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Cosmopolitan
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Cosmopolitan
6 beauty lessons Victoria Beckham has taught us – From daring haircut trends to the benefits of dermaplaning
Victoria Beckham isn't just a style icon, she's also our go-to guru for glossy skin, smart routines, and fearless beauty transformations (honorary mention: 2007's peroxide pob). Over the years, she's both overtly and covertly shared a number of skincare, haircare and makeup tips that, now, have found their way into our routines. Here, we've rounded up six of the top beauty lessons we've gleaned: In a 2024 interview with Into The Gloss, Victoria shared that she uses an LED mask for reducing skin texture. "If I have time after cleansing, I might use my Celluma Pro, which I'm quite obsessed with at the moment. I've genuinely noticed a difference in my skin texture since I started using it," she said. LED masks, as such, can stimulate collagen, improve hydration levels, improve blood flow, calm redness and improve skin tone, to name a few benefits. So, if it's good enough for VB! Another VB skincare favourite? Well, per a number of videos on facialist Mélanie Grant's Instagram, Victoria regularly undergoes dermaplaning on her face to remove dead skin and peach fuzz, which in turn, boosts cell renewal and allows skincare to penetrate deeper into her skin. In March 2024, Victoria shared that every Sunday morning, she tried to find time for a pamper session. She indulges in a face mask, LED light therapy, and finishes with her signature Cell Rejuvenating Serum and Priming Moisturiser to prep for the week ahead. A little TLC can never hurt! When done right, a 'flushed' look can be super flattering, but Victoria knows better than to damage her skin in the sun. Instead, she shared in a recent tutorial that she uses her very own Victoria Beckham Beauty Colour Wash Blush Water Tint to recreate "a little rosy effect". Blending the makeup-skincare hybrid product into the skin with her fingers, she says, "I am obsessed with this going into summer, knowing that I can get that cute little flushed look whilst literally spending my whole summer in the shade." The Queen of the noughties 'Pob' (aka, Posh bob), Victoria, recently revived her iconic Spice Girls era haircut, which is now a celeb-favourite. Looking back at her hair evolution, it's clear to see that experimenting with new cuts and colours can be both empowering and exciting. From sharp bobs to sun-kissed highlights, VB has embraced change with confidence, reminding us that we shouldn't be afraid to switch things up. Her ever-evolving style proves that stepping out of our comfort zones can lead to striking, unforgettable looks. On more than one occasion, Victoria has said that she loves a smokey eye makeup look, calling it her go-to for adding drama and definition to her features. She's embraced the timeless look for years, proving that it can work at any age and that bold, sultry makeup doesn't have to be reserved for special occasions! Say it with me now: Beauty has no limits. So whether you're freshening up your skincare regime or ready to chop all of your lengths off, take a page from VB's book. With smart skincare and statement cuts, you've got instant chic. Follow Lia on Instagram. Lia Mappoura (she/her) is the Beauty Writer at Cosmopolitan UK. Covering everything from viral celebrity hair and makeup news to the latest trend predictions, she's an expert in recognising the season's next big beauty look (before it ends up all over your social media feeds). You'll usually find her putting TikTok's recent beauty hacks to the Hype Test, challenging the gender-makeup binary and social stereotypes, or fangirling over the time Kourtney Kardashian viewed her Instagram Story (yes, it's true). Find her also on LinkedIn.
Hamilton Spectator
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Hamilton Spectator
‘Easier than just talking to someone': Hamilton artist on connecting through performance
Hamilton artist Shealagh Rose has played gigs from Festival of Friends to an intimate show at café bistro Synonym. But what onlookers may not know is that Rose is naturally shy. For her, performing means connection. 'Somehow, it's easier than sometimes just talking to someone,' the folk-pop singer said. Rose will hit the stage at Into the Abyss, 267 King St. E., in Hamilton, on Friday, July 4 . Performing scraps the small talk and makes way for deeper connection, said Rose, who plays the guitar, piano and ukulele. It is a byproduct of a vocation Rose felt when she was younger. 'I always just knew that I liked performing, whether it be in plays or musically,' she said. When she is not singing on stage or recording her next project, Rose is teaching others how to sing, or play the piano or ukulele. She got her love of music from growing up in a musical home. Her dad is a guitar player and retired Catholic school board music teacher. 'There was always guitars and instruments around to play,' said Rose, who taught herself to play guitar at 12. After testing out violin lessons from eight years old to high school, Rose pivoted to singing and songwriting. She then went to Humber College for voice performance. The program taught her about production and during COVID-19, her training came in handy. 'With lockdown and everything, I ended up figuring a lot of the self-recording out by myself,' said Rose, who used Logic Pro, an Apple music production program. 'Safe in our Silence,' the EP she released in February, is the result. On Friday, Rose will open for Toronto-based Emma Worley and Claire Hunter. The show runs from 8 to 11 p.m. Tickets are $17.31, including fees. Go to . Here are other live music events coming in the next week. The Staircase Theatre's Bright Room, 27 Dundurn St. N., in Hamilton, will host Bob Log III on Wednesday, July 9 at 7:30 p.m. Bob Log III is an Australia-based one-man act who produces his music on stage with cymbals, drums, distorted vocals and a guitar. Snowheel Slim and Nasrad and Flex are guest performers. Tickets are $27.96 on Eventbrite. Go to to buy or for more information. Synonym Café, 328 James St. N., in Hamilton, is hosting two sets of live jazz on Friday, July 4 at 7 p.m. and 8:45 p.m. Happy Hour on tap beer runs from 4 to 6 p.m. Go to to reserve a seat. Flow and Strings is an outdoor guided yoga class set for Friday, July 4 at 3 Weir Rd., in Hamilton. The hour-long class includes a live violinist. Participants should bring a yoga mat, water and bug spray. Tickets are $40 on Eventbrite . To buy, go to . Brott on the Waterfront will feature an orchestra performance at the Waterfront Stage, Pier 8, 47 Discovery Dr., in Hamilton, starting Saturday, July 5 at noon. The free concert will happen every Saturday until Aug. 2. Go to for details. Progressive rock band the Dreamland Band releases its new EP 'Return to Self' at the Staircase Theatre's Bright Room, 27 Dundurn St. N., in Hamilton, on Friday, July 4 at 8 p.m. Guest performers Geoff are a Hamilton-based high-energy, bluesy trio. The EP release party includes a live psychedelic light display. Tickets are $17.31, including fees, on Eventbrite. Go to to buy tickets. Fast Brake will release the EP 'What We Need is a Montage' at The Corktown Irish Pub, 175 Young St., in Hamilton, on Saturday, July 5 at 11 p.m. Fast Brake will share the stage with the Ninety Seven at 9:15 p.m. and Silvertone Hills at 10 p.m. Tickets are $20, or $15 for presale on Eventbrite. Go to to buy tickets. Three DJs are playing The Port House Social Bar and Kitchen, 2020 Lakeshore Rd., in Burlington, on Saturday, July 5 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. This is the second Afterglow event by the AM Club. Hot and iced coffee will be available. Go to for more details. Henry's on James, 303 James St. N., in Hamilton, has several shows lined up for Friday, July 4 to Sunday, July 6 . On Friday, Mary Pickford will play at 6 p.m. and the Matthew Pullicino Trio will play at 9:15 p.m. Strat Andriotis Trio will play the venue on Saturday, July 5 from 9:15 to 11:59 p.m. Champagne James Robertson will play on Sunday, July 6 at 11:30 a.m. and John Moorhouse will play at 6 p.m. For more details, go to . Cheyenne Bholla is a reporter at The Hamilton Spectator. cbholla@
Arabian Post
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Arabian Post
Finnish Rock Icons The Rasmus to Ignite Dubai Stage
Finnish rock band The Rasmus will perform at The Agenda in Dubai on 27 October 2025, as part of their expansive Weirdo Tour, marking their sole Middle East appearance that year. Doors open at 19:00 with the concert slated to begin at 20:00, promising a two‑hour set blending classic hits and new material, with tickets starting from AED 300. Formed in Helsinki in 1994, The Rasmus rose to global prominence with their third studio album, Into, and the breakthrough record Dead Letters, buoyed by the enduring anthem 'In the Shadows'. Core members Lauri Ylönen, Eero Heinonen, Aki Hakala and guitarist Emppu Suhonen continue to define their signature fusion of hard‑edged guitar riffs and electronic-pop sensibilities. Their forthcoming eleventh album, teased by Ylönen as the band's heaviest and darkest project yet, is expected to feature prominently in the Dubai setlist. Speaking to fans, Ylönen said, 'It represents our new sound… it's shaping up to be the heaviest and darkest album of our career to date!'. ADVERTISEMENT The Weirdo Tour 2025 spans multiple continents, including headline dates in Greece, Germany, the UK, France and Mexico, with Dubai serving as its exclusive regional stop. Tour promoters highlight the performance at The Agenda as a marquee highlight in their calendar, underscoring Dubai's growing stature as a pivotal music hub. Concert ticketing is in full swing via local platforms such as Platinumlist, where prices start at AED 300. The event is strictly for audiences aged 18 and above, aligning with venue policy. The location, situated on Abdullah Omran Taryam Street, is accessible by car, public transport or ride-hailing, with proximity to the Dubai Internet City metro station. Industry analysts suggest the Dubai stop highlights the band's strategic outreach to growing markets in the Middle East and Asia. The Rasmus has a strong fan base in the region, bolstered by extensive touring history in Asia and successful chart performances. The band's international sales exceed four million albums, and they boast numerous accolades, including the MTV Europe Music Award for Best Nordic Act. Critical reception traces their evolution from gothic-tinged rock to a polished amalgamation of hard rock, pop, and electronic layers. Fans on platforms such as Bandsintown praise their live presence; one review of a North American show noted: 'they're really cool… down to earth'. Reviews spotlight not only their musicianship but also their dynamic stage engagement. Dubai's live music infrastructure has expanded significantly, and The Agenda sits at the city's cultural epicentre, offering state-of-the-art acoustics and production capability. Local concertgoers will likely benefit from the venue's curated amenities and strategic location amid Dubai's entertainment district. Organisers emphasise that this concert is a one-night-only experience, urging fans to act swiftly to secure tickets. Merchandise booths are expected to feature limited-edition tour gear, aligning with The Rasmus's established merchandising approach observed in prior tour stops. With their roots firmly planted in 1990s alternative rock and a career characterised by reinvention, The Rasmus now stand at an inflection point. Their forthcoming album and accompanying stage presentation have sparked anticipation among long-term followers and a newer generation discovering their evolving sound. This Dubai show offers a snapshot of that transformation—a fusion of nostalgia and forward momentum. Fans planning to attend are advised to arrive early and prepare for a full evening of high-octane performance, combining beloved hits such as 'In the Shadows', 'Guilty' and 'Livin' in a World Without You' with previews of their latest musical offering. As articulated by Ylönen, the atmosphere is expected to reflect the band's 'family' ethos: intimate, energetic and unifying. Reflecting on The Rasmus's longevity, their adaptability is evident: transitioning through line-up changes, genre shifts and the evolving digital landscape, they continue to harness a dedicated fan base across continents. The Dubai concert will serve as a case study in how veteran bands can recalibrate for modern relevance while maintaining core identity. No supporting acts have been confirmed as yet, though the band's itinerary suggests a standalone headline performance. Concert logistics, including security protocols and access arrangements, will align with The Agenda's standard operating procedures.
Sydney Morning Herald
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
Darkness, desire and dewy skin: Debut novel skewers beauty culture
Like many women who came of age in the 2010s, I know the hypnotic pull of beauty and wellness culture all too well. As a teenager, I obsessively read Into The Gloss – the cult beauty blog founded by Emily Weiss, who later launched the million-dollar brand Glossier. I chugged green juices and squatted diligently to videos of chirpy, lycra-clad fitness influencers. Now, as a lifestyle writer who often reports on beauty and wellness, I know first-hand how the media operates as a cog in this glossy machine – the same one that made Kylie Jenner a billionaire and turned Gwyneth Paltrow from actor into a bona fide wellness guru. Their founders preach self-love and empowerment, while in the same breath pushing expensive potions intended to 'enhance' the real you. They're not just selling products; they are selling a lifestyle. It might be a cliché to describe these brands as having a cult following, but the term fits –given their larger-than-life founders, year-long product waitlists, and legions of devoted fans. But what if a beauty brand was literally a cult? This is the premise of Rytual, the debut novel by Chloe Elisabeth Wilson – a deliciously dark exploration of 21st-century beauty and wellness culture, told through the lens of an erotic thriller. Published last week, the novel was hotly contested in a fierce bidding war, the rights of which have already been sold for a TV adaptation. Marnie Sellers, the novel's protagonist, is a 20-something screenwriter stuck in a cycle of partying by night and manning the reception of a fitness studio by day. Still reeling from her mother's death and the fallout of an affair with a married older writer, Marnie is adrift until she finds herself under the spell of Rytual – a fictional beauty brand with a rabid female following for its 'no make-up, make-up' products. Wilson appears on Zoom from her light-filled Melbourne apartment, flanked by a bookshelf bursting with indoor plants and the colourful spines of novels. She holds up her The Substance water bottle – a fitting accessory, given the body horror film's take-down of a culture obsessed with youth. For the past year, she's worked as a researcher for Shameless Media, the hugely successful youth media company founded by Michelle Andrews and Zara McDonald. But it was her colourful employment history – including a brief stint as a Pilates instructor and time at Emeis Cosmetics, a L'Oréal-owned company that makes products for Australian luxury skincare brand Aesop – that partly inspired the book. 'I was working for an Australian beauty brand with a reputation for being a bit of a cult for a while, and I wanted to write something about that environment,' Wilson, 32, says. 'I just wanted to pluck out the very theatrical things about my real job and push them out to the complete extremities of what a reader might believe. There's so much comedy in just how serious the whole thing was.' For reasons that will become clear as you read the book, it's important to point out that Rytual is very much a work of fiction. But the broad strokes of Millennial beauty culture will be instantly recognisable to anyone who has so much as wandered into one of these stores. Wilson says brands such as Glossier, Rare Beauty and Westmann Atelier all served as inspiration. Loading In Rytual, they're echoed in the soft pink packaging of lip oils bearing names like 'She' and 'Lust' written in sans serif fonts and the fairy floss painted walls of the company's headquarters. The female-founded start-up Rytual leans heavily on feminist rhetoric, with conference rooms named after women deemed to have been persecuted in the public eye (Britney Spears, Billie Holiday), and weekly sessions where employees are encouraged to lay bare their bad experiences with the male species. The brand is inseparable from its charismatic founder Luna Peters, a petite, green-eyed brunette who Marnie's housemate describes as a 'hot Jim Jones in designer clothes'. Luna, too, is an approximation of women Wilson has come across before – only with a penchant for murder and little regard for personal boundaries. 'There were a couple of women who worked in that office [at Emeis] that I was really drawn to, and I should say they were gorgeous people that I adore, but there was something so charismatic about them and they had so much power within that context that I was probably more interested in my reaction to them,' she says. Marnie has some similarities with Wilson – they're the same age, have a background in screenwriting and live in inner Melbourne (Rytual is filled with tongue-in-cheek quips about the city's hipster culture). Emotionally, Wilson understands how a character like Marnie could be so easily sucked into the vortex of a woman like Luna. 