses to match. Because you know, when you suggest โ€œcoming in for a nightcap,โ€ youโ€™re not wasting any time.

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Sleeper Pyjamas

Party Feather-Trimmed Crepe De Chine Pajama Set by Sleeper, $382.27 at Net-A-Porter

Gift your favourite homebody a new must-have for luxurious self-care nights, complete with a face mask and a glass of vino. Sleeperโ€™s Party Feather-Trimmed Crepe De Chine pajamas offer the best nightwear-to-partywear on the market, surprise your loved one with a chic set that can take them from cocktails to the couch effortlessly. The best part? Their comfort factor is second to none.

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Tom Ford Perfume

Tom Ford Rose Prick Eau De Parfum 50mL, $480 at MECCA

If thereโ€™s one thing fragrance fans know for sure, itโ€™s that you can never go wrong with Tom Ford. Luxurious, to say the least, the notes behind Fordโ€™s Rose Prick were taken directly from his own private rose garden. The warm floral fragrance features three breeds of rosesโ€”Rose de Mai, Turkish and Bulgarianโ€”imbue this scent with its striking, heady notes. With the addition of turmeric extract, Indonesian patchouli, Sichuan pepper, roasted tonka and tolu balsam, this is one fragrance that is best spritzed post-bath and pre-champagne.

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Louis Vuitton Bag

Petite Malle Souple Handbag, $4200 at Louis Vuitton

For those looking to please a fashion savant, look no further than Louis Vuittonโ€™s Petite Malle Souple handbag. Steeped in the Houseโ€™s history, the Monogram canvas, riveted leather corners, and leather name tag all evoke Louis Vuittonโ€™s legacy as a trunk maker. A piece of history and a style statement? Weโ€™ll take it.

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Chess Set

Skyline Chess New York Vs London Special Edition with Carrara Marble Board, $495 at Stem

Conventional wisdom tells us the couple that plays together stays together but if The Queens Gambit taught us anything itโ€™s that chess is sexy.

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Gucci Lingerie Set

GG-Jacquard Tulle Bra and High-Rise Briefs by Gucci, $1250 at Matches Fashion

No matter whether youโ€™re loved-up or wonderfully single, Valentineโ€™s Day not only celebrates love, but the idea of sexy too. And what better way is there to rejoice in oneโ€™s confidence than with some luxurious lingerie? Luckily, Gucciโ€™s Jacquard bra and briefs set is the perfect way to feel the love, one way or another.

Shop here.

Bed Threads Linen Sheets

Rust 100 Percent Flax Linen Bedding Set, from $230 at Bed Threads

New French linen sheets are the gift that says โ€˜letโ€™s take this to the next levelโ€™ โ€“ and a guaranteed way to boost bedroom vibes.

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Robe

Lace-trimmed Cropped Silk-Satin Robe by Carine Gilson, $2542 at Matches Fashion

The perfect complement following a long, floral-scented bubble bath session, Carine Gilsonโ€™s silk-satin robe is sure to keep you feeling calm and completely at ease. Inspired by traditional Japanese kimono silhouettes, this exquisite wrap-around is shaped to hug the body and offer you enough wiggle room to swan around in luxury.

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Bag

Ambroise Scrunchie Bag, $80 at Sir The Label

Symbolised by flowers, Valentineโ€™s Day isnโ€™t only dedicated to paying homage to roses. Sir The Labelโ€™s Ambroise Scrunchie bag is an ode to holidaying on the Amalfi and sipping cocktails by the Santorini sea. And considering international travel is off the market for the foreseeable future, replicate the love felt on vacation with this number.

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Dress

Agathe Mini Dress in Carrie Floral, $189 at Faithfull The Brand.

For some, a romantic date consists of champagne and a candle-lit dinner. For others, a daytime jaunt under the streaming sun does just the trick. Which is why Faithfullโ€™s Agathe mini dress is a must-have for picnic soirees, thanks to its frill hemline, ruched sleeves and delicate floral print.

Shop here.

Moet And Chandon

Moรซt & Chandon Rosรฉ Brut NV 750mL, $87 at Vintage Cellars

If thereโ€™s one thing we know for sure, itโ€™s that it is simply not Valentineโ€™s Day sans a delicious beverage. And if youโ€™re going to be popping corks, then do so with one of the best on offer. Moรซt & Chandonโ€™s Rosรฉ offers a fleshy and flavoursome style, perfect for celebrations or enjoy it as an apรฉritif. If thatโ€™s not enough, itโ€™s signature pink bottle is enough to win hearts.

Shop here.

Dinosaur Designs Jug

Dinosaur Designs Large Resin Rock Jug in Shell Pink, $255 at Dinosaur Designs

If your special someone loves to fill their abode with the finest decor, look no further than Dinosaur Designs for their next homewares addition. With each of their pieces created individually and uniquely each and every time, the Large Resin Rock Jug, in the delicious hue of shell pink, is sure to make even the fussiest of entertainersโ€™ heart skip a beat.

Shop here.

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Home Page 43

Prince Harry And Meghan Markle Shared The Sweetest Throwback Photo From Australia

Aww!

They may have left their personal social media behind, but that doesnโ€™t mean Prince Harry and Meghan Markle canโ€™t make an image go viralโ€”and the most recent photo of the couple to make the rounds is for the sweetest reason. 

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex got sentimental this week, looking back on a particularly special moment from their 2018 royal tour of Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, and Tonga. 

Royal correspondence collector @gertsreplies shared a photo of the Sussexesโ€™ thank you card on Instagram, revealing the message inside on their blogโ€œThank you for your thoughtful message. We appreciate your kind words and the time you have taken to write to us on this special occasion. Sending you our warmest wishes. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex.โ€

For the card, the Sussexes chose a throwback photo from their time in Australiaโ€”more specifically, in the New South Wales country town of Dubboโ€”where Meghan holds an umbrella over her and her husband as Harry makes a speech during the rain about the importance of mental health. 

โ€œYou need to know that part of being strong and tough is having the courage to seek help when you need it,โ€ the Duke said at the time. โ€œYou must not silently suffer. You are all in this together.โ€ 

โ€œAnd, if I may speak personally, we are all in this together,โ€ he added. โ€œBecause asking for help was one of the best decisions that I ever made. You will be continually amazed at how life changes for the better.โ€

While the pair have since stepped down from their roles as senior members of the royal family and relocated to Montecito, California, with their son Archie Harrison, they continue to respond to letters and messages via Prince Charlesโ€™ Clarence House, which handles all royal family fan mail. 

Royal fans may also remember that same day Prince Harry had an adorable encounter with a young boy while visiting local children from Dubbo schools. 

Five-year-old Luke Vincent was pictured hugging the royal and stroking his beard, as wife Meghan laughed alongside them.

The moment was particularly adorable, as the newlyweds had announced that same week they were expecting their first child. 

meghan markle prince harry

For their 2020 Christmas card, the Sussexes opted for an artistic approach as opposed to the traditional portrait favoured by members of the royal family.

The couple chose to feature an illustrated recreation of a candid snapshot, which was originally taken at their home by Meghanโ€™s mother, Doria Ragland. 

The photo included the couple. their young son, Archie Mountbatten-Windsor, and their two beloved dogs, Guy and Pula.

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Home Page 43

Was Brad Pitt Just Spotted In The Background Of Jennifer Anistonโ€™s Selfie? Fans Say Yes

HOLD UP!

Fans of Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston may need to sit down for todayโ€™s latest celebrity news. The former couple, last seen together at the 2020 SAG Awards following two decades of avoiding one another at award shows and red carpets, have reportedly been spotted hanging out once againโ€”and thanks to super-sleuth fans, thereโ€™s evidence. 

On February 3, celebrity gossip accountโ€”or โ€˜curators of pop cultureโ€™โ€”@deuxmoi received several tips reporting that Aniston is currently filming the second season of Apple TV+ series The Morning Show on the same lot where Brad Pitt is filming his latest movie, Bullet Trainโ€”which he stars in alongside Lady Gaga. 

Deuxmoi shared an image that Aniston had previously posted to her Instagram Story, where she can be seen playing with her dog, Clyde, presumably in her trailer. But, itโ€™s not the adorable pup or Anistonโ€™s forever iconic hair that has fans intrigued, itโ€™s what was spotted in the background thatโ€™s truly telling. 

Behind Aniston, fans spotted a man lying on what appears to be the ground, but only his chest down is visible.

Of course, fans have concluded that it must be Pitt (and honestly it does look like it). 

@deuxmoi/Instagram
(Credit: @deuxmoi/Instagram)

Although, we shouldnโ€™t get excited too quickly, other fans suggested the man in question could be a member of the crew considering the tag around his arm.

An anonymous source claiming to work on the Apple TV+ series replied to Deuxmoi, writing: โ€œIโ€™m 99% positive thatโ€™s the line producers assistant.โ€ 

Itโ€™s not too farfetched to think that Aniston and Pitt would be hanging out, considering the former โ€™90s It-couple appeared on-screen together for the first time in 19 years in 2020, joining a slew of A-listers for a live table read of the classic film, Fast Times At Ridgemont High.

The star-studded virtual table reading of the 1982 film not only starred Aniston, but also Julia Roberts, Matthew McConaughey, Henry Golding, Shia LaBeouf, and Morgan Freemanโ€”and of course, Pitt.

The pair were also famously seen together at the 2020 SAG Awards, after Aniston won Best Female Actor in a Drama Series for The Morning Show. Running into each other backstage, they shared a warm embrace and seemed genuinely happy to see each other and congratulate one another on their awards, since Pitt had also won Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role for Once Up a Timeโ€ฆ in Hollywood.

brad pitt

Pitt and Aniston met back in 1998 and tied the knot in 2000. The only time that the pair have ever acted alongside each other was when Pitt guest-starred on an episode of Friends, which aired in November 2001. However, the couple later split in January 2005 and finalised their divorce in October of the same year. 

But before we get ahead of ourselves, dreaming of a romantic reconciliation, a source told ET that theyโ€™re just good friends. โ€œBrad and Jen are very good friends. Neither of them are seeing anyone else seriously but as of right now theyโ€™re just friends,โ€ the source adds. โ€œBrad has grown so much in his life since he and Jen broke up.โ€

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Home Page 43

Cartier Is Bringing Its Incredible High Jewellery Collection To Australia For A Limited Time

Most of these creations have never travelled to Australia before

In a move that will surprise and delight jewellery aficionados across Australia, Cartier has brought its greatly anticipated High Jewellery collection to the country for a limited time.

A one-of-a-kind opportunity for Australians to see the stunning pieces in the boutiques, many of the creations from the Parisian maison have never travelled to Australia before, and are usually only visible through invitation to international events.

The Cartier Tradition offer covers Cartierโ€™s history and its different stylistic periods. After being purchase at auction houses or directly from past clients, the Maisonโ€™s ateliers breathe new life into its historic antiques, restoring them to perfection, sometimes adding modern accents to the creations.

Brimming with incredible pieces, the impressive collection boasts vintage jewellery from the last century which have been brought back and restored in Cartier workshops under the maisonโ€™s expertise, with most of the pieces coming from the 1920s, โ€™30s, โ€™40s and โ€™60s.

Cartier High Jewellery Comes To Australia
(Credit: Courtesy of Cartier)
Cartier high jewellery
(Credit: Courtesy of Cartier)

The Dioscures Necklace is one of the most notable pieces in the collection. A one-a-kind creation, it was inspired by the divine twins in Greek mythology known as Castor and Pollux.

The mythological roots are translated through the pairing of two incredible pear-shaped diamondsโ€”approximately 26 carats eachโ€”which have been cut from  the same rough diamond weighing more than 195 carats. The stunning stones are both certified D IF and belong to the type IIa, making them almost devoid of impurities, with the category covering less than 2% of existing diamonds.  

Cartier High Jewellery
(Credit: Courtesy of Cartier)

Also among the collectionโ€™s most notable pieces is The Varantia Set, a unique piece with an exception ensemble of 10 cushion-shaped rubies from Burma.

Two of the gems weigh more than three carats, with the central stone and the 3.22-carat stone on the ringโ€”an impressive weight rarely found on rubies. Emblematic of Cartierโ€™s iconic style, the piece features a stark red and black contrast, which has been the maisonโ€™s signature colour combination since the beginning of the 20th century.

Cartier High Jewellery
(Credit: Courtesy of Cartier)

Another standout from the collection is The Feline Bracelet. The statement design is a testament to Cartierโ€™s savoir-faire, with the incredible piece taking 495 hours to create and 50 onyx stones to complete.

Cartier High Jewellery The Feline Bracelet

The Cartier High Jewellery collection is now available for viewings in select Cartier boutiques.

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Home Page 43

Attention Bookworms, You Can Now Officially Join Reese Witherspoonโ€™s Famous Book Club

The best part? It's free!

If like us, you spend your days daydreaming about becoming best friends with Reese Witherspoon, baking pies in her Nashville home and sifting through her famous Book Club picks, have we got news for you.

Thanks to Witherspoonโ€˜s production company, Hello Sunshine, it looks like her ever-so-popular Book Club is getting the app treatment.

Sharing the news on February 3, Hello Sunshine announced the launch of the Reeseโ€™s Book Club app, which the production company describe as a โ€œspace to celebrate, explore, and connect with each other through a shared love of reading.โ€

Through the new app, which will be free to use, members will become the first to hear from Witherspoon and the oh-so-special book she has deemed worthy of our spare time for the month. Typically, the 44-year-old actress takes to her Instagram to share which piece of literature sheโ€™s hand-picked on the first Tuesday of every month, meaning that app users will be in the loop prior to the Instagramโ€™s 1.9 million followers.

If that isnโ€™t enough to whet your appetite, members will have access to an endless stream of surprise giveaways, merchandise and will also be able to join hosted events, discussions and meet-ups to connect with authors and bookwormsโ€”and can even purchase book picks from retailers. 

And it doesnโ€™t stop there. There will be a range of exclusive items that will be made available to purchase in upcoming months, with the proceeds heading straight to Hello Sunshineโ€™s pay-it-forward platform called The Readership.

โ€œSince we launched Reeseโ€™s Book Club, weโ€™ve shown that our books have the power to spark discussions, make us laugh when we need it most, and bond us over something bigger than ourselves, all while celebrating diverse voices that put women at the centre of their stories,โ€ Witherspoon announced. 

โ€œThrough Reeseโ€™s Book Club App, we are able to forge even deeper connections with our community by providing a new platform for our book club members to engage with these stories and each other.โ€

Continuing, the Legally Blonde alum adds, โ€œWe are also thrilled to harness the collective power of this incredible community to keep spreading the joy of reading by paying it forward and committing 100%  of all profits generated through activities facilitated in app to The Readership, our platform to amplify diverse voices and promote literacy.โ€

Adding on to Witherspoonโ€™s statement, Hello Sunshine CEO Sarah Harden added: โ€œOur mission with Reeseโ€™s Book Club is to build the most meaningful book club for women.โ€

โ€œFostering deeper connections with the books, authors, and other members whilst enabling important programs through The Readership feels like exactly the right next step in creating more meaning for our members.โ€

Fans of the Big Little Lies star are surely fans of Witherspoonโ€™s Instagram-led book club, which has gained an enormous social following since its 2017 inception. With over 38 books, selected by Witherspoon, making the New York Times bestseller list, her influence on storytelling hasnโ€™t stopped there.

Witherspoon and Hello Sunshine are currently adapting multiple stories for film and television, ranging from Huluโ€™s Little Fires Everywhere, which stars Witherspoon herself, Amazonโ€™s Daisy Jones And The Six and most recently, the film adaptation of Delia Owenโ€™s Where The Crawdads Sing, which is set to star Normal Peopleโ€™s Daisy Edgar Jones.

The Reeseโ€™s Book Club app is currently available to download for free on both the Apple App Store and Google Play.

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Home Page 43

Your Weekly Horoscopes Are Here! February 5th โ€“ February 11th

See what the stars have in store โœจ
Two women in colorful outfits smiling on a city street, one seated on steps, both wearing sunglasses.

If you celebrate your birthday this week:

Your Year Ahead

Confidential matters surface, but thatโ€™s not necessarily bad news as shouldering someone elseโ€™s secrets has been a huge burden.  March finds you stronger โ€“ emotionally and physically.  April and May suggest delightful romance.  You have good fortune onside as well, so be bold in your decisions.  However, there are areas where the planets encourage an overhaul.  For instance, a quick look at spending patterns will undoubtedly reveal a history of debt.  If walking a monetary maze, get yourself sorted. By July, look forward to rewards and recognition.  Love, too.  Youโ€™re deserving, so enjoy it all.  

Aries (March 21 โ€“ April 20)

Best Day:  Saturday 6th

This week Ariens are hit by an emotional superstorm.  Itโ€™s not your fault: blame a malevolent Mercury.  Unexpected or hidden issues resurface โ€“ and youโ€™re not happy about it.  Some will choose to hide away from lifeโ€™s current madness.  Others will stick around and resolve troubling matters.  Do whatever best soothes heart, mind and soul.  

Taurus (April 21 โ€“ May 20)

Best Day:  Sunday 7th

Your real rewards will arrive soon Taurus but, despite a meddling Mercury, thereโ€™s plenty to accomplish this week.  If you can survive an untimely setback, thereโ€™s no stopping you.  Just stay determined.  One individual in particular has a powerful effect on you.  A little extravagance is also likely, as you may have some extra cash to spend.

Gemini (May 21 โ€“ June 21)

Best Day:  Wednesday 10th

Mercury slips into hibernation, inviting Geminis to do the same.  This looks like a quiet week.  Talk could turn towards moving house or the need for DIY to a residence or relationship.  Of course, life would be more exciting with a touch of passion.  Donโ€™t fret โ€“ someone special is nearly within kissing distance.

Cancer (June 22 โ€“ July 22)

Best Day:  Tuesday 9th

The pace continues to be slower this week. While Cancers love a break, you donโ€™t enjoy disruption to your routine.  Should retrograde Mercury halt plans, donโ€™t try to speed things up or you may jeopardise future opportunities.  While waiting for your own ventures to get back on track, offer to help others.  The favour will eventually be returned.

Leo (July 23 โ€“ August 23)

Best Day:  Saturday 6th

Many facets of our lives are continuously subject to change, and this week itโ€™s relationships.  This kind of repair work will need your commitment.  But progress in any area is seldom easy without patience and perhaps, some compromise.  Besides, thereโ€™s a special kind of wealth to be found in genuine love and friendship.

Virgo (August 24 โ€“ September 22)

Best Day:  Sunday 7th

Your outlook on life undergoes a major revision right now, particularly as a pensive Mercury has you reassessing relationships.  If you no longer share the same values, start replacing friends for those that truly understand you. Indeed, expect associates to come and go for a while.  Life may be unsteady, but you will also feel a sense of relief.  

Libra (September 23 โ€“ October 23)

Best Day:  Monday 8th

You prefer your life uncluttered, Libra.  Itโ€™s unfortunate, then, that this week looks a tad messy โ€“ especially for those in love affairs.  Perhaps one participant has failed to mention that thereโ€™s a third party in the mix.  If thatโ€™s you, are you really prepared to risk everything for a short term fling?   Business matters look more settled.  

Scorpio (October 24 โ€“ November 22)

Best Day:  Friday 5th

With Mercury still sliding backwards, donโ€™t start anything new.  To avoid errors, double-check your finances, reconfirm appointments, have everything ready before a deadline and leave extra time for the unexpected.  Also, remember โ€“ the past has a cute way of reappearing on your doorstep when you least expect it.  

Sagittarius (November 23 โ€“ December 21)

Best Day:  Thursday 11th

Mercury is at a standstill, which has most of your zodiac neighbours in a flutter โ€“ but not  you, Sagittarius.  This week youโ€™re determined to take that proverbial leap of faith.  Go for it.  You now have planetary permission to take whatโ€™s yours โ€“ and the timeโ€™s also right to trash whateverโ€™s stagnant or obsolete.  So out with the old, and in with the new.  

Capricorn (December 22 โ€“ January 20) 

Best Day:  Monday 8th

Retrograde Mercury brings its usual disruption, with home life becoming chaotic.  If feeling frustrated or angry, your patience with loved ones may run thin.  Every Capricorn has a true sense of justice โ€“ so what you give is what you expect to receive.  If loved ones are taking advantage, youโ€™ll quickly let them know. 

Aquarius (January 21 โ€“ February 18)

Best Day:  Tuesday 9th

Youโ€™re blessed this week.  Many Aquarian dreams are ready to come true, and all because youโ€™ve come to realise that weโ€™re all interconnected.  What happens to one of us happens to all of us.   Itโ€™s in this delicious dance that we move towards true joy and love.  This week, what you give, youโ€™ll receive back.   Instant good karma.  

Pisces (February 19 โ€“ March 20)

Best Day:  Friday 5th

Itโ€™s time to kick back, relax and not take yourself or others too seriously.  With Mercury out of phase, think carefully about creating rifts that youโ€™re likely to regret.  To ward off Mercuryโ€™s pessimism, do everything in your power to alleviate stress and have fun.  A little romance and revelry might do.  Some healthy exercise too.  

EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNT for marie claire readers! For your unique 30-page Character Profile, or a 60 page day-to-day Year Ahead Transit Report โ€“ email Tanya Obreza at astrology@tanyaobreza.com. For more details, head here.

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Home Page 43

Angelina Jolieโ€™s Got The Perfect Sustainable Fashion Trick

Genius!

Angelina Jolie has one of the most covetable wardrobes in the world, and always stands out on the red carpet with her collection of couture gowns including the stunning beaded Ralph & Russo gown she wore to the movie premiere (remember those?) of Maleficent in 2019, pictured above.

But as it turns out, when it comes to her daily outfits, she has a much smaller wardrobe than you might think, opting to buy less and wear more.

In an interview with British Vogue, she said, โ€˜I invest in quality pieces, and then just wear them to death. Boots, a favourite coat, a favourite purse, I donโ€™t change things often, you know? Thatโ€™s one of my things.โ€™

Angelina added that there was a sustainable element to it, explaining, โ€˜Weโ€™re all trying to figure out what the best way is, but I imagine thereโ€™ll be more and more regulations, and I think thatโ€™s the best thing that can happen. Because even a thoughtful consumer can be conned by a good promotion of something that is not in fact good, right? Enjoying your vintage pieces, if you have them, and rediscovering some vintage shops seems like part of the way forward.โ€™

And looking at her chic wardrobe of camel coats, ballet pumps and impeccable tailoring, sheโ€™s got everything right.

angelina

In the same interview, the mother-of-six opened up about parenting in quarantine, admitting it hasnโ€™t been easy.

โ€˜I feel like Iโ€™m lacking in all the skills to be a traditional stay-at-home mom. Iโ€™m managing through it because the children are quite resilient, and theyโ€™re helping me, but Iโ€™m not good at it at all,โ€™ she said.

This article originally appeared on marie claire U.K.

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Home Page 43

Amy Poelher And Hadley Robinson Are A Mother-Daughter Feminist Dream Team In Netflixโ€™s โ€˜Moxieโ€™

A girl-power film for a new generation

Itโ€™s come to my attention that teenage boys still suck. Now, this may be based on a small sample size of fellow commuters, but if the group of private school boys aggressively shaming a peer (not present) for her choice to wear a crop top is anything to go by, we absolutely havenโ€™t made the feminist leaps and bounds all those โ€˜The Future Is Femaleโ€™ t-shirts claim.

Why are we still subjected to hearing things like, โ€œshe should either be keeping her clothes on or taking them off for me,โ€ from male school students no less, loudly proclaimed through a train carriage? And what are they saying in private? Itโ€™s this continuing sexism and dehumanisation of women that Moxie moves to tackle.

WATCH BELOW: Netflixโ€™s Moxie Trailer

The new Netflix film, whose trailer you can watch above, is another in a string of book-to-film adaptations from the streaming service.

Moxie is based on a novel by Jennifer Mathieu, originally published back in 2015. Directed by and starring Amy Poehler, the film follows a young high school student Vivian (Hadley Robinson) as she navigates the sexist and objectifying behaviour her peers perpetuate. The infuriating commentary recently encountered by Sydneyโ€™s private schoolboys makes the comments in the Moxie trailer look relatively tame by comparison, but said real and fictional boys are pretty gross across the board.

When a new student, played by Alycia Pascual-Peรฑa, arrives at the school and refuses to bow to this harmful status quo, Vivian realises something has to give. (Itโ€™s the comically sexist behaviour and double standards, thatโ€™s what gives.) Inspired by her motherโ€™s rebellious behaviour in her youth, she starts a zineโ€”as you doโ€”that ultimately sparks a reckoning in her school.

Moxie netflix feminist film

Moxie also stars Lauren Tsai, Vivianโ€™s close friendโ€”the trailer does a solid job of making the Chinese-American actress and model believable as a โ€œplainโ€ and under-the-radar high school student. Also in the cast is Booksmartโ€™s Nico Hiragaโ€”the inclusion of a soft Asian male lead, and in a seemingly romantic context, in a wide-reaching Netflix film? Yes, more of that, please.

Between the steady hand of Amy Poehler directing and the stellar source material, weโ€™re very intrigued by this one.

Per Netflix, Moxie is set for release on March 3rd.

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Home Page 43

Do You Need A Gut Coach?

With new research suggesting the key to improved health, mood and skin lies within the belly, the answer is yes

The gut has spent most of human evolution being majorly misunderstood. Itโ€™s not just down there lazily sampling our last meal as we once thought. Itโ€™s considered the bodyโ€™s largest sensory organ, with an incredible number of nerves, as well as trillions of bacteria collectively known as the microbiome. It is โ€œjust as large and complex as the grey matter in our headsโ€, says Giulia Enders in her book Gut. But up until the past 10 years or so, no-one knew why it had so much power. โ€œNobody would create such a neural network just to enable us to break wind,โ€ Enders wrote. โ€œThere must be more to it than that.โ€

And now we know. The microbiome is responsible for everything. It breaks down food, divvies out energy and vitamins, produces mood-altering chemicals and eliminates toxins. It intercepts hormones and chats to cells, then sends messages up to the brain via the vagus nerve. How well the microbiome performs depends on how well we feed it, with an unhealthy microbiome being linked to all sorts of ailments, from the obviously gut-related (obesity and irritable bowel syndrome) to the more elusive (acne and bad moods). 

Understanding what your gut microbiome is telling you can help you ditch the fad diets, the skincare serums and the mood swings for a whole-body approach to wellbeing.

THE GUT IS NOT LAS VEGAS. WHAT HAPPENS IN THE GUT DOES NOT STAY IN THE GUT โ€“ Dr Alessio Fasano

You want: A Personalised Diet 

You need: A Gut Coach

The first thing to do is take a microbiome test. I did mine through the Brisbane-based biotech company Microba. Simply wipe the cotton swab onto used toilet paper, seal it up in the return envelope and pop it in the express post. You then go on with your day, feeling smug that youโ€™ve taken the first step towards better gut health and that youโ€™ve just sent poo in the post.

A few weeks later, youโ€™re sent a link to an interactive report that shows in mind-boggling detail the name of every one of the critters that live in your gut and what they like to eat. While this test is beneficial for those experiencing symptoms of a gut condition, it can just as effectively be used by health-conscious people looking to optimise and personalise their nutrition.

This is the route I took, enlisting the help of a gut coach to work out a plan of action to improve my wellbeing, including a list of wholefoods tailored to my specific microbiome, allergies, exercise routine and medical history. A designer diet might sound like the next in food fads, but considering your microbiome is as unique to you as your fingerprint or dental records (seriously โ€“ your microbiome could be used in forensics CSI: Miami-style), a tailored approach to nutrition makes sense. I was happy to see my little grubs were demanding more raspberries and dark chocolate, but not so happy to see I needed to cut back on the cheese.

โ€œPersonalised nutrition is a big deal because what works for one person may not work for another,โ€ explains my Microba gut coach, dietitian Bianca Maree Harrington. โ€œItโ€™s my job to consolidate the information in a user-friendly way and make recommendations about wholefoods and perhaps a plan for further investigation with other medical health professionals.โ€

gut health

You want: A Glowy Complexion

You need: A Skincare Dietitian 

My microbiome report showed signs that my gut could be influencing my skin. I was not surprised to hear that, after all, I have the skin of a teenager. Itโ€™s not for lack of wrinkles that I get carded at the bottle shop, itโ€™s the hormonal acne thatโ€™s followed me into my thirties

When I mention this to Geraldine Georgeou, a dietitian and author of The Australian Healthy Skin Diet, she quotes the gastroenterologist Dr Alessio Fasano: โ€œThe gut is not Las Vegas. What happens in the gut does not stay in the gut.โ€

โ€œThe first thing you think when you have a skin condition is, โ€˜What am I doing to my skin?โ€™โ€ she says. โ€œBut skincare isnโ€™t just about serums: itโ€™s also
about diet.โ€ She describes it as a chicken-and-egg situation. โ€œWe donโ€™t know for certain whether dysbiosis [an unbalanced microbiome] causes skin conditions, or whether skin conditions cause dysbiosis. What we do know is that where you find one, youโ€™ll find the other.โ€

During my visit, Georgeou explains the acne could come from a complicated transmission of hormones that could be partly genetic and partly diet-related. She also explains that diet can help to improve skin conditions as well as skin hydration and moisture retention (read: make your skin glow).

If youโ€™re looking for a quick fix, some probiotic supplements show promise, but without improving your meal plan itโ€™s likely you wonโ€™t see long-term results. โ€œSeek advice from your GP to rule out any underlying issues, and seek advice simultaneously with a dietitian,โ€ says Georgeou. โ€œSome simple food changes can make all the difference.โ€

You want: Improved Mental Health

You need: A Mood-Boosting Probiotic

Perhaps the most interesting thing I learnt on this gut-health journey is that the microbiome has about a 10 to 15 per cent influence on our mood, and as much as 95 per cent of serotonin comes from the stomach. Researchers believe that by changing the balance of your gut bacteria, you change the messages it sends to the brain, thereby changing your mood. So when I had the opportunity to test Activated Probioticsโ€™ Biome Lift, a probiotic supplement that promised to improve my mood and my sleep, I jumped at the chance. Two days after taking it, not only was I creepy-level calm, the hum of anxiety that Iโ€™ve known for as long as I can remember was gone. It was like someone had turned o a fridge I hadnโ€™t even realised was running.

It turns out the bacterium Bifidobacterium longum, a key ingredient in Biome Lift, has been shown to help with mild anxiety. While research into probiotics medication is in very early stages, Activated Probioticsโ€™ founder, Blair Norfolk, tells me the outlook is promising. His company creates clinically proven, strain-specific probiotics that are designed to treat conditions such as acne, mood and diet deficiencies. โ€œBeing able not just to prevent but actually reduce some symptoms through probiotic supplements was science fi ction up until about 12 months ago,โ€ he says. Still, probiotics arenโ€™t magic pills, but as long as you have a healthy gut and approval from your GP, you can experiment with generic or strainspecifi c probiotics all you like.

Communication between the gut and the brain goes the other way, too, in a system known as the gut-brain axis. Dr Simon Knowles is a psychogastroenterologist and the founder of MindOver- Gut. โ€œItโ€™s very hard for people to tell whether someoneโ€™s symptoms are associated with a gastrointestinal condition or a psychological one,โ€ he explains. โ€œI suggest trying stress management techniques like mindfulness and meditation to signal to your brain that the fi ght-fl ight response is no longer needed.โ€

More Ways To Help Your Gut

Geraldine Georgeouโ€™s book can help you link your physical symptoms to potential gut conditions, with gut-friendly recipes to try. Shop here.

healthy skin

The Beauty Chef creates wholefoods supplements that can help with general digestion, and skin or sleep quality. Shop here.

glow

Dr Simon Knowles has a treasure trove of free e-resources for those with gut issues at mindovergut.com.

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If youโ€™re concerned about your mood, book your gut in for a session on the therapistโ€™s couch, see your GP or call Lifeline on 13 11 14.

This article originally appeared in the marie claire Australia February 2021 issue. 

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Home Page 43

The Most Controversial Outfits Celebrities Have Ever Worn

From political statements to barely-there dresses

Picking a red carpet look canโ€™t be easyโ€”from the countless eyes that will see you to making sure you know exactly the statement you want to make. But, some of Hollywoodโ€™s biggest heavyweights know how to push the boundaries, often using the red carpet as a means of making a political statement, while others use it to purposely deliver home a point. 

But, of course, with those said statements comes its fair share of controversy. Below weโ€™ve rounded up some of the most controversial (both purposeful and unintentional) outfits of all time. Scroll down to read the stories behind each look. 

Lady Gaga at the MTV Video Awards, 2010

The Lady Gaga outfit that needs no introduction. The Rain On Me singerโ€™s meat ensemble sparked extreme controversy in the animal rights community when she wore it to the MTV Video Music Awards in 2010. โ€œNo matter how beautifully it is presented, flesh from a tortured animal is flesh from a tortured animal,โ€ said PETA president Ingrid Newkirk. โ€œMeat represents bloody violence and suffering, so if thatโ€™s the look they were going for, they achieved it.โ€ Gaga explained following the awards ceremony that the dress was a statement about oneโ€™s need to fight for what one believes in, and highlighted her distaste for the US militaryโ€™s donโ€™t-ask-donโ€™t-tell policy.

Controversial celebrity outfits

Scarlett Johansson at the Met Gala, 2018

For the 2018 Met Gala, actress Scarlett Johansson attended the prestigious fashion event in a Marchesa gown โ€“ the first celebrity to do so following the Harvey Weinstein scandal. Georgina Chapman, the designer behind the brand, was married to Weinstein and celebrities at the time said the disgraced movie producer would pressure them to wear his then wifeโ€™s designs. In a statement to The Cut, Johansson said of her decision, โ€œI wore Marchesa because their clothes make women feel confident and beautiful and it is my pleasure to support a brand created by two incredibly talented and important female designers.โ€

Controversial celebrity outfits

Katy Perry Performing at the AMAโ€™s, 2013

After performing at the American Music Awards, Katy Perry received criticism for wearing a kimono with many calling it โ€œracistโ€. One Twitter user wrote, โ€œLoved the cultural authenticity of Katy Perryโ€™s #AMAs performance. She nailed the traditionally ignorant costume of a white pop singer.โ€ She later apologised, saying: โ€œI didnโ€™t know that I did it wrong until I heard people saying that I did it wrong. It takes someone to say, out of compassion, out of love, โ€˜Hey, this is what the origin isโ€™.โ€ 

Controversial celebrity outfits

Miley Cyrus at the VMAs, 2015

No stranger to a controversial get-up, Miley Cyrus opted for a barely-there custom Versace outfit for the VMAโ€™s in 2015. It was not her only outfit that night to cause controversy, wearing several gowns that left little to the imagination. 

Controversial celebrity outfits

Julia Roberts at the โ€˜Notting Hillโ€™ Premiere, 1999

While this sequinned Vivienne Tam dress looked stunning on a then 31-year-old Roberts at the premiere of Notting Hill, when she walked the red carpet and waved to fans images of her hairy underarms quickly caused controversy. Speaking to Busy Phillips on E! talk show Busy Tonight, Roberts reflected on the now-iconic Hollywood moment. She said, โ€œThe picture is vivid in my mind, actually, from that moment. I think I just hadnโ€™t really calculated my sleeve length and the waving and how those two things would go together and reveal personal things about me. So it wasnโ€™t so much a statement as itโ€™s just part of the statement I make as a human on the planet for myself.โ€

Controversial celebrity outfits

Nicki Minaj at the Grammy Awards, 2012

Rapper Nicki Minajโ€™s outfit at the 2012 Grammyโ€™s was accused of being incredibly offensive, especially her โ€œprop Priestโ€. Rife with religious symbolism, the performance was a means to introduce Minajโ€™s alter-ego, Roman Zolanski. Explaining her look and performance, Minaj said the rendition of her songs Romanโ€™s Revenge and Roman Holiday (which included dancing priests, an exorcism and levitation) was just part of a โ€œmovieโ€ she was writing. 

โ€œYou know how people write plays and movies? Thatโ€™s what I did. I wrote that and I gave the world a tiny little preview of what was to come,โ€ she said at the time. โ€œAnd so I have to perform it on the set in which it would be in the movie, right?โ€ 

Controversial celebrity outfits

Bjรถrk at the Oscars, 2001

Bjรถrkโ€™s iconic swan dress was the most talked about outfit at the 2001 Oscars, thanks to its โ€œwacky/shock value. The outfit was quickly branded the yearโ€™s โ€œfashion faux pasโ€

Controversial celebrity outfits

Rose McGowan at the MTV VMAs, 1998

When Rose McGowan arrived at the MTV VMAโ€™s in 1998 with then boyfriend Marilyn Manson in nothing but a chains, many people were shocked. The actress later explained the meaning behind her controversial choice, stating: โ€œThat was my first public appearance after being sexually assaulted. I was like, โ€˜Is this what you want?โ€™โ€ McGowan explained in an interview with Dr. Oz. โ€œIโ€™ve never worn something like that before or since. That was a political statement. Of course, there was no Twitter at the time or Instagram, no way to speak for yourself.โ€

Controversial celebrity outfits

Anne Hathaway at the Oscars, 2013

Actress Anne Hathaway ditched her plans to wear a Valentino gown to the Oscars in 2013 after she found out her Les Misรฉrables co-star Amanda Seyfried was planning on wearing an almost identical dress. To avoid a potential lookalike moment, Hathaway decided to wear this Prada gown (and offended the designers in the process). 

On Oscars night in 2018, Hathaway wrote to Instagram: โ€œI had to change my dress last minute and so it looked like my nipples were hard, I had full blown laryngitis and had to sing, and a bunch of corny haters were getting lots of attention from the media for being haters but you know what? It was still the best.โ€

Controversial celebrity outfits

Selena Gomez at the MTV Movie Awards, 2013

While performing her single Come And Get It at the MTV Movie Awards in 2013, Selena Gomez was called out for cultural appropriation for wearing a Bindi. โ€œSelena should apologise and then she should get acquainted with the basics of world religions,โ€ Hindu statesman Rajan Zed told WENN at the time. 

Controversial celebrity outfits

Karlie Kloss at the Victoriaโ€™s Secret Fashion Show, 2012

When walking down the Victoriaโ€™s Secret runway in 2012, Karlie Kloss was adorned in a feather headdress and traditional Native American patterns. The look quickly drew controversy and Victoria Secret not only apologised, but removed the outfit from its televised broadcast. โ€œI am deeply sorry if what I wore during the VS Show offended anyone. I support VSโ€™s decision to remove the outfit from the broadcast,โ€ Kloss responded. 

Controversial celebrity outfits
Controversial celebrity outfits

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Home Page 43

15 Intoxicating French Perfumes Thatโ€™ll Transport You Straight To Paris

Theyโ€™re timeless, they're elegant and theyโ€™re oh-so-French
The best perfumes that guys will compliment you on
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When thinking of France and its women, one thing comes to mindโ€”timeless elegance. No one understands the power of a beautiful and signature perfume quite like the French, whose history of scents runs deep. Niche French perfume brands like Diptyque and Lโ€™Artisan Parfumeur sit alongside some of the worldโ€™s most popular Parisian perfume names like Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent. 

These fragrances will have you feeling like a true Parisian in no time. Below, our top picks for the best French perfumes.

Chloรฉ: Absolu de Parfum

A classic fragrance any woman can enjoy with floral and woody scents. Chloรฉโ€™s famous scent also adds in rich rose accords, perfect to add a Parisian flair.

$145; adorebeauty.com.au

French perfume

Lโ€™Artisan Parfumeur: La Chasse Aux Papillons Eau de Toilette

Lโ€™Artisan Parfumeur has become known for creating original fragrances like no other perfume house. The Lโ€™Artisan Parfumeur story begins with the original banana scent that was recently reimagined as Bana Bananaโ€”โ€œexpect the unexpectedโ€. 

$172.75; global.artisanparfumery.com

French perfume

Guerlain: Eau de Toilette Bloom of Rose

A tribute to modern-day femininity, Mon Guerlain creates strong and sensual scents, inspired by the likes of Angelina Jolie. 

$109; sephora.com

French perfume

Christian Dior: JOY by Dior

JOY by Dior was released in August 2018 by the French fashion house and has quickly become a signature scent for French women, as well as women across the world. The fragrance is conceived as a scent of energy, liveliness and softness, of happiness and good mood. The face of the scent is actress Jennifer Lawrence.

$99, myer.com.au

French perfume

Yves Saint Laurent: YSL Opium Eau de Parfum

If thereโ€™s one thing that Yves Saint Laurent perfumes are known for, itโ€™s being seductive. The YSL Opium is the signature fragrance for women all over the world, with its scent being dark and moody with incense, amber, patchouli and myrrh.

$155; davidjones.com.au

opium

Chanel: Coco Mademoiselle

A sexy, fresh Oriental fragrance that recalls the irrepressible spirit of the young Coco Chanel. The classic bottle signifies personal luxury and is a welcome addition to any dressing table.

$175; myer.com.au

French perfume

Guerlain: Shalimar

The iconic Shalimar scent was associated with 1920s flappers and often dubbed the scent of the original โ€˜rebelโ€™. As of 2017, Shalimar was Guerlainโ€˜s second best selling fragrance, behind La Petite Robe Noire, with approximately 108 bottles being sold every hour. The fragrance contains notes of bergamot, lemon, iris, jasmine, rose, patchouli, vetiver, opopanax, tonka bean, frankincense, sandalwood, musk, civet, ambergris, leather, and vanilla.

$156; davidjones.com.au

French perfume

Thierry Mugler: Alien Eau Sublime

This new solar revelation, built around an overdose of sunny flowers such as jasmine and Tiare flower, awakens the senses with luminous and rejuvenating freshness.

$69; davidjones.com.au

French perfume

Cacharel: Amor Amor 

This womenโ€™s fragrance is a floral fruity scent for young women who have an adventurous side. The scent notes pink grapefruit, mandarin, blood orange, lily of the valley and musk. 

$118; priceline.com.au

French perfume

Estee Lauder: Rose de Grasse

Like an original piece of art, Este Lauderโ€˜s Rose de Grasse is meticulously crafted with artisanal attention to detail. At its heart is a fusion of roses including the hundred-petaled Rose Centifolia, hand-picked in Grasse, the French capital of perfumery since the 16th century where the history of fragrance is art.

$320.00; www.esteelauder.com.au

French perfume

Chanel: Chanel No. 5

Chanel No. 5 was the first perfume launched by French couturier Gabrielle โ€œCocoโ€ Chanel and remains among the French fashion houses best sellers today. Chanel sought a new scent that would celebrate the liberated spirit of the 1920s. The highly complex blend of aldehydes and florals includes rose, ylang-ylang, jasmine, lily of the valley and iris layered over a warm, woody base of vetiver, sandalwood, vanilla, amber and patchouli.

$165; davidjones.com.au

French perfume

Lancome Paris: Lancรดme Trรฉsor Midnight Rose

Lancรดme tells a new love story with Trรฉsor Midnight Rose, filled with lightness, magic and also sensuality. The caress of jasmine and peony meet fresh blackcurrant bud absolute and intense pink pepper. 

$150; adorebeauty.com.au

French perfume

Annick Goutal: Rose Pompon

A more sensual rose with still a Parisian twist of cheekiness. In a rose garden, it would be the one that looks the most sensual, the most velvety, the most attractive.

$184; davidjones.com.au

French perfume

Nina Ricci: Nina

Nina by Nina Ricci is a sweet citrus scent for women. The charming scent is built on an exquisite blend of lime and Amalfi lemon, which melt into a seductive heart of apple, peony and pralines on a base of musk and Virginia cedar wood. This Nina Ricci perfume is a new fragrance, different from the Nina perfume of the same name created in 1987.

$65; priceline.com.au

French perfume

Lancome Paris: La vie est belle Eau de Parfum

Universal yet personal, Lancรดmeโ€™s femininity is a choice embraced by women, not an imposed standard. This fragrance is infused with a floral bouquet of Iris, Jasmine, Orange Blossom and Patchouli scents.

$105; www.lancome.com.au

French perfume

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Home Page 43

Energetic Sportswear And Tech Romanticism Meet For Louis Vuittonโ€™s Pre-Fall 2021 Collection

The collection was lensed by artistic director Nicolas Ghesquiรจre

Loungewear shorts mixed with thigh-high leather boots, puffed slides styled alongside ruffled skirts and maxi dresses worn over colourful tracksuitsโ€”itโ€™s a heady combination for Louis Vuittonโ€™s Pre-Fall 2021 womenโ€™s collection, perfectly aligning edgy sportswear with the French fashion houseโ€™s signature luxury, a perfect ode to the optimistic and upbeat. 

Nicolas Ghesquiรจre, the Artistic Director of Womenโ€™s Collections, who was also behind the lens of the collection, focused on three main pillars, all symbolising the nature of the LV womanโ€”tech romanticism, with soft materials and embroideries mixed for an urban attitude; energetic sportswear, embodied by clashing colours and reinvented chromatic duos; and rediscovering essentials, giving an update of House Icons and reconquering its great classics.

Namely, the brandโ€™s famous Nouvelle Vague bag has been reinvented in new colourways, featuring cobalt blues matched with striking reds and bubblegum pinks alongside deep purples. 

Stacy Martin, the face of the Pre-Fall 2021 collection, is the โ€œheroine in a new take on the Nouvelle Vagueโ€, as Ghesquiรจre says, adding, โ€œStacy has innate elegance and an inspiring personality. I have a lot of respect for her career path, her bold choices and the roles she takes on. I very much enjoyed photographing Stacy. So cool and laid-back, I love the way she wears my collections.โ€

Take a full look at Louis Vuittonโ€™s Pre-Fall 2021 collection below. 

Louis Vuitton womens pre fall 2021
Louis Vuitton womens pre fall 2021
Louis Vuitton womens pre fall 2021
Louis Vuitton womens pre fall 2021
Louis Vuitton womens pre fall 2021
Louis Vuitton womens pre fall 2021
Louis Vuitton womens pre fall 2021
Louis Vuitton womens pre fall 2021
Louis Vuitton womens pre fall 2021
Louis Vuitton womens pre fall 2021
Louis Vuitton womens pre fall 2021
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The Essential Items You Need In Your Work Wardrobe

The pieces weโ€™ll be wearing in the office (home or otherwise) year round

Thereโ€™s nothing more devastating than coming back to work after the long hiatus 2020 has thrown our wayโ€”a chore, made inevitably worse with the chilly temperatures outside and when your outfits for the last few months have relied on a rotation of tracksuits and activewear. We know itโ€™s hard, especially when youโ€™re dealing with the dress code of โ€˜business casualโ€™โ€”where linen pants and elevated slippers are acceptable, but sweat pants are probably not.

Itโ€™s a fine line and a tricky one at that.

Which is why weโ€™re here to help. To make your transition back to the 9-5 a little easier, weโ€™ve curated the perfect selection of work-appropriate attire that will make getting ready in the morning that bit more enjoyable. Featuring a mixture of cool, lightweight materials, easy throw-on dresses, and the perfect on-hand blazer for unexpected client visits, we have well and truly got you covered.

Keep scrolling for the items weโ€™re definitely including in our back to work wardrobe (whenever that presents itself). 

Suit up

For those unexpected client meetings, business lunches or events, having a blazer in your kit means you can easily elevate your casual day outfit without a sweat. Thrown over a maxi dress or a crisp white T-shirt and tailored pants, all you need to add is a pair of strappy heels and a few accessories and your outfit automatically exudes office chic! 

pants

Wear the pants

As far as pants go, the best option is a style thatโ€™s sophisticated, but still versatile. Pair with a blouse of the same material and a top-handle mini bag to take you from office hours to drinks, even if your Zoom party canโ€™t see them. 

pants

Comfort is key

Thankfully, the need for a versatile work shoe doesnโ€™t seem to be going anywhere this coming season, which means if you havenโ€™t already, you should be adding a pair of these comfortable and practical flats to your wardrobe. Available in a variety of styles and colours, thereโ€™s no shortage of options and is the easiest way to dress up your look, while still keeping it office appropriate.

nwes

Relaxed fit

For those days when putting together a multi-faceted outfit requires too much effort, itโ€™s essential to have an easy-to-throw-on dress at the ready. You can keep it simple, opting for a neutral palette, or have a bit of fun sporting a print. 

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The finer details

If an outfit just isnโ€™t gelling, itโ€™s probably because youโ€™re missing the final piece โ€“ accessories. Add a spot of sparkle or a spritz of gold to your look and watch it all come together. 

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โ€˜The Nannyโ€™ Star Fran Drescher Reveals The Truth Behind Her Iconic Look

This is actually heartbreaking.
The Nanny meets the Scheffields
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A fashion icon of her time, the star from the iconic โ€™90s TV sitcom The Nanny, Fran Drescher wore everything from cute crop tops to oversized coats. She modelled some of the most stunning designer pieces, but according to the actor, her slender physique was the result of post-traumatic stress.

Ten years before her career on The Nanny, Drescher was a victim of a violent crime that she never dealt with until her rise to fame.

fran

Drescher revealed that she was sexually assaulted at gunpoint during a harrowing home invasion in 1985, she said during a discussion at The Wing in New York, in 2018. Fran revealed that PTSD was responsible for her petite frame, โ€œI had to deal with it once I became famous and it came out, thoughโ€”thank God I was in therapy! Honestly, I just loved going to work and being Fran Fine, because she was nothing but funny and light, and my life was kind of a mess. I think that was part of why I was so thin.โ€

mws

Added Drescher: โ€œI look back at some of those episodes, and I remember what was going on behind the scenes, and it wasnโ€™t pretty. When I sold the show [in 1993], I was 142 pounds (64 kilograms)โ€”and by the time we were in our fifth season, I was maybe 110 pounds (49 kilograms). I was burning the candle at both ends.โ€

Today, Drescher has returned to a healthy weight as well as overcome uterine cancer, Drescher said sheโ€™s all about โ€œhonouring my body,โ€ and doesnโ€™t miss her old physique. The actress explains how at the time she managed to grab some pieces from her time on The Nanny, but, she said, โ€œmost of them donโ€™t fit anymore. And Iโ€™m really okay with that. I couldnโ€™t be that thin anymore and still look good.โ€

Still, Fran confesses she still has a soft spot for the 1990s, and for the eraโ€™s fashion in particular, as we all do!

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โ€œThe โ€˜90s was such an exciting time,โ€ Drescher told Page Six. โ€œIt was the dotcom boom, the Clinton era, and money was free-flowing. And what we saw emerge out of that era โ€” Moschino, Dolce & Gabbana, Versace, Todd Oldhamโ€”was incredible. Even Chanel, a classic older label, was getting young. I wore Chanel miniskirts on the show, with the cropped jackets and chain belts! It was a better decade.โ€

And though star had teased the rumours of a Nanny reboot earlier last week, she shut down the idea during her Friday chat. โ€œItโ€™s not true,โ€ the she confirmed. โ€œI mean, never say never, but what I said was: Peter [Marc Jacobson, Drescherโ€™s ex-husband and The Nanny co-creator] and I are working on a very exciting project that I think the fans will be very happy with โ€” when weโ€™re ready to announce it.โ€

Since The Nanny ended with her character marrying her wealthy boss, Mr Sheffield (Charles Shaughnessy), a reboot would have to involve some major changes. โ€œIโ€™m not looking to revisit Fran Fine because, first of all, it wouldnโ€™t be the same show. It canโ€™t be The Nanny โ€” Iโ€™m Mrs Sheffield now!โ€ she said.

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Your Definitive Guide To The Most Famous Supermodels Of The โ€™90s

Christy, Naomi, Kate and more!
Naomi Campbell runway walk
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The Big Six, as they were dubbed, were the queens of the โ€™90s: Linda Evangelista, Claudia Schiffer, Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss, Cindy Crawford, and Christy Turlington.

While todayโ€™s generation has Kaia Gerber, Kendall Jenner, Bella, and Gigi Hadid, the supermodels of the โ€™90s were their own breed. The โ€œSupersโ€ not only ruled the runway, but they also fronted every magazine cover and became celebrities in their own right. Case in point: George Michaelโ€™s โ€˜Freedomโ€˜ music video and those celebrated words uttered by Linda Evangelista, โ€œWe donโ€™t wake up for less than $10,000 a day.โ€

According to fashion folklore, their highest recorded fees include Christy Turlingtonโ€˜s three million dollar contract with Calvin Klien and one signed by Claudia Schiffer, who at the peak of her reign was the face Chanel for one full year, earning 15 million dollars.

The mythology that followed the Big Six was curated Gianni Versace and Azzedine Alaรฏa โ€“ designers who created collections intended to show off the female form. The order of their day was endless legs, super sexy curves, impossibly high cheekbones, full brows, and gorgeous feminine faces. 

Linda Evangelista

The Canadian-born model was discovered by Elite modeling agency when she just 16-years-old. Her career took off when it was suggested by French hairstylist Julien dโ€™Ys that she cut her tresses into a short gamine cut โ€“ the hairstyle eventually became known as  The Linda.

In 1991, it was rumored that the fashion house Lanvin paid Evangelista $20,000 to walk in their haute couture show for the spring/summer season, an amount that was considered excessive. Male model Tyson Beckford recounted in an interview that Evangelista was instrumental in getting higher rates for models.

90s supermodels

Claudia Schiffer

The German model has appeared on over 1000 magazine covers according to Glamour.  At age 17, she โ€œwas spottedโ€ in a nightclub in Dรผsseldorf, Claudia eventually moved to New York where she signed with Elite. 

Shiffer has appeared in advertising campaigns for Chanel, Versace, Balmain, Giorgio Armani, Karl Lagerfeld, Alberta FerrettiBulgari, Chloรฉ, EscadaBlumarine, Dolce & Gabbana, Fendi, Max Mara, Louis Vuitton and countless more. 

90s supermodels

Naomi Campbell

Recruited at the age of 15, by the late 1980s, Campbell, with Christy Turlington and Linda Evangelista, formed a trio known as the โ€œTrinityโ€, who became the most recognizable and in-demand models of their generation. In March 1991, in a defining moment of the so-called supermodel era, Campbell walked the catwalk for Versace with Turlington, Evangelista, and Crawford.

90s supermodels

Kate Moss

Born in Croydon, South London, Kate was discovered at 14-years-old while walking through an airport. Arriving at the end of the โ€œsupermodel eraโ€, Moss rose to fame in the mid-1990s as part of the heroin chic fashion trend. Her collaborations with Calvin Klein brought her to fashion icon status. Her 5โ€™8โ€ณ waifish frame was a contrast to the Amazonia body shapes of the other five supermodels. She once said, โ€œnothing tastes as good as skinny feelsโ€ although she later told US television host Megyn Kelly she wouldnโ€™t say it today.

90s supermodels

Cindy Crawford

After finishing high school Crawford moved to New York City from Chicago and in 1986 and signed with the Elite. She was featured on countless glossy magazine covers โ€“ a partial count in 1998 totaled over 500. Crawford has walked the runways for Chanel, Versace, Dolce & Gabbana, Christian Dior, Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, Michael Kors, Todd Oldham, DKNY, and Valentino. Her daughter Kaia Gerber is one of todayโ€™s most sought after models. 

90s supermodels

Christy Turlington

In 2008, casting agent James Scully said Turlington was โ€œthe greatest model of all timeโ€. He added, โ€œYou could combine every model to this day into one person, and they wouldnโ€™t come close (sorry, girls).โ€ Her facial features โ€“ which are almost too perfect โ€“ made her a beacon for beauty campaigns which elevated her to one of the most recognisable faces in the world. 

The American born supermodel is still featured in campaigns for Calvin Klien and Maybelline today. She also has modeled for Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent, Marc Jacobs, Donna Karan, Prada, Valentino, Versace, Louis Vuitton.

90s supermodels

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Cyrell Calls Out Jessika And Two Other โ€˜MAFSโ€™ Co-Stars For Making A โ€œMockery Of Mental Healthโ€ In Viral Video

Jessika Power has since apologised for the hurtful comments she made
A woman with long dark hair and an orange outfit, sitting confidently with a raised hand in a brown room.

Trigger Warning: this article mentions mental health and suicide and may be distressing to some readers.

Considering that the Married At First Sight reunionโ€”and the drama that went with itโ€”are no longer on our screens, one would breathe easy and patiently await the upcoming eigth season. But alas, a trio of former brides are now in hot water over their treatment of another cast mate, prior to their 2021 television stint.

Season six favourite Cyrell Paule, AKA Cyclone Cyrell, has called out three of her MAFS reunion co-stars for an Instagram video that was filmed during production of Channel Nineโ€™s two-part special. And understandably, itโ€™s going viral.

In the video, season five alum Sarah Roza can be seen sat in a car ahead of filming the second part of the reunion, and is accompanied by Ashley Irvin and Jessika Power in the back seat. As they start to brainstorm who will be joining them at the reality TV showdown, Jessika announces that she hopes โ€œCyrell fell over and broke her leg or something.โ€

Following the rather distasteful comment, Sarahโ€”the only one with a sense of right and wrongโ€”responds to Jessika, saying: โ€œNo, nobody wishes anybody bad.โ€

However, Sarahโ€™s call back to reality (no pun intended) was overlooked by the two in the back seat, with Ashley piping up to interject by suggesting that โ€œCyrell has been hospitalised, institutionalisedโ€, followed up with Jessika adding: โ€œFor mental!โ€

The pair continue to call out Cyrell in any way possible, directly addressing her behaviour and saying: โ€œYou donโ€™t talk to people like that!โ€. Finishing up the jaw-dropping video, Sarah concludes the rant by expressing a life motto about karma, sharing a simple: โ€You donโ€™t have to drive the karma bus, man.โ€

And if that video wasnโ€™t enough, Cyrell herself, took to Instagram to not only comment on the video, but to share it with her 287k Instagram followers.

Sharing a lengthy caption, she called out the trio for their slander, writing: โ€œSooo wishing I fell and broke my legโ€ฆ Then we had I think her name is Ashley (I wouldnโ€™t know. Was she even at the reunion???) and Jess making a mockery of mental health!โ€

Cyrell continued to call out their behaviour and how Jessika and Ashley joked about mental health, saying: โ€œIn this day and age. Mental health is not a joke. And if I were a person who was not as strong and allowed this to get to me. I probably would have committed suicide or inflicted self harm from this BULLYING!โ€

โ€œFor those that believe that Jess was capable of change. This was filmed on the day of the reunionโ€ฆ I donโ€™t find this funny at all,โ€ she added. โ€œAnd these ladies should apologise for their inappropriate remarks. And to even post it on their Instagram. Shame on the 3 of you. For anyone dealing with any mental health issues. Donโ€™t not let this video get to you. Seek help. You are not alone. #mentalhealthawareness #youarenotaloneโ€œ

Since the unsurprising backlash around the video has surfaced all over Instagram, Jessika has come forward to clarify that despite what was seen in the video, she is a โ€œmassive advocate for mental healthโ€, in a video courtesy of So Dramatic! Podcastโ€™s Instagram.

โ€œThe comments that were made in the back of that car were because Cyrell tried to follow me around five times at the reunion last night,โ€ she said, in reference to the infamous throwing of wine during the dinner party.

Adding that her comments were โ€œa bitchy thing to sayโ€, Jessika also extended an apology for her behaviour, saying: โ€œI apologise, I would never mock mental health.โ€

Wishing Cyrell well for her future, Jessika confirms that she plans to remove herself from any and all drama involving Cyrell and will no longer engage with her. Joining her in the apology world tour was Sarah, who posted the video in the first place.

Sharing a text image on her Instagram feed, she explained why she removed the original video and for her fans to listen out for her โ€œside of the story.โ€

https://www.instagram.com/p/CKx5a6rhPRm/

โ€œI have removed my most recent IGTV video as it was requested to be removed by @jessika_power & @ashleyairvin & I have done so out of respect for themโ€ฆ I will tell my side of the story soon!โ€

โ€œEven though it was not my intention, it has become apparent that the IGTV may have triggered some people, so if you need support please reach out to Lifeline Australia on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636 ๐Ÿ’ž.โ€

If you or someone you know needs help you can call Lifeline on 131 114 or Beyondblue 1300 224 636.

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The 10 Skincare Brands Every Beauty Devotee Needs To Know

The ultimate must-haves

Whether your skincare regimen is best described as maximalist or minimalist, budget-friend or luxury, there are a select few skincare brands that are universally beloved for the cult-worthy range of beauty products. From little known French pharmacy finds to top-rated department store buys and Korean beauty wonders. And letโ€™s not forget the natural brands which are currently surging in popularity. Whether youโ€™re hoping to achieve Meghan Markleโ€™s glowing complexion or get the lowdown on Miranda Kerrโ€™s organic skincare secrets. Here, we countdown the most notable skincare brands from around the globe (in no particular order because letโ€™s face it, choosing only ten was hard enough). 

10. Tatcha

Calling all luxury lovers: Japenese skincare brand Tatcha is adored by Meghan Marke and Kim Kardashian. According to beauty folklore, Kim and Meghan reach for the Rice Polish Classic Foaming Enzyme Powder on a daily basis. The brandโ€™s best-sellers also include the Water Cream and One Step Cleaning Camelia Oil

Founded by Victoria Tsai, the beauty guruโ€™s own experience with โ€œhardcore dermatitisโ€ inspired a trip to the East to find a more whole-life, diet and ingredient-focused take on skincare. Long search short, she met a modern-day geisha in Kyoto who showed her the Miyakofuzoku kewaiden โ€“ a traditional beauty playbook that geisha have used for centuries. 

โ€œThe best word to describe how I felt when I met the geisha is kenshoโ€”itโ€™s a Japanese word that refers to a flash of inspiration. It feels like you can almost see your future with utter clarity,โ€ she told The Memo.

โ€œIt opened my eyes to a completely different way to think about beauty, inside and out.โ€

9. Drunk Elephant

Relatively new to the scene, all natural brand Drunk Elephant is quickly achieving โ€œcultโ€ status for their synthetic-free, toxin-free skincare range which actually delivers on whatโ€™s written on the bottle. 

Their Lala Retro Whipped Cream was recently voted best moisturise in Australia and boasts six antioxidant-rich African oils designed to increase your skinโ€™s elasticity and moisture. Plus, itโ€™s packed with fermented green tea to combat agieng and inflammation.

One enthusiastic reviewer wrote, โ€œthe texture of this cream is quite thick and exactly how the name states โ€œwhippedโ€ consistency. 

โ€œItโ€™s extremely nourishing and the ingredients list is extremely luxurious and what appealed to me the most when purchasing this product. Drunk Elephant uses marula oil in all their products which is fantastic as it is such an amazing oil for all skin and absorbs so well and works wonders for my skin.โ€ 

8. La Roche Posay

Named after the city in which this French pharmacy brand was founded, La Roche Posay has been recognized by the scientific community for its skin care properties thanks to its high content in Selenium, a rare and powerful natural antioxidant. Formulated with the miraculous thermal water native to the region; this dermatologically-approved range is designed for sensitive skin types. 

