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Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
I partied with Charli, Gaga and Missy in the desert - Here's the three-day detox I did to recover in one of LA's favourite postcodes
If you have ever been to Coachella you will know that the recovery process after a long weekend of partying in the desert is long and rough. During my most recent trip to the US with my partner, we spent the better part of a week being 'Brats' - dancing well into the wee hours of the morning to Charli XCX, Missy Elliot and Lady Gaga. Unlike many of the 'California sober' models and influencers too busy posing for endless selfies to eat or drink, we indulged in endless margaritas and outrageously overpriced food offerings. Yes, I am talking US$20 (AU$30) for a slice of pepperoni pizza. So after a whirlwind few days, the thought of spending more indulgent nights out in LA at bougie restaurants, dive bars and buzzy nightclubs made my head spin. We were in desperate need of wellness - some smoothies, strolls, a seaside escape. DAY ONE For our post-Coachella detox I decided to design a three-day itinerary with a focus on health and fitness, along with a little five-star dining and accommodation in between. Moving well away from the bad influence of my usual mainstay of West Hollywood, I settled on the more sedated Santa Monica. If you have every been to Coachella you will know that the recovery process after a long weekend of partying in the desert is long and rough Nestled along the shimmering Pacific Ocean, Santa Monica stands as a vibrant testament to California's laid-back lifestyle, natural beauty, and cultural richness. The iconic coastal city not only has picturesque beaches, a bustling pier, and eclectic neighbourhoods, but a plethora of wellness studios, healthy dining options and kale as far as the eye can see at one of the city's biggest farmers markets. I have never stayed in a beachside hotel in Los Angeles, and the newly refurbished Sandbourne Santa Monica seemed like the perfect fit for my first experience. Recently overhauled by hotelier Gulla Jónsdóttir, the 175-room hotel is part of the Marriott's Autograph Collection and is a luxury beach house where 'urban style meets the coast'. Pulling up to the all-white frontage of the Sandbourne, I felt like I was in Miami, but as soon as we walked inside we were was greeted by the warm and inviting interiors by Atelier Gulla Jónsdóttir, who has done his best to evoke the nearby 'sandy beach and its sunrises and sunsets'. Our suite was even more stunning - a spacious 550 square foot retreat featuring a pillow top king size bed, a marble bathroom with a tub and a tranquil ocean view thanks to a walk-out balcony. After settling in, it was time for that much-needed wellness in the form of quintessential bike ride along the beach. Santa Monica boasts 5.5kms of beautiful coastline with almost 200km of dedicated bike lanes and eight neighbourhoods to ride through. Cycling along The Strand, a paved bike path that runs along the coast from Santa Monica to Venice and beyond, is a favourite activity for visitors. The path is safe and perfect for family outings, allowing travellers to experience the city's natural beauty while staying active. After working up an appetite, we stopped to try local salad bar Alfalfa, which boasts of menu featuring locally-sourced and nutrient-rich ingredients. While on the West Coast, we tried the 'West Coast salad' - a healthy mix of fruit and veggies, all washed down with what all the cool Santa Monica girls drink - a matcha latte. While this three-day trip was all about detoxing, I did allow for a little indulgence at the hotel's restaurant Marelle that night. Marelle is the brainchild of Santa Monica native and culinary luminary Chef Raphael Lunetta and its setting is incredibly sexy. The huge dining space is dimly lit and has that aforementioned Miami inside-out design, with billowing curtains that sway in the evening sea breeze. As for the menu, the restaurant offers an elevated dining experience that celebrates the vibrant flavours of California, including crispy and decadent Jidori chicken wings, Lunetta's signature Lump Crab Cakes, Lemon Mushroom Rigatoni and a succulent Herb Crusted Chicken Paillard. DAY TWO Day two of our Santa Monica sojourn I broke away from the boyfriend for a workout. I headed to Pvolve - a popular fitness method which is endorsed by none other than that mega hot ageless babe known as Jennifer Aniston. Pvolve is a rapidly growing boutique fitness franchise known for its science-based approach to functional fitness. It combines low-impact exercises with resistance-based equipment to enhance strength, mobility, posture, and balance and is celebrated by stars like Aniston, Molly Sims, Padma Lakshmi, and Kate Bosworth for their transformative workouts. The best way to describe it is a cross between Pilates, barre and yoga... on a Twister mat. For 20 years I have tried every type of fitness class under the sun, and while I consider myself extremely fit, I felt muscles I have never felt before after just one session. An added bonus was the luxe change rooms featuring Aniston's own vegan & cruelty-free hair products, LovaLie. After hobbling back to the hotel for a quick shower, I took a quick stroll through Downtown Farmers Market. One of the biggest in the city, the market stretches over four blocks and is bustling with colourful food stalls featuring Southern California's best produce from local farmers and small food businesses. After perusing all the fresh produced I worked up an appetite and headed to to one of Santa Monica's coolest strips- Montana Ave. Montana Ave reminds me of my own neighbourhood in Bondi Beach - a vibrant thoroughfare with cafes, small boutiques, fitness and wellness centres and what is now one of my favourite little stores, a hidden little gem called Divine Vintage - a wine bar come vintage clothing store which also offers wine tasting in a quaint little courtyard out the back. For lunch I headed to LA's most hottest and most Instagrammable cafes - Kreation Kafe & Juicery. Kreation Kafe & Juicery grew from a small start in Santa Monica to a popular health food destination with locations across the Los Angeles regions, including one in nearby Venice Beach. It is also where you are most likely to spot a celebrity, and while I wasn't so lucky this time around I did enjoy my egg white O-MEGA BOWL and dessert-worthy red velvet smoothie. As my muscles continued to ache I was in for a treat at my next destination. With branches all over the world, StretchLab is a must have go-to for expert-led stretching routines to improve athletic performance, decrease joint pain or simply refresh with a great stretch. As a first timer, I was gently guided through my 50-minute session by Bella, who also did a Physmodo Assessment of my body to measure my mobility, posture and symmetry. Two doors down was Perspire - an infrared sauna house where LA fitness fanatics all congregate to gently heat their body from within to improve circulation, oxygen flow and detoxification reaching the skin, muscles and joints. My partner swears by saunas and claims that with regular sessions he rarely gets sick. Me, I am not a fan. I run hot and I often feel dizzy and claustrophobic in such a small and sweaty confined space. Armed with a huge two litre water bottle and a remote control to watch the room's inbuilt TV with Netflix, I lasted the entire 40-minute session and felt... surprisingly good. Dinner that night was at Cobi's and I was excited. I had only heard incredible things about this Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant and it didn't disappoint. Dining at the restaurant is like having dinner at a friend's quaint little cottage thanks to the vintage wallpaper, quirky décor and cute and kitsch little China plates. The menu was equally eclectic, featuring a mix of creative Thai, Vietnamese and Indian dishes, along with vanilla soft serve sundae for dessert. DAY THREE Day three of the detox, and with a sunny morning on the cards I booked myself into a 50-minute yoga class with Beach Yoga SoCal. Instructor Melissa guided us through a refreshing and rejuvenