From Rosie: Last week, someone requested a recommendation for a face wash. I really like Neutrogena’s Ultra Gentle Daily Cleanser. It’s affordable and my face feels soft and clean after I use it. Reviewers have had similarly great results using it. “My face was reacting in different ways to every different face wash I used. This works really well for my face. I haven’t reacted to it at all and my sensitive skin is happy with me!” “Smells fresh and clean. Does not dry out my skin like the glycerine bar soap I was using.” Here are some of the things that CB and I are looking at on Amazon this week.

An air fryer currently priced at 50% off

From Rosie: If anyone is looking for a new air fryer, the Ninja Mini Air Fryer is currently half-off on Amazon. The limited time deal has the 2-quarts version at only $40 right now. It has a 4.7 star rating, more than 17,000 reviews, and a B on Fakespot. People say getting an air fryer was a game changer for them. “I bought one of these with the idea of replacing a deep fryer, but found much greater value than I expected. [T]he quality of the cooking is very good, well beyond what I get with my existing toaster oven.” “I had waited to purchase an air fryer because I do not have room for another huge appliance. This air fryer fits perfectly on our counter top in a corner. The size is perfect!”

A comfortable racerback tank top for working out

From Rosie: I have this workout tank in several different colors. It’s loose and flowy, which is great for both air flow and personal comfort. This racerback tank comes in 16 different colors and right now, Amazon is offering a 10% off coupon. It has a 4.5 star rating and more than 15,000 reviews on ReviewMeta. People in reviews really like how well they wear in the heat. “I wear for morning walks in the Florida summer. Prefer loose tops that don’t cling in the heat and humidity. I really like how this tank top fits and looks.” “Good fit and very comfortable and sweat absorbing. They wash and wear very well.”

A dry body brush for exfoliating and improving circulation

From Rosie: A fitness instructor I like and respect posted about this brush on her Instagram page the other day. I had never heard of dry body brushing but I really want to try it now. This brush reportedly helps with exfoliating the skin, improving circulation, lymphatic draining, and diminishing the appearance of cellulite. It has a 4.4 star rating, more than 28,000 reviews, and a B on Fakespot. Reviewers say that they’ve had positive results from using it. “I bought this on a whim looking to start dry brushing. I like the additional divots as they help after a long workout to ease muscles.” “It’s very rough [at] first, the brush has to be broken in. I love this- I just ordered a 5 pack for the year. It has helped so much against in-growns.” “I was hesitant but I’m glad I purchased. I dry brush right before shower and I come out with the smoothest legs ever!”

A hardcover notebook for writing and journaling

From Rosie: A former coworker introduced me to bullet journals about six years ago, and I’ve been buying the Leuchtturm brand ones a few times a year ever since. There are 30 different color options and four styles: dotted, plain, ruled, or squared. They have a 4.7 star rating, more than 34,000 reviews, and a B on Fakespot. People love the colors and quality. “I have over a half dozen of these that I have bought over the years in various colors. Quality is always the same: excellent. I no longer bother to look for any other brand. I just buy a different color each time.” “[I]f you’re looking for a good quality notebook with thin paper… numbered, with an index and pocket, this could be the right journal for you. I like all the colors, especially the berry pink which is so, so pretty.”

A light foundation for natural, flawless coverage

From CB: I had a 25% off coupon at CVS and got a discount on this L’oreal True Match Nude serum with hyaluronic acid. It’s priced at $20.49 at my local CVS but is under $15 on Amazon, with some shades even cheaper. I love it and wonder why I didn’t buy it sooner. My skin looks gorgeous and when I add Elf Halo Glow on top it looks even better. This listing has 11,800 ratings and 4.4 stars on ReviewMeta. It comes in 14 shades and most reviewers like it as much as I do. “I love this foundation! I’ve gotten several people asking me what makeup I use since switching to it. It’s light, luminous, and decent coverage.” “I was looking for a make up for mature skin. I was pleasantly surprised by how easy this was to apply. It glides over your skin, adds just the right amount of moisture and it has light to medium buildable coverage.”

A rechargeable cordless LED touch lamp you can use indoors or out

From CB: This cordless rechargeable LED touch lamp can be used bedside or on the patio or camping. It’s under $29 with a coupon. It emits a bright, natural light and can change to six different colors. This listing has over 420 ratings, 4.6 stars an a B on Fakespot. People say the charge lasts a long time and that it’s bright and adds ambiance too. “I’m using this lamp on my boat, I needed something to hold a charge for a long time and this is perfect, all of the colours are amazing. I will be ordering another one.” “This is a fantastic lamp. I now own three of them and they are in constant use around the house. We also intend to take them camping with us as the charge lasts for a few hours. I have bought various versions of this type of lamp in the past (LED, rotating colours), but the Sympa product is by far the best I’ve found.”

A set of faux flowers in a matching vase to upgrade your decor

From CB: I bought these faux hydrangeas in blue last week and they look so pretty on my mantle! You do have to fluff them up but that’s typical of shipped artificial flowers. They come with a matching vase and in several other varieties including pink, white and blue roses. These have 4.3 stars, 1,900 ratings and a B on Fakespot. Most reviewers say they’re very pretty and a good deal for the under $30 price. “I honestly love everything about this faux flower set. The colors,the quality and style are amazing.” “ Decided to buy it and I’m SO glad I did. It’s beautiful and completes my coffee table perfectly.”

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There were so many people shocked by the Lizzo news this week. Three of Lizzo’s former dancers sued her in California for sexual harassment, hostile work environment and more. In the lawsuit, they detailed all of her ridiculous, abusive and toxic behavior during her tours and they also cited her dance coordinator as an aggressive proselytizer. In addition to the lawsuit, documentary filmmaker Sophia Nahli Allison added her voice to the accusations against Lizzo. Allison came on tour with Lizzo in an attempt to make a documentary about her and the tour. Allison left after two weeks because of the extremely toxic and hostile work environment Lizzo created. Allison has made two posts about Lizzo, and she points out that after she let the documentary, Lizzo got a “cis white man” who didn’t show Lizzo as the “narcissistic bully” she apparently is.

Documentary filmmaker Sophia Nahli Allison, an Oscar nominee for her 2019 documentary short, A Love for Latasha, alleged on social media today that she was “treated with such disrespect” by Lizzo that it caused her to walk away from the project.

Allison claimed that she left the documentary project after two weeks of shadowing the singer because of “arrogant, self-centered, and unkind” behavior from Lizzo. Allison added she was “thrown into a sh*tty situation with little support.”

“I usually do not comment on anything pop culture related,” Allison wrote on Instagram and Twitter. “But, in 2019, I traveled a bit with Lizzo to be the director of her documentary. I walked away after about two weeks. I was treated with such disrespect by her. I witnessed how arrogant, unkind, and cruel she is. I was not protected and thrown into a sh*tty situation with little support. My spirit said to run as fast as you f*cking can, and I’m grateful I trusted my gut. I felt gaslit and deeply hurt, but I’ve healed.

“Reading these reports make me realize how dangerous of a situation it was. This kind of abuse of power happens far too often. Much love and support to the dancers.”

A documentary titled Love, Lizzo was released on HBO Max in November 2022. It was directed by Doug Pray, whose other projects include 2009 film Art & Copy and 2008 film Surfwise. Allison also said on social media that she has heard from others who went through similar experiences with Lizzo. She said the star “creates an extremely toxic and hostile working environment and undermines the work, labor, and authority of other black and brown womxn in the process. Notice how the film ended up being directed by a cis white man,” Allison wrote, before further calling Lizzo “a narcissistic bully and has built her brand off lies… I was excited to support and protect a Black woman through the documentary process, but quickly learned her image and ‘message’ was a curated facade.”

[From Deadline]

Sometimes, all it takes is one person stepping up or filing a lawsuit for the dam to break. I think that’s what happened here – so many people wanted to believe in Lizzo’s message, her aura of positivity, and when the reality of Lizzo’s actual personality chipped away at the fantasy, no one wanted to be the first one to break Lizzo’s facade/public persona. But yeah, Lizzo sounds like a monstrous boss and a terrible person.

Update: Lizzo has made a statement on her social media. This… does not seem like her lawyers really vetted it. It’s not just the dancers suing her either – Sophia Nahli Allison is calling her out, and apparently there are many more people with similar stories.

pic.twitter.com/5FHUy20BjM

— FOLLOW @YITTY (@lizzo) August 3, 2023

Sharing this because validating other Black women’s experiences is deeply important to me. pic.twitter.com/gd2xEK6szq

— Sophia Nahli Allison (@SophiaNAllison) August 1, 2023

to be clear… pic.twitter.com/JU2ZuDoZ9b

— Sophia Nahli Allison (@SophiaNAllison) August 2, 2023

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

Following Ariana Grande’s appearance at the Wimbledon men’s final, she served up two full weeks of homewrecker drama. She announced her split from her first husband Dalton Gomez, then within days, Team Grande leaked the news of her relationship with Ethan Slater, her Wicked costar and a man with a wife and baby at home. Last week was a full-on briefing war between Ariana’s team and Ethan’s estranged wife Lilly Jay, who was seemingly calling up every outlet to get her side out there, and even going on the record with Page Six about how Ariana isn’t a “girl’s girl” and the real drama was between Ari and Dalton. While it was messy as hell, I didn’t blame Lilly for wanting her side out there, and she really did some damage to Ethan and Ariana. She refused to go away quietly or let Ariana’s team bulldoze her into submission.

Then, last Saturday, TMZ got the tip from Team Grande that Ariana is giving Ethan some space to figure out his divorce drama with Lilly. That came out around the same time that People Magazine reported that Ethan had returned home to New York and was “seen” FaceTimeing Ariana as he walked down the street. Many people are wondering if Ariana and Ethan are already over, especially since their affair blew up so spectacularly and Ari’s image really took a hit. There hasn’t been any briefing war this week – Ari has been silent since she flew back to LA, and I assume Ethan is still in New York. While we wait for Team Grande to leak the situation to TMZ or People (or both), enjoy this piece from Us Weekly:

Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater are still an item — but don’t expect to see them hitting the red carpet together anytime soon.

“Ariana’s been told it’s too soon to go public with him and to take things slower,” an insider exclusively told Us Weekly of Grande, 30. “She’s very aware of how she’s perceived by her fans, and she’s trying to be mature. [But] if it were up to her, she’d be seen with him tomorrow.”

Grande and her husband, Dalton Gomez, split in January after nearly two years of marriage. Last month, a source told Us that Slater, 31, and wife Lilly Jay were already separated when he began dating Grande. While some sources insist that there was no overlap between the relationships, the first insider tells Us that Grande and Slater’s inner circles advised them to “be respectful” because there is a family involved. Slater and Jay, 31, welcomed a son in August 2022.

“Things are heating up behind the scenes,” the insider says. “Publicly, they’re backing off, but [in reality], they’re not.”

[From Us Weekly]

Do you think this is for real? Do you think Ariana is still interested, even though she blew up his life and got him to file for divorce from Lilly? Like, what looks worse? Ariana dumping Ethan right after he filed for divorce, or Ariana staying with Ethan for eight months and then dumping him when his divorce comes through?

Photos courtesy of Cover Images, Instagram.

People Magazine’s cover story this week is all about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and “what’s next” for them after they lost their Spotify contract, basically. Like, there’s enough evidence that the Sussexes have taken some professional hits this year, but I maintain that the biggest issue facing Harry and Meghan is not about their finances or fictitious marriage drama or anything like that, it’s a simple issue of the lack of a communications strategy. They’re really bungling their comms and they have been for years. Fix the comms and we won’t have to constantly hear the sole media narrative that the Sussexes are “struggling” or in need of a “comeback.” Anyway, beyond the conversation about their business, People Mag is also reporting on what their life is like in Montecito:

Family relationships: Although Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland, is a frequent guest at the couple’s Montecito home, Harry’s family remains estranged. He is still not on speaking terms with his brother, Prince William, nor did he spend any meaningful time with the Prince of Wales or King Charles at their father’s coronation in May. Since telling Oprah Winfrey during their 2021 sit-down that she felt unwelcomed and unsupported by some members of the royal family, Meghan has taken a “much softer approach about Harry’s family,” a California source tells PEOPLE exclusively in this week’s cover story.

Meghan wants to move on from the Windsors: “The situation with his father and brother is still very difficult for him,” the source says. “Meghan is always supportive of it though. She used to be negative about it. It seems she has kind of moved on now.” Another insider adds, “They have moved continents. They have set up a new life with their kids.” The source says Meghan “just wants to focus on their kids and their life in Montecito.”

Child-rearing: The Duke and Duchess of Sussex “are very united when it comes to family values and how to raise their kids. They are both great parents,” the source adds. “Their kids are their world.” The couple’s “goal,” says a source, is for Prince Archie, 4, and Princess Lili, 2, to “have a normal life as much as possible.” The children’s upbringing is “very play-based. They have several play areas, including a climbing gym on their property.”

School pickups: The source adds that Archie and Lili have playdates, they spend time with their parents at the beach and Archie attends school. And Meghan is just one of the moms at school pickup, a longtime Montecito resident says: “She talks to everyone; there is no pretense.”

The Sussexes mostly keep to themselves. “They’re not into a big scene. They prefer smaller group hangouts at home, karaoke, that sort of thing,” says a friend. “Harry’s a beer and steak-and-potatoes kind of dude. They’re playful and flirty when they’re hanging out.”

Harry is embracing his American life: A family insider tells PEOPLE exclusively in this week’s cover story that for Prince Harry, it’s a “very different” life, and one he “seems to be embracing.”

Harry is a regular at the beach with Pula. A resident tells PEOPLE that during a beach visit, “The cutest dog dropped his ball by me, and I looked up to ask the owner if I could throw it, and it was Prince Harry. He said, ‘Of course,’ and made small talk while I played and pet the dog. It was so cute.” The resident added that the Duke of Sussex “didn’t wear a hat; I could see his red hair.”

[From People Magazine]

There’s also a quote from a Montecito person about how the community feels very protective of them but some people complain about the paparazzi. The vibe is absolutely that Harry and Meghan mostly keep to themselves around town, that they’re private and low-key. I find these quotes curious though: “Meghan is always supportive of it though. She used to be negative about it. It seems she has kind of moved on now”… Meghan “just wants to focus on their kids and their life in Montecito.” I do believe that Meghan is the one who is more like “let’s look ahead, let’s move on from all of the Salt Island drama,” which also explains their utter non-engagement when it comes to the hate machine churning away for years. I’ve always thought that Meghan was more well-suited for royal life than anyone gave her credit for – much like the Windsors, Meghan is an ostrich syndrome champion. Ignoring the negativity doesn’t make it go away.

Embed from Getty Images

Embed from Getty Images

Photos courtesy of Getty, Backgrid.

While I’ve grown to love President Biden, there is part of me which still yearns for a third term for Barack Obama. It felt like Obama was really getting the hang of it in his final White House years. Of course, for all of the complaining about Beltway Biden’s fifty years in public office, Biden has turned out to be one of the most shrewdest operators to ever hold the office of the presidency. What I love is that the two men still get along really well, and there’s just so much genuine affection between the current and former presidents. So much so that Obama is a regular in the Biden White House, and he often has a monthly visit to talk to President Biden and his staff. In late June, Obama was in the White House for his monthly meeting when he apparently had some straight talk for the current president:

Former president Barack Obama, at a private lunch with President Biden earlier this summer, voiced concern about Donald Trump’s political strengths — including an intensely loyal following, a Trump-friendly conservative media ecosystem and a polarized country — underlining his worry that Trump could be a more formidable candidate than many Democrats realize.

At the lunch, held in late June at the White House residence, Obama promised to do all he could to help the president get reelected, according to two people familiar with the meeting, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private conversation.

That commitment was a welcome gesture for the White House at a time when Biden is eager to lock down promises of help from top Democrats, among whom Obama is easily the biggest star, for what is likely to be a hard-fought reelection race. The contents of the private conversation have not been previously reported.

Obama was visiting the White House for what Biden aides described as a regular catch-up between the two men who served in the White House together for eight years. During their lunch, Obama made it clear his concerns were not about Biden’s political abilities, but rather a recognition of Trump’s iron grip on the Republican Party, according to the people.