7. Fresh 

If youโ€™ve ever found yourself browsing through the aisles of Sephora overseas (hands up!), youโ€™ve more than likely come across cult skincare brand Fresh. One of the first skincare brands to start talking aboutโ€”and usingโ€”natural ingredients, Fresh is the brainchild of Lev Glazman and Alina Roytberg, who founded the range in 1991.

The one product that everyone needs to try? The Soy Cleanser which sells one unit every minute, the cult product that was the brandโ€™s first foray into skincare. It uses the amino acid-rich ingredient to gently cleanse the skin and remove make-up, leaving your complexion soft and nourished. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CKOycanhVun/

6. Sunday Riley

Sunday Riley challenges the myth that naturally derived products are less effective than their more chemical-y counterparts. With millennial product names like Luna, Juno, UFOโ€”itโ€™s no wonder the brand is a staple on the bathroom shelves of fashion-girls everywhere. 

5. The Ordinary

Beauty conglomerate Deciem, best known for its affordable skin care line The Ordinary, had been in turmoil after former-CEO Brandon Truaxe announced via a now-deleted Instagram post that the stores would be temporarily shut down and accused the company of criminal activityAfter many ups and downs, The Ordinary is officially back! 

4. Glossier

Chances are youโ€™ve heard of Glossier, founded by New York cool-girl Emily Weiss, 33, the line of skincare and make-up products not only sets trends but also it manages to set itself apart.

If 16-step contouring tutorials are the problem, then Glossierโ€™s clean packaging and user-friendly millennial pink products are the cure. Itโ€™s basically, no make-up, make-up. In the last year, Glossier has expanded beyond its hero products (Brow Bow and Milky Jelly cleanser) to include perfume, eyeshadow and most recently mascara. Beyoncรฉ, Saoirse Ronan and Chrissy Tegen have all worn the brandโ€™s products on the red carpet. 

3. SkinCeuticals

SkinCeuticals is the brainchild of anti-ageing skincare scientist Dr. Sheldon Pinnell. Pinnellโ€™s research paved the way for continued development and delivery of innovative skincare products that improve the overall health and appearance of the skin. The first SkinCeuticals products were the classic Serum 10 and Serum 15, which established the company as a rising presence in the beauty industry. Over the years, SkinCeuticals added vitamins, antioxidants, and sun protection to its products to broaden the range.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CKgM_CKjXNV/

2. Estee Lauder

Estรฉe Lauder, the founder of the company that bears her name, was a visionary and a role model. Lauder built her brand on this one simple and inspiring belief: โ€œdiscover what makes you beautiful.โ€ Today the brandโ€™s Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Multi-Recovery Complex is one of the top-selling anti-geing products around the world. 

1. La Prairie

Founded in Switzerland, this luxury beauty brand is responsible for creating the most covetable and high-dollar products, which cost anywhere from $400 to $1,600 a jar. So what makes the products so good? Part of it has to do with the La Prairie origin story. In 1931, a glandular transplant specialist named Dr. Paul Niehans started researching cell therapy. He believed that the root to all successful skincare could only be found at the cellular level. From a stunning chalet hidden away in the Swiss mountains, Dr. Niehans developed what is now known as the exclusive cellular complex, found in all of La Prairieโ€™s products. The complex is produced in three separate laboratories so that the complete recipe remains a secret; no single La Prairie chemist knows the full formula.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CHdSfvqH_fR/

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The At-Home Regrowth Fix Behind J.Loโ€™s Flawless Hair

It's the perfect solution when you can't make it to your hairstylist

As the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak continues to sweep the globe, heading in to see your favourite hairstylist for a colour touch-up may not be possible. 

Fortunately, Jennifer Lopezโ€™s hairstylist Chris Appleton has revealed the at-home product he uses to conceal J.Loโ€™s rootsโ€ฆ

colourwow

Color WOW Root Cover Up, $49.95, available at Adore Beauty.

โ€œAlways covered with one of my favorites @colorwowhair Root touch up. I use it to blend extensions, make hairlines fuller and even create highlights,โ€ shared Chris alongside a snap of himself applying the hair colour saviour to J.Loโ€™s hairline.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B3fBveShVON/?utm_source=ig_embed

Color WOW Root Cover Up doesnโ€™t permanently change the colour of your hair as a dye would. Instead, itโ€™s a coloured powder formulation that temporarily disguises your roots.

Think of it as a concealer โ€“ but for your regrowth. And, just like makeup, itโ€™s available in a variety of shades so you can choose one suitable for you.

If youโ€™re looking for more suggestions of instant root touch-up products to try, some other excellent are Kevin Murphy Retouch.Me, Lโ€™Orรฉal Paris Magic Retouch and John Frieda Root Blur.  

keving

Kevin Murphy Retouch.Me in Dark Brown, $39.95, available at adorebeauty.com.au

retouch

Lโ€™Orรฉal Paris Magic Retouch in Golden Brown, $15.99, available at priceline.com.au

johnfrieda

John Frieda Root Blur in Amber to Maple, $19.99, available at priceline.com.au

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Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Reveals That She Is A Sexual Assault Survivor In Powerful Instagram Live

She explained that as a survivor of sexual assault, the January 6 siege was even more triggering

On the night of February 1, in a brave and candid video on Instagram Live, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez revealed her deep trauma following the January 6 siege of the Capitol, and the prior traumas that had made it even more triggering.

Ocasio-Cortez shared that she is a survivor of sexual assault: โ€œI havenโ€™t told many people in my life,โ€ she said. She began crying during her retelling of the events of January 6, but fought to continue to tell her story. โ€œAll of your traumas can, kind of, intersect and interact,โ€ she explained.

Ocasio-Cortez compared Republicansโ€™ insistence on telling her and other survivors of the January 6 attack to โ€œget over itโ€ to the tactics used by abusers. She added: โ€œThe folks who are saying we should move on, we shouldnโ€™t have accountability, etc., are saying: โ€˜Can you just forget about this so that we can do it again?โ€™โ€ฆ Iโ€™m not going to let it happen to me againโ€ฆ and Iโ€™m not going to let it happen to our country.โ€

She shared that on January 6, when Trump supporters stormed the Capitol, she hid in the bathroom of her office. She heard someone break in, shouting, โ€œWhere is she?โ€ over and over again. Ocasio-Cortez knew she was a target for threats; she had been told days before the attack that she must be careful, especially on January 6. โ€œI thought I was going to die,โ€ she said. โ€œI have never been quieter in my entire life.โ€

Ocasio-Cortez explained that she had hidden in Representative Katie Porterโ€™s office in an effort to remain safe. At one point, she looked for left-behind gym clothes to hide in so she would be able to escape the Capitol unscathed. She detailed that she was prepared to jump out the windowโ€”โ€Iโ€™m fully bracing for impactโ€โ€”and that she didnโ€™t know which officers to trust. โ€œAre some officers safer than others because they have white-sounding names, or male-sounding names?โ€.

She told viewers: โ€œIf you have experienced any sort of trauma, just the fact of recognising that and admitting it is already a huge step. Especially in a world where people are constantly trying to tell you that you didnโ€™t experience what you experienced, or that youโ€™re lyingโ€ฆ Those are additional traumas on traumas that youโ€™ve already experienced. Thereโ€™s the trauma of going through what you went through, and then thereโ€™s the trauma afterwards of people not believing you, or trying to publicly humiliate you, or trying to embarrass you.โ€

Sadly, knowing that sheโ€™s a target isnโ€™t new for Ocasio-Cortez. Last year, she told Vanity Fair: โ€œI used to wake up in the morning and literally get a stack of pictures that were forwarded by Capitol police or FBI. Like, โ€˜These are the people who want to kill you today.'โ€

On Twitter, people praised Ocasio-Cortez for sharing her trauma in such a public way.

https://twitter.com/MorganRSperry/status/1356440038557577217

AOC finished by saying: โ€œI have been giving myself time and space to try and healโ€ฆ I think these are important stories to tell. My story isnโ€™t the only story. Itโ€™s far from the central story.โ€

โ€œBut together we have 435 stories. And we need to tell them because every time a Republican gets on television and says, โ€˜We need to move on and forget about it,โ€™ they need to be reminded about what theyโ€™re trying to absolve and excuseโ€ฆ If youโ€™ve experienced trauma in your life, I want you to know that you donโ€™t have to have experienced the worst thing or the biggest thingโ€ฆ I hope you get the courage to get everything you need to do to heal.โ€

This article originally appeared on marie claire U.S.

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Captain Tom Moore, Who Raised Over $57 Million For Frontline Workers, Dies At The Age Of 100

The the war vet was "a beacon of light through the fog of coronavirus"

During the pandemic, weโ€™ve seen people across the world do some incredible things to raise funds for frontline workers and aid in COVID-19 relief. Captain Tom Moore was one of those incredible, awe-inspiring examples of people doing extraordinary things to fundraise. 

On February 2, his family confirmed the 100-year-old war veteran, who served as an officer in India and Burma campaigns during WWII, has passed away. 

His two daughters, Hannah Ingram-Moore and Lucy Teixeira, announced his death via a statement: โ€œIt is with great sadness that we announce the death of our dear father, Captain Sir Tom Moore,โ€ the announcement read. 

โ€œWe are so grateful that we were with him during the last hours of his life; Hannah, Benjie and Georgia by his bedside and Lucy on FaceTime.

โ€œWe spent hours chatting to him, reminiscing about our childhood and our wonderful mother. We shared laughter and tears together.โ€

Over the weekend, Mooreโ€™s daughter Hannah shared on social media that he had been admitted to the hospital after testing positive for COVID-19. At the time, she wrote: โ€œOver the last few weeks he was being treated for pneumonia and last week tested positive for Covid-19. He was at home with us until today when he needed additional help with his breathing.โ€

Moore raised $57 million in the run-up to his 100th birthday by completing 100 laps of his garden with the help of a walking frame, capturing the heart of the world. 

He went on to receive a knighthood for his fundraising effortsโ€”as well as to break the Guinness World Recordโ€”with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson calling the war vet โ€œa beacon of light through the fog of coronavirusโ€ and a โ€œtrue national treasure.โ€

captain tom moore

According to a Buckingham Palace spokesperson, the Queen is sending a โ€œprivate message of condolenceโ€ to Mooreโ€™s family. โ€œHer Majesty very much enjoyed meeting Captain Sir Tom and his family at Windsor last year,โ€ reads a statement. โ€œHer thoughts, and those of the Royal Family, are with them, recognising the inspiration he provided for the whole nation and others across the world.โ€

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Back To The โ€™90s! Carrie Bickmore Shares Adorable Photos Of Herself As A Teen

'The Project' host is unrecognisable!

Strapless tops, choker necklaces, and powder blue eyeshadowโ€”all staples from our โ€™90s wardrobes weโ€™d really rather forget.

But, this week The Project host Carrie Bickmore switched out her enviable news desk fashion in favour of a trip down memory lane, sharing a series of hilarious throwback pictures from her teenage years, and of course, she was sporting the decades most enviable trends. 

โ€œThe โ€™90sโ€ฆ when you didnโ€™t get the chance to take a photo multiple times til you got one with your eyes open,โ€ Bickmore captioned the nostalgic snaps.

The television hostโ€™s Project co-host Lisa Wilkinson couldnโ€™t help but comment underneath, writing: โ€œOr get it in the centre of the shot. So cute.โ€  

The first photo shows a teenage Bickmore wearing a strapless red top with her hair slicked back and beauty look completed with thick black eyeliner, while another shows the now TV personality experimenting with her usually blonde hair, displaying a short brown bob

carrie bickmore
(Credit: Instagram/@bickmorecarrie)
carrie bickmore
(Credit: Instagram/@bickmorecarrie)
carrie bickmore
(Credit: Instagram/@bickmorecarrie)

Bickmore is no stranger to poking a little fun at her beauty moments, in fact, she previously shared three of her mostโ€”ahemโ€”questionable hairstyles with her Instagram followers in 2018, posting a hilarious collage of her โ€œhair journeyโ€ through the years. 

And while weโ€™ve come to admire Bickmoreโ€™s perfectly curled blonde tresses flashing across our screens at 6:30pm sharp, the throwback photos prove she used to look very different to the TV host we now know and love. 

bickmore

Just another reason to love her! 

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Why Everybodyโ€™s Talking About Haunting New True-Crime Doco, โ€˜Murder On Middle Beachโ€™

A harrowing and personal story from first-time filmmaker Madison Hamburg

From the harrowing case of Madeleine McCann to JonBenรฉt Ramsey, and even the disappearance of Australiaโ€™s three Beaumont children, there has long been a worldwide fascination with attempting to crack the code of unsolved mysteriesโ€”even if unlikely such a code exists. 