'I was at a point in my life where I didn't feel like I had a lot going on for me, and I had this job that at times was really frustrating, and it had really high expectations, but also it wasn't paying me very much. So I found myself lapping up the law of the org chart and looking at these women as like, 'they know what to do'.' 'I then just built out this idea of this person who, you know, maybe my younger self or maybe a person who didn't have much going for them, like what would it take?' 'What kind of person would it take for them to just keep inching towards doing bad things under the spell of this person?' A fan of erotic thrillers, Wilson says the genre, historically dominated by male voices, was ripe for reimagining. She cites classics, including Susanna Moore's 1995 novel In the Cut, as well as films Fatal Attraction and Basic Instinct, as inspiration. 'A lot of those texts from the 80s and 90s, the punchline is always, 'and the woman was crazy and evil, so she had to be punished',' Wilson says. 'I just wish the endings weren't ruined by scared little men.' Another key influence was Dead Ringers, the 2023 gender-flipped television remake of the 1988 psychological thriller, starring Rachel Weisz as twin gynaecologists. Loading Sex, then, or rather the twisted attraction between the two main characters, serves as the novel's engine (does Marnie want to be Luna, sleep with her, or escape her?) 'The things from the erotic thriller I took were this sense of arousal and danger being on this knife edge and maybe doing things that you knew you shouldn't because you were like following your desire and then having to deal with the consequences,' she says. With echoes of the female-led revenge fantasy, like that of Emerald Fennell's Promising Young Woman, Wilson's characters tiptoe an increasingly grey moral area as the novel progresses. It makes readers ask: What does justice look like when the odds are so often stacked against young women like Marnie? Where is the line between feminism and misandry? And what does it mean to perpetuate a cycle of violence in the name of women's empowerment? Having written Rytual, how does Wilson now feel about the beauty industry? 'I put on a Glossier lip liner this morning and I love their products,' she laughs. 'I love beauty, I love make-up and I think it's more just examining when it tips over into merging with your identity or believing that these brands and founders can tell you how to live your entire life rather than just how to put on some mascara.' Chloe Elisabeth Wilson will appear at the Melbourne Writers Festival (May 8–11) and the Sydney Writers' Festival (May 19–27).
The Age
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Age
Darkness, desire and dewy skin: Debut novel skewers beauty culture
Like many women who came of age in the 2010s, I know the hypnotic pull of beauty and wellness culture all too well. As a teenager, I obsessively read Into The Gloss – the cult beauty blog founded by Emily Weiss, who later launched the million-dollar brand Glossier. I chugged green juices and squatted diligently to videos of chirpy, lycra-clad fitness influencers. Now, as a lifestyle writer who often reports on beauty and wellness, I know first-hand how the media operates as a cog in this glossy machine – the same one that made Kylie Jenner a billionaire and turned Gwyneth Paltrow from actor into a bona fide wellness guru. Their founders preach self-love and empowerment, while in the same breath pushing expensive potions intended to 'enhance' the real you. They're not just selling products; they are selling a lifestyle. It might be a cliché to describe these brands as having a cult following, but the term fits –given their larger-than-life founders, year-long product waitlists, and legions of devoted fans. But what if a beauty brand was literally a cult? This is the premise of Rytual, the debut novel by Chloe Elisabeth Wilson – a deliciously dark exploration of 21st-century beauty and wellness culture, told through the lens of an erotic thriller. Published last week, the novel was hotly contested in a fierce bidding war, the rights of which have already been sold for a TV adaptation. Marnie Sellers, the novel's protagonist, is a 20-something screenwriter stuck in a cycle of partying by night and manning the reception of a fitness studio by day. Still reeling from her mother's death and the fallout of an affair with a married older writer, Marnie is adrift until she finds herself under the spell of Rytual – a fictional beauty brand with a rabid female following for its 'no make-up, make-up' products. Wilson appears on Zoom from her light-filled Melbourne apartment, flanked by a bookshelf bursting with indoor plants and the colourful spines of novels. She holds up her The Substance water bottle – a fitting accessory, given the body horror film's take-down of a culture obsessed with youth. For the past year, she's worked as a researcher for Shameless Media, the hugely successful youth media company founded by Michelle Andrews and Zara McDonald. But it was her colourful employment history – including a brief stint as a Pilates instructor and time at Emeis Cosmetics, a L'Oréal-owned company that makes products for Australian luxury skincare brand Aesop – that partly inspired the book. 