The White House said there was no specific agenda for the June 27 meeting, and people briefed on the conversation said the two presidents discussed a range of political, policy and personal matters, including updates about their families. Obama, who remains highly popular among Democrats, is his party’s most sought-after surrogate, although his exact role in the 2024 cycle has not yet been determined. Obama aides say the former president is likely to reprise his playbook from recent elections.

[From WaPo]

There are two big “what ifs” which haunt me from the 2016 election – what if Biden had been the Democratic candidate and what if Obama had been the candidate, as opposed to Hillary Clinton. I love Hillary, I voted for Hillary, I think Hillary would have been a great president. But I do think Biden or Obama would have had different results against Trump in that election. It’s one of the great unknowns, except we did get to find out what would happen when Biden ran against Trump: Democrats reclaiming the Rust Belt, Democrats winning Georgia and Democrats performing really well in the Southwest. Anyway, we’re fifteen f–king months away from the next presidential election – I appreciate that Obama is concerned and I appreciate the fact that he’s already making plans to barnstorm around the country for Biden. I think Obama is like most Democrats: still traumatized by what happened in 2016 and hellbent on making sure it never happens again.

For no reason at all, here’s the video of Obama surprising Biden with the Medal of Freedom in January 2017.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid.

I was today years old when I learned that Canadian prime ministers don’t have term limits. Basically, Justin Trudeau will be prime minister until he loses an election or his party throws him out. I have no idea about Canadian politics (sorry, Canadians), so I have no idea if this news will truly affect Prime Minister Trudeau’s popularity, his government or his image. The news? Justin Trudeau has separated from his wife of eighteen years, Sophie Gregoire. They have three minor children together: Xavier, 15, Hadrien, 9, and 14-year-old Ella-Grace. Single and ready to mingle Justin Trudeau, anyone?

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife of 18 years, Sophie Grégoire, are separating. Trudeau, 52, shared the news on Wednesday in a post published in both English and French on Instagram, writing: “Hi everyone, Sophie and I would like to share the fact that after many meaningful and difficult conversation, we have made the decision to separate.”

Trudeau continued: “As always, we remain a close family with deep love and respect for each other and for everything we have built and will continue to build. For the well-being of our children, we ask that you respect our and their privacy. Thank you.”

The Canadian Prime Minister’s office confirmed the news to PEOPLE, saying in a statement that the couple have “signed a legal separation agreement.”

“They have worked to ensure that all legal and ethical steps with regards to their decision to separate have been taken, and will continue to do so moving forward,” the statement said.

The statement continued: “They remain a close family and Sophie and the Prime Minister are focused on raising their kids in a safe, loving and collaborative environment. Both parents will be a constant presence in their children’s lives and Canadians can expect to often see the family together.”

Trudeau’s office added that the family “will be together on vacation, beginning next week.”

Trudeau has been in office since 2015.

[From People]

If you’re going to do all of the child-rearing together and vacation together, why even separate? I mean… I get it though. I suspect that there is a reason why they can’t just live separate lives and stay together technically. I suspect that we’ll find out “the reason” at some point. But yeah, even if there’s not some big reason, like an affair, I get why Sophie was probably done with all of it. Her husband has been prime minister for eight years, the kids have been in the spotlight all that time and she’s probably very tired of all of it. Who shoots their shot first, Ivanka or Melania?

PS… Justin and Sophie were just together at King Charles’s coronation. I really disliked her dress.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.

One of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s big issues is internet safety, responsibility and accountability. Which is why Archewell teamed with the Responsible Technology Youth Power Fund this year to bring more young people to the issue of making tech safer, fairer and more equitable. This week, the RT Youth Power Fund released a video of the Sussexes calling some of the people who were leading initiatives which will be joining the fund.

Even though Archie, 4, and Lilibet, 2, might be too young to appreciate it, Meghan and Harry have made promoting internet safety one of their main charitable endeavors since moving to the US in 2020. The couple recently helped the Youth Power Fund make its official launch by calling up a few of the 26 different honorees who in total will receive $2 million to help fund their projects, and on Wednesday, the fund shared some snippets from those conversations.