As is the case for first-time filmmaker Madison Hamburg, who in the decade since his mother was murdered, has been searching for answers. Murder on Middle Beacha four-part documentary by HBO and available to watch on Binge, looks to the complicated journey to solving an unspeakable crime, the emotional toll of absolving the people you love, all while seeking out the truth. 

Filmed over eight years, Hamburg speaks to various family members and unveils long-held secrets, shares his complicated relationship with local police, and even asks his little sister Ali, and aunt Conwayโ€”who together discovered his motherโ€™s bodyโ€”if they were responsible. Over the near-decade course of filming, Hamburg learns more about his motherโ€™s life and gathers evidence in hopes of solving her murder. 

Intrigued? Below, all your Murder on Middle Beach questions answered. 

Madisonโ€™s mother, Barbara Beach Hamburg, before her 2010 murder.
Madisonโ€™s mother, Barbara Beach Hamburg, before her 2010 murder (Credit: HBO)

Who Was Barbara โ€œBeachโ€ Hamburg? 

On March 3, 2010, Barbara Beach Hamburg, 48, was found murdered in the backyard of her Madison, Connecticut, home. Her body was discovered by Madisonโ€™s aunt Conway and his sister, Ali. His father, Jeffrey Hamburg, quickly became a person of interest. To this day, the case that shocked a wealthy, idyllic seaside town has remained unsolved.

Her death was ruled a homicide, with medical examiners at the time stating โ€œmultiple blunt and sharp force injuryโ€ as the official cause of death.

Barbara had been expected in the local court, alongside her ex-husband Jeffrey Hamburg, on the morning after her death, but she never made her 9:30am appearance.

The couple wed in 1989 but divorced in 2002. In the following years, the pair regularly appeared in court together, with Barbara alleging her ex-husband failed to make alimony and child support payments, while Jeffrey argued his ex-wife was behind on mortgage payments for their property. 

At the time of her death, Barbara had primary custody of their two children, Madison and Ali. 

Has Anyone Been Arrested Or Charged With Her Murder? 

While police initially questioned Jeffrey following the murder, he was never formally charged with a crime.

The murder remains unsolved. 

What Revelations Does Madison Learn About His Mother in Murder On Middle Beach? 

The four-part series isnโ€™t so much a whodunnit than a deep, incredibly personal story about โ€œidentity, family, and griefโ€, as Hamburg tells IndieWire

Through his long deep dive, Madison learns the extent of his motherโ€™s alcoholism and the long history of substance abuse that plagues his familyโ€”including himself in the years prior to his motherโ€™s death. โ€œI was acting out a lot. Iโ€™ve gone to rehab twice,โ€ he told the NY Post. โ€œMy whole family is in recovery.โ€

One of Madisonโ€™s revelations comes in the discovery of Barbaraโ€™s involvement in โ€œThe Gifting Tablesโ€, a pyramid scheme that had been billed as a self-help group. It consisted of women-only gatherings, in which new recruits were required to bring a hefty financial โ€œgiftโ€ of $5,000 in cash. Barbara began recruiting new members from her Alcohols Anonymous meetings, and at the time of her death, it was believed she was on the cusp of receiving a large sum of money, leading some to question if sheโ€™d been murdered by a person related to the scheme. 

Watch the official trailer below. 

Murder On Middle Beach | Official Trailer
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Will Murder on Middle Beach Return For A Second Season? 

While Madison canโ€™t confirm a second season, he has confirmed the investigation into his motherโ€™s murder will continue. โ€œItโ€™s too early to say whether or not something like [season two] would happen,โ€ he told GQโ€œbut I certainly am not going to stop looking into what happened to my mum.โ€ 

The seriesโ€™ finale saw the Freedom of Information Commission rule to release case files related to Barbaraโ€™s murder, which Madison had previously not been able to access. 

With over 1,600 relevant documents handed over in October 2020, Madison confirmed to HBO he now has a โ€œtreasure trove of informationโ€ which throws the case โ€œwide open.โ€ 

โ€œThereโ€™s a lot more backstory to relationships between people in my life and transparency and clarity that I didnโ€™t have before that just opens this thing wide open,โ€ says Hamburg. โ€œNow, there is a treasure trove of information.โ€ 

He also told Esquire: โ€œThere have been corroborating leads, correcting things, things that we didnโ€™t know about. I canโ€™t go into details, but itโ€™s been extremely illuminating.โ€ 

Murder on Middle Beach is available to stream now on Binge.

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Abigail Deanโ€™s Psychological Thriller โ€˜Girl Aโ€™ Is Tipped To Be 2021โ€™s Hottest Read

The literary thriller is taking the book world by storm

If you, like much of the world, were immediately gripped by thrillers such as Gillian Flynnโ€™s Gone Girl and Paula Hawkinsโ€™ Girl On The Trainโ€”later devouring their screen adaptations starring Rosamund Pike and Emily Bluntโ€”this yearโ€™s predicted โ€œbook of the yearโ€ is going to have you hooked from the very first line. 

Abigail Deanโ€™s gripping debut novel, already tipped to be one of the biggest sellers of the year with its screen rights already sold, centres on the aftermath of a hideous โ€˜House of Horrorsโ€™ style crime, only examining what happens to victims once headlines move on and years of yet to be confronted. 

In Deanโ€™s novel, we follow successful New York lawyer Lexie Graceโ€”who was anonymously known as Girl A to the public, after escaping and freeing her five siblings from their parents โ€˜House of Horrorsโ€™ in England as a child. When their mother dies in prison and they inherit the family home, Lexie and her siblings must return to the house to confront each other and their dark past. 

Intrigued? Read on for everything to know about Abigail Deanโ€™s Girl A, and what to expect from its screen adaptation. 

What Is Girl A About? 

Girl A begins with Lexie Graceโ€™s escape from her parentsโ€™ religious cult and the House of Horrors where she grew up alongside her five siblings. 

โ€œLex Gracie doesnโ€™t want to think about her family. She doesnโ€™t want to think about growing up in her parentsโ€™ House of Horrors,โ€ reads the books official synopsis. โ€œAnd she doesnโ€™t want to think about her identity as Girl A: the girl who escaped. Together with her sister, Evie, Lex intends to turn the House of Horrors into a force for good. But first, she must come to terms with her six siblingsโ€”and with the childhood they shared.โ€

girl a
Girl A, by Abigail Dean, is published by HarperCollins Australia and is on sale now

What Real-Life Cases Is Girl A Based On?

Dean, as a true-crime fan, drew inspiration from a number of real-life cases, from serial killers Fred and Rosemary West to the escape of a Minnesotan teenager held captive for a month in 2017 who swam to safety across a lake, as well as the most recent case of David and Louise Turpin, the Californian parents who, in 2019, were given life sentences for torturing and abusing 12 of their 13 children.

โ€œReading these stories, I was in awe of the power of teenage girls,โ€ Dean wrote for the Herald Sun. โ€œHow could you not want to know what happened next?โ€ 

What Do We Know About Girl Aโ€™s Screen Adaptation? 

According to VarietyJohan Renck, the Emmy-award winning director of Chernobylis currently in negotiations to direct and executive produce the limited series Girl A. No more detail about a potential series has been released, but considering Renckโ€™s previous work on series like Bloodline and Breaking Bad, we can expect big things from the project. 

Girl A, by Abigail Dean, is published by HarperCollins Australia and is on sale now

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In A Shock To No One, โ€˜Married At First Sightโ€™sโ€™ Nasser Sultan Claims Heโ€™s Been Playing A โ€œCharacterโ€ Of Himself For Media Attention

"Iโ€™ve put on this front, and I think Iโ€™ve done it extremely well, nobody has done this character [before]"

With the second part of the Married At First Sight reunion done and dusted, the chaos of yet another dramatic walkout and rather impressive redemption arcs arenโ€™t the only dramatic souvenirs from Channel Nineโ€™s two-part special.

As the nation eagerly awaits the hit reality TV showโ€™s eighth seasonโ€”and to meet the new sexologist expertโ€”all heads have turned to Nasser Sultan, the villainous and self-appointed โ€œvoice of the peopleโ€ who was booted out from the dinner party after refusing to apologise for past false accusations heโ€™s made.

Now, Sultan has come forward to admit that he has been playing the character of โ€˜Nasser Sultanโ€™ since his time on season five of the hit show.

Appearing on The Washโ€˜s Not Another Reality TV Podcast podcast, Nasser admitted that he chose to play the character of a โ€œdeluded reality starโ€ in order to remain in the public eye, following his stint on the show in 2018. 

Confessing that the โ€˜parodyโ€™ he created completely consumed him, the 53-year-old went on to acknowledge that heโ€™ became โ€œobsessedโ€ with tearing others down โ€œjust for a headlineโ€ and confessed that the few real friends he has left are โ€œembarrassedโ€ to be seen with him.

When explaining his decision to become a public character of himself, Nasser revealed that it can occasionally feel like he has a โ€œsplit personalityโ€, saying:

โ€œSometimes itโ€™s like thereโ€™s a split personality. Thereโ€™s the, โ€˜Can I get a photo with you? Youโ€™re amazingโ€™โ€”and then thereโ€™s this other character, where itโ€™s like, Iโ€™m not that big [of a celebrity].โ€

The โ€˜social commentatorโ€™ continued, โ€œThe whole thing is a front. Iโ€™ve put on this front, and I think Iโ€™ve done it extremely well, nobody has done this character [before]. Iโ€™m realising now that you canโ€™t play this character forever, there has to be a limit where [I say], โ€˜Enough now, I have to change directionโ€™.โ€

And while Nasser admits that his time in the spotlight needs to come to a close, he also explains how his character came to be after his on-screen stint, thanks to ego and media attention.

โ€œItโ€™s hard, when you get off a show like this, youโ€™re on a high and youโ€™re getting all this attention,โ€ he explained. โ€œWhen youโ€™re walking down the street and people want photos. I even remember the police once pulling me over for RBT and letting me go because it was Nasser. They let me off because theyโ€™d just seen me on this show.โ€

โ€œYou get a big head, youโ€™re in this bubble saying to yourself, โ€˜Iโ€™m untouchable, I can do whatever I wantโ€™. I wanted to continue to be noticed and recognised. I never wanted it to endโ€”I wanted my name to be known by everyone across Australiaโ€ฆ It all went wrong because I started to embed myself in the lives of everybody else. I am obsessed.โ€

And itโ€™s safe to say that Nasserโ€˜s personality change came at a cost. Ahead of the MAFS reunion special, each former bride and groom firmly stated that he was the last person they wanted to see.

โ€œHe has burned a lot of bridges,โ€ said MAFS expert Mel Schilling prior to his arrival. โ€œIt goes to show that social media plays a huge role in their lives,โ€ fellow expert, John Aiken, added. 

โ€œI say what I feel,โ€ Nasser later told producers. โ€œDo I make funny comments about them all the time, yes, thatโ€™s what people want. Humour.โ€ 

However, when confronted by the group at the table, he refused to apologise for making excessive false accusations against his co-starsโ€”including past contestants he had never met beforeโ€”and following backlash from others, stormed out of the dinner party in typical MAFS fashion.

Since Nasserโ€™s admissions of self have come post-reunion, Australia can only wait and see if he stays true to his word.

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Angelina Jolie Reveals How โ€œDifficultโ€ It Has Been To โ€œHeal Her Familyโ€ Since Her Split From Brad Pitt

โ€œItโ€™s slowly coming back, like the ice melting and the blood returning to my bodyโ€

Thereโ€™s no denying that Angelina Jolie and Brad Pittโ€™s separation in 2016 came as a shock. After years as Hollywoodโ€™s It-couple, the pair were a picture of modern romance that the ultimate blended family aspired to emulate.

Now, almost five years later, Angelina Jolie has opened up about how she and their six childrenโ€”Maddox, 19, Pax, 17, Zahara, 16, Shiloh, 14, and 12-year-old twins Vivienne and Knoxโ€”are coping with their new normal.

Speaking to British Vogue, Jolie reflected on the trials and tribulations that sheโ€™s conquered in the last few years since the split, as well as the current global crisis. Speaking candidly about her inability to be a stay-at-home mother, the actress and UN High Commissioner for Refugees also revealed how she approaches raising her family, including her adopted children, Maddox, Pax and Zahara.

โ€œAw, well I feel like itโ€™s a big deal if they accept me, you know? I mean, thatโ€™s the thing for a lot of mothers, and for a lot of parents regardless,โ€ she admitted.