'I was working for an Australian beauty brand with a reputation for being a bit of a cult for a while, and I wanted to write something about that environment,' Wilson, 32, says. 'I just wanted to pluck out the very theatrical things about my real job and push them out to the complete extremities of what a reader might believe. There's so much comedy in just how serious the whole thing was.' For reasons that will become clear as you read the book, it's important to point out that Rytual is very much a work of fiction. But the broad strokes of Millennial beauty culture will be instantly recognisable to anyone who has so much as wandered into one of these stores. Wilson says brands such as Glossier, Rare Beauty and Westmann Atelier all served as inspiration. Loading In Rytual, they're echoed in the soft pink packaging of lip oils bearing names like 'She' and 'Lust' written in sans serif fonts and the fairy floss painted walls of the company's headquarters. The female-founded start-up Rytual leans heavily on feminist rhetoric, with conference rooms named after women deemed to have been persecuted in the public eye (Britney Spears, Billie Holiday), and weekly sessions where employees are encouraged to lay bare their bad experiences with the male species. The brand is inseparable from its charismatic founder Luna Peters, a petite, green-eyed brunette who Marnie's housemate describes as a 'hot Jim Jones in designer clothes'. Luna, too, is an approximation of women Wilson has come across before – only with a penchant for murder and little regard for personal boundaries. 'There were a couple of women who worked in that office [at Emeis] that I was really drawn to, and I should say they were gorgeous people that I adore, but there was something so charismatic about them and they had so much power within that context that I was probably more interested in my reaction to them,' she says. Marnie has some similarities with Wilson – they're the same age, have a background in screenwriting and live in inner Melbourne (Rytual is filled with tongue-in-cheek quips about the city's hipster culture). Emotionally, Wilson understands how a character like Marnie could be so easily sucked into the vortex of a woman like Luna. 'I was at a point in my life where I didn't feel like I had a lot going on for me, and I had this job that at times was really frustrating, and it had really high expectations, but also it wasn't paying me very much. So I found myself lapping up the law of the org chart and looking at these women as like, 'they know what to do'.' 'I then just built out this idea of this person who, you know, maybe my younger self or maybe a person who didn't have much going for them, like what would it take?' 'What kind of person would it take for them to just keep inching towards doing bad things under the spell of this person?' A fan of erotic thrillers, Wilson says the genre, historically dominated by male voices, was ripe for reimagining. She cites classics, including Susanna Moore's 1995 novel In the Cut, as well as films Fatal Attraction and Basic Instinct, as inspiration. 'A lot of those texts from the 80s and 90s, the punchline is always, 'and the woman was crazy and evil, so she had to be punished',' Wilson says. 'I just wish the endings weren't ruined by scared little men.' Another key influence was Dead Ringers, the 2023 gender-flipped television remake of the 1988 psychological thriller, starring Rachel Weisz as twin gynaecologists. Loading Sex, then, or rather the twisted attraction between the two main characters, serves as the novel's engine (does Marnie want to be Luna, sleep with her, or escape her?) 'The things from the erotic thriller I took were this sense of arousal and danger being on this knife edge and maybe doing things that you knew you shouldn't because you were like following your desire and then having to deal with the consequences,' she says. With echoes of the female-led revenge fantasy, like that of Emerald Fennell's Promising Young Woman, Wilson's characters tiptoe an increasingly grey moral area as the novel progresses. It makes readers ask: What does justice look like when the odds are so often stacked against young women like Marnie? Where is the line between feminism and misandry? And what does it mean to perpetuate a cycle of violence in the name of women's empowerment? Having written Rytual, how does Wilson now feel about the beauty industry? 'I put on a Glossier lip liner this morning and I love their products,' she laughs. 'I love beauty, I love make-up and I think it's more just examining when it tips over into merging with your identity or believing that these brands and founders can tell you how to live your entire life rather than just how to put on some mascara.' Chloe Elisabeth Wilson will appear at the Melbourne Writers Festival (May 8–11) and the Sydney Writers' Festival (May 19–27).