“It was a complete surprise. I had no idea I would be speaking with them,” Emma Lembke, the cochair of internet safety advocacy organization Design It For Us, told Vanity Fair. “The duke and the duchess, and all of their work, have been pivotal in moving so many social issues forward and bringing visibility to a lot of important areas, and specifically responsible tech.”

Both Lembke and her fellow cochair Zamaan Qureshi are rising college juniors, but they already have years of experience in advocating for better policy and design when it comes to tech aimed at young people. In February, Lembke became one of the youngest people to ever testify in front of Congress on the subject of technology.

“It’s felt like such a long journey, and it’s just been so inspiring and exciting to see momentum pick up over the past few months,” Lembke said. She added that the Youth Power Fund was a sign that stakeholders from across generations want to talk about how the internet can be better for its younger uses. “I think it will benefit society at large, and it will continue to build a digital ecosystem that will benefit us all.”

Receiving funding alongside Lembke, Qureshi, and Design It For Us, are 25 more organizations working on issues relevant to Gen Z’s experience with technology, from responsibility in designing AI, protecting human rights, improving access to education, and using tech to address social and environmental challenges, among others. “The fund is bringing together a huge number of movers and shakers in the responsible tech youth power movement—and it really is a movement,” Qureshi added. “These are young people who have a huge amount of ambition, and it’s an honor to represent that cohort.”

[From Vanity Fair]

I’m including the video below – it’s nice to see them in their garden. For those devoted Sussex-watchers, I believe they’re sitting on Meghan’s outdoor bench, the one she had in Toronto, moved to London and then Windsor, then packed and brought to Montecito. I love how much she loves that piece of furniture. They look happy and rich! It was cute to see how excited these kids were to talk to H&M. I like how the coverage is really centering the kids too.

Responsible Technology Youth Power Fund Announcement from RT Youth Power Fund on Vimeo.

Screencaps from the Vimeo video.

Here are some photos of Susan Sarandon at the Magna Graecia Film Festival in Catanzaro, Italy. This is film festival season, with the Venice Film Festival starting this week, followed by film festivals in Deauville and Toronto and other cities. The reason why we haven’t covered Venice this week is because there are basically no significant red carpet premieres, because SAG-AFTRA is on strike and actors are strictly prohibited from attending premieres or promoting their work in any way. So what the f–k was Susan Sarandon doing at this film festival? Per Variety, these are the strike rules:

Film and television productions will shut down, but the work stoppage has reverberations that extend beyond actors going to set. According to the guidelines, SAG-AFTRA members will not be able to attend premieres, do interviews for completed work, go to awards shows, attend film festivals or even promote projects on social media while the strike is in effect. They are also not allowed to attend conventions such as Comic-Con to promote any past or present work made under a SAG-AFTRA contract.

[From Variety]

Sarandon has already appeared at some of the SAG-AFTRA picket lines in New York. Then she hopped on a plane and attended a film festival? I’ve been trying to look into this to figure out exactly why the f–k she was there and if it’s in a blatant violation of strike rules. There isn’t a lot of coverage to base this on, but the Daily Mail did say that she was picking up the “Golden Column for Lifetime Achievement” at a festival which “works to promote auteur cinema and young Italian and international cinema.” I suspect that Sarandon sees “collecting a lifetime achievement award” as not a violation of strike rules and not specific promotion for struck work. I don’t know if she’s technically correct, especially when the better rule of thumb is simply “don’t attend any film festivals during the strike.” There’s a reason why striking actors are avoiding ALL promotion and ALL film festivals during the strike.

Photos courtesy of Cover Images.

When I was a tween and saw Gigi for the first time, the 1958 musical directed by Vincente Minnelli, I had one and only one take away: I want a red room! I’d never seen anything like it–a room where everything in it was the same color. It blew my mind. The closest I’ve come to recreating one for myself was when I had an upholstered red headboard that I paired with an all-red comforter. Needless to say, from a young age my compass was set to highly saturated color choices. Homes & Gardens, however, seem a little more cautious in bold colors for interior design. This week they brought in a color psychologist to dissect a crimson area carpet in an Instagram post from Lady Gaga:

Lady Gaga is instantly associable with her statement-making fashion choices, but a look inside her home suggests her interior design decisions are (almost) as bold.

The singer-turned-actress shared a look inside her Malibu mansion, once labeled her ‘sanctuary’, but her living room rug exhibits a hue that is far from therapeutic. So, how does this impact her home’s therapeutic energy? And, can we ever decorate with red to create a sanctuary-like space similar to Lady Gaga’s home?

While red has a controversial reputation – some color psychologists suggest that, in the right space, this tone can create positivity – and act as a talking point in the process. This is exactly what Lady Gaga has achieved. Here’s how.

‘The beautiful thing about red is that it raises the heart rate and even excites hunger,’ says color psychologist Michelle Lewis. ‘Of course, designers get nervous using it because it can sometimes be too stimulating’ – but in cloudier or color-less contexts, this color can work perfectly.

‘What if you live in a cloudy climate? Gray is known to cause certain depressions and to mute personalities when exposed to it over time, so imagine how helpful a red kitchen would be,’ she adds.

Admittedly, red isn’t ideal for every space, especially in homes where vibrant hues already reign supreme – however, as Michelle suggests, this color has its place in calmer settings. In Lady Gaga’s case, her room (rug aside) is primarily neutral, featuring white walls and marble accents – allowing her red rug to impress – without overwhelming the room.

‘Red isn’t always the way to go, but it certainly can be the perfect fit in certain situations to bring more energy, excitement, and action-taking to the home,’ Michelle says.

In cases where we’re already working with lots of colors – or still (understandably) nervous about flirting with red, Michelle recommends working with red undertones as a subtler alternative.

‘It also can be a much more flexible situation when we look at the undertones we may use with red,’ she says. ‘For example, will we choose to add a gray tone? A black shade? A white tint? Or keep it the true hue? The choice here can alter the feel dramatically.’

Michelle Lewis is a color psychologist, interior designer, and founder of The Color Cure.

[From Homes & Gardens]

Ok, I don’t mean to knock the writers at Homes & Gardens, but I noticed something so I know our faithful readers will too: the Instagram post they’re framing their article around is from March 2021, and in the caption Gaga thanks her manager for sending her flowers to her room where she’s filming House of Gucci. Um, the film was shot in Italy. This isn’t Gaga’s house! Now, that doesn’t affect any of the interior design commentary, I just find it hilarious after the intro of “how can you have red and call it a sanctuary?!”

Moving right along. This is all a matter of taste, no? I understand the note that the red rug (in whoever’s lovely room) works because it is surrounded by neutrals. I get why that works on a compositional level. I also know that personally I’m a “more is more” kind of girl and have an average of six dominant colors going on at once in any room of my (humble) home. Seriously, I had a vintage chair reupholstered and my bestie looked at it and said, “well she’s certainly not shy!” The important thing is color is emotional, so I say always follow your gut. Trust the instinctual responses you have when you encounter a particular hue. I also recommend the Fortune-Telling Book of Colors for some fun, light dabbling into various cultural, historical, even astrological color associations.

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A post shared by Lady Gaga (@ladygaga)

Madonna shared a photo of her daughters with Beyonce and Beyonce’s younger daughter Rumi. Rumi looks so much like Blue Ivy, omg. [Buzzfeed]
Tiffany Haddish threw a Gatsby-themed party? [Go Fug Yourself]
Jennifer Lopez gave her OnTheJLo subscribers some new content for her birthday. She loves a birthday celebration! [LaineyGossip]
Review of Theater Camp: the sincerity of theater kids. [Pajiba]
Beyonce pays tribute to O’Shae Sibley, who was murdered in a hate crime while dancing to one of Beyonce’s songs. [Socialite Life]
Hailey Bieber wore a LBD to Rihanna’s favorite restaurant. [Just Jared]
Would you stay in Gwyneth Paltrow’s guest house? [Seriously OMG]
Cindy Crawford swaps Pepsi for a margarita. [Egotastic]
Elon Musk wants people to stop pointing out how many Nazis are on his Nazi platform. He’s going to sue. [Towleroad]
Jennifer Lopez wore Gucci for her b-day. [RCFA]
This dude says he’ll become a drug dealer to avoid paying child support and I don’t think he understands how any of this works. [Starcasm]