โ€œBut I think even more so if you have adopted children. They have to choose you, too. Itโ€™s not the parentsโ€™ family and theyโ€™re in it. Itโ€™s our family.โ€

Angelina Jolie
(Credit: Getty Images)

Jolie continued to acknowledge that while she recognises her privilege throughout the COVID-10 pandemic, her family has also faced its own hurdles, saying:

 โ€œThere are also these other markers of life: Pax going into his senior year, but not being able to enjoy all that it is to be a senior; Zahara finally getting her driving licence, but sheโ€™s taking the test with the driver wrapped in the full outfit with the masks. Itโ€™s not how you imagine these moments. But birthdays go on, and I think that for many people, itโ€™s made us all feel very human together. Thereโ€™s something beautiful about that.โ€

And while the world looks up to Jolie for her compassion and motherly prowess, the 45-year-old actress doesnโ€™t see herself in the same light, particularly when it comes to being a stay-at-home mother.

โ€œI feel like Iโ€™m lacking in all the skills to be a traditional stay-at-home mom. Iโ€™m managing through it because the children are quite resilient, and theyโ€™re helping me, but Iโ€™m not good at it at all.โ€ The actress added, โ€œWell, I love them. I feel like weโ€™re such a team. It may sound clichรฉd, but you love and you try, and even if you burn the eggs, that doesnโ€™t matter in the end. But also, youโ€™ve met our kids. Theyโ€™re pretty capable.โ€

When it came to any mention of Pitt himself, Jolie kept it short and sweet. While detailing how it felt to move into the home of Cecil B. DeMille, she revealed that her choice in real estate was to mend the relationship between her children and their father, saying:

โ€œI wanted it to be close to their dad, who is only five minutes away. I felt a little pressure moving in. Like I had snuck into where DeMille and Chaplin would hang out. I love most that there is no entertainment room, but lots of pathways and places to walk and think. I feel very fortunate we have that at this time.โ€

Brad Pitt
(Credit: Getty Images)

However, when asked if she was at a happy place herself, Jolie was truly candid about how she is still healing as she settles into life post-split.

โ€œThe past few years have been pretty hard,โ€ she said. โ€œIโ€™ve been focusing on healing our family. Itโ€™s slowly coming back, like the ice melting and the blood returning to my body. But Iโ€™m not there. Iโ€™m not there yet. But I hope to be. Iโ€™m planning on it.โ€

Having filed for a divorce from Brad Pitt in 2016, the pair continue to battle a bifurcated judgement, with the details of their divorce, including distribution of finances and child custody, still to be determined.

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Home Page 43

Redemption Arcs And A Dramatic Walkout: The Very Best Reactions To The โ€˜MAFSโ€™ Reunion

Also ICYMI, Jo is an empowerment queen!

And just like that, the Married At First Sight Grand Reunion is over! It was a night to remember, taking a trip down memory lane through some of the most talked-about and controversial love stories to have ever unfolded on Channel Nineโ€™s social experiment over its explosive five seasons. 

From Nasser Sultan still unwilling to apologies for the hurtful words he has said on social media, to Dean Wells and Tracey Jewel admitting theyโ€™ve since become good friends following the dramatic ending to their relationship following the TV groomโ€™s affair with former contestant Davina Rankin, it was certainly as drama-filled as one could expect from a MAFS event, complete with experts Mel Schilling and John Aiken guiding us along. 

Of course, it wouldnโ€™t be a true MAFS reunion without a dramatic walkout, and this yearโ€™s is courtesy of Cyrell who continued her feud with Jess before deciding to walk out for good. 

Below, the best Twitter reactions to part two of the Married At First Sight Grand Reunion. 

Australia Hath Spoken, Jo Is The Nationโ€™s Sweetheart 

Tonight, one thing was confirmed: Foxy JoJo is the seriesโ€™ most-loved bride of all time. 

The bubbly TV bride was paired with Sean on the social experimentโ€™s fifth seasonโ€”who, as we were reminded in the recapโ€”was less than impressed from the moment she walked down the aisle.

Boy, do we hope heโ€™s sorry for that decision right now. 

https://twitter.com/TheSupremeRanga/status/1356161429980606465
https://twitter.com/yslkiki/status/1356161666002509825

How About We Stop Glorifying Toxic Relationships On National Television? 

Seriously! How are John and Mel still glorifying a relationship that was riddled with manipulation? 

Despite the redemption edit that Mike got tonight, many viewers couldnโ€™t help but remember just how controversial his actions were at the time. 

Mikeโ€™s stint on MAFS will arguably remain one of the most blatant and outright displays of toxic masculinity displayed on national television.

Throughout his time on the social experiment, Mike continually gaslit wife Heidi, shamed her for trying to emotionally open up to him about her past as a foster child with the now-infamous, โ€œIโ€™m not your therapist, sweetheartโ€ line, to downright defending a man who had cheated on his wife. Then who could forget Mikeโ€™s claims that women, biologically, donโ€™t โ€œcope under pressure.โ€ 

To finish it off, when asked by the experts what heโ€™d do if he saw Heidi, Mike admitted heโ€™d โ€œkiss herโ€, despite just seconds before saying he was no in a committed relationship. 

*SIGH*

Jess vs. Cyrell, Part-Two 

Jess starts by telling the experts she was โ€œembarrassedโ€ by her past behaviour on the series, but Cyrell asserts that โ€œthe old Jess is the new Jess.โ€ 

The pair continue the same argument about what they have said about each other in the past, and when Jess tried to present a sincere, mature apology in the hopes of moving forward, Cyrell declares sheโ€™s done. 

โ€œThatโ€™s me bouncing,โ€ she tells the group while getting up and storming out of the room. 

It was mixed emotions on Twitter, and it seems this one feud might just live on a little while longer. 

https://twitter.com/biancapies/status/1356179416779382786
https://twitter.com/Kei_Ale13/status/1356179988312059906

Why Were Ryan, Charlene And Sarah Even There? 

Seriously? Did Charlene even say a word?

https://twitter.com/teaarm1/status/1356184359766659073
https://twitter.com/britty96/status/1356184575777468419

And thatโ€™s all, the drama is officially done and dusted! Married At First Sightโ€™s new season begins on February 22 at 7pm on Channel Nine. 

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Home Page 43

Jennifer Aniston Celebrates Returning To โ€˜The Morning Showโ€™ With A Fresh New Hair Colour

We spoke to an expert on how to get the look for youself

She may have appeared on one of the most adored sitcoms of all time, but Jennifer Aniston will forever be remembered for her iconic hair. The actress and her sandy blonde tresses have been making headlines since the early โ€™90s, when the fashionable Rachel Green burst onto our screens in Friends. 

Returning to work on the Apple TV+ series, The Morning Showalongside Reese Witherspoon, Aniston posted a series of selfies alongside longtime hairstylist and friend Chris McMillanโ€”the very same behind Anistonโ€™s iconic โ€˜Rachelโ€™ cut. And it shows that the actress is making a big change for season two: adding buttery-blonde highlights. 

โ€œAaand, weโ€™re backโ€ฆ ๐Ÿคฉ๐ŸŽฌ,โ€ the actress captioned the pics showing off her new hair, with Witherspoon commenting underneath, โ€œYES WE ARE!! ๐Ÿ’•โ€. 

Aurore Lopez, Advanced Stylist at Franck Provost Paddington, broke down exactly how to emulate the blonde refresh.

โ€œTo achieve this look, Jenโ€™s hairdressers did some buttery-blonde babylights all over to lighten the colour and avoid having an obvious regrowth on the top,โ€ explains Gaysott. โ€œTo enhance and soften the facial features, they added some face-framing foils which result in a very natural, effortless look.โ€ 

Gaysott recommends having this done every three to four months, alongside a toner treatment in between, to keep the โ€œbeautiful, stunning shine.โ€ 

โ€œFranck Provost highly recommends a weekly in-salon treatment for softer, shinier, healthier hairโ€”like we needed an excuse to indulge in their divine head massage more often!โ€, adds Gaysott, adding the salonโ€™s signature *DIAMOND* service combines a toner and mask to help keep your balayage and colour fresh for longer. 

the morning show

Fans will be happy to see Aniston and Witherspoon have returned to filming the hugely popular series, which saw its season one finale air in December 2019. โ€œThere is something about how the show works, and itโ€™s now been made very clear, at least for the for the first two seasonsโ€ Aniston told Deadline in August 2020 about the upcoming storylines. โ€œWe had a good portion of season one outlined-ish. And you know, we were still dealing with the human ills, racism, inequality, ageism, and the feuds that go on behind the scenes of these mom-and-pops that we see every morning, but then #MeToo happened.โ€

She continued, โ€œSo then that was another layer to the cake that had to be added into the whole story, and it just made it that much more exciting and current. So, for season two, the same thing. We had a good six or maybe seven outlines already done, and we were in the middle of shooting [episodes] one and two. And then there was just this feeling, and I couldnโ€™t put my finger on it, and the producers couldnโ€™t put their finger on it, but it was like somethingโ€™s missing and I donโ€™t know what it is. And then the COVID crisis happened.โ€

Recently, it was just announced that The Good Wifeโ€˜s Julianna Margulies, a 10-time Emmy-nominated actress, will be joining the all-star cast as Laura Peterson, an anchor at UBA News.

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Get Natalie Portmanโ€™s Stunning Lip Look

Hint: youโ€™ll need to snap up Diorโ€™s just released cult lipstick

With makeup taking a backseat for the past few months, weโ€™re feeling the need now to add a pop of bright into our makeup routine. So when we saw Natalie Portman sporting this beautiful red lip (thanks to Diorโ€™s beautiful lipstick update, Dior Rouge) we were keen to channel her look.

โ€œRed makes a true statement,โ€ says Peter Philips, creative director of Christian Dior makeup. And donโ€™t think you have to be a master at application; if you donโ€™t have a steady hand, a โ€˜dab and blendโ€™ technique is a low-maintenance approach to look polished in seconds. Or, opt for a more neutral tone, says Philips. โ€œNude has become the everyday shade,โ€ he says.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CJoIzHCCZrG/

In 2021, the Rouge Dior collection has grown to an impressive 35 shades โ€“ from soft nudes to pinks and luxurious reds โ€“ so youโ€™re guaranteed to find your personal shade love. Looking for a new shade? Weโ€™re throwing Nude Look (#100) into our handbags as the perfect everyday neutral, while the rosy tones of Chรฉrie (#525) add an instant hit of healthy colour to our complexions. But for the moments it just has to be red, the new shade Red Smile (#080) is so confidence-enhancing, itโ€™s destined to take on the iconic appeal of Diorโ€™s classic #999 blue-red shade.

The new collection has also had a texture update. Inspired by the fashion houseโ€™s stunning couture fabrics, the new range now boats four couture fabric-inspired textures in lip-friendly formulations. Thereโ€™s the original satin we know and love, as well as Diorโ€™s covetable matte and metallic textures, and now there is a new powder-effect velvet, which will blow your mind if youโ€™re seeking a soft, almost blurred texture that wonโ€™t dry out lips. All lipsticks in the range have been spiked with a new floral extracts to ensure there isnโ€™t a chapped lip in sight. Win, win.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CJ0fE-BosxL/

Thereโ€™s a sustainable nod to Monsieur Diorโ€™s 1953 original lip creation too with the return of refillable bullets. Supporting the brandโ€™s commitment to sustainability, now youโ€™re able to keep your updated CD motif lipstick case and refill it with your favourite shade.

Now, with our lip colour sorted, naturally the next tasks on our to-do list are emulating Natalie Portmanโ€™s tousled Parisian bob and tracking down that red beret.

Diorโ€™s Rouge Dior lipsticks, $59 each, are available now on the newly launched Australian e-boutique at shop.dior.com.au.

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One Of Kate Middletonโ€™s Go-To Labels Just Launched Sleepwear & Itโ€™s So Chic

You'll never want to leave bed again

If the experiences of the past twelve monthsโ€”and countingโ€”have taught us anything, itโ€™s that chic, two-piece sleepwear is absolutely an acceptable work uniform, and yes, that includes office days too. 

Thankfully, plenty of our favourite designers have heard us calling for comfort and style and delivered an influx of options to make our sartorial dreams come true. 

The most recent to give a luxe update to our sleepwear? Kate Middletonโ€™s go-to dress brand, Ghost

The high-street label best known for its whimsical florals and satin gowns has used their luxe aesthetic to create a curated collection of sleepwear that includes sleek separates and dreamy silk dresses. 

There are traditional button-down pyjamas (which would look perfect dressed up with your favourite heels and gold accessories), bias-cut floral slip dresses, matching satin t-shirts and skirts, all in chic shades of powder blue and champagne. 

Either worn as sleepwear or mix-and-matched with other pieces in your wardrobe, the UK-based label has certainly delivered their signature luxe vibe to the sleepwear. 

And considering the Duchess of Cambridge is such a firm fan of the brandโ€™s dresses, we have no doubt sheโ€™ll be slipping into these sets.

Imogen Trousers

Ghost Kira Shirt, approx. $125 & Ghost Imogen Trousers, approx. $141, in Stone; at Ghost

kate middleton

Ghost Kristan Top, approx. $78 & Ghost Caro Skirt, approx. $125; at Ghost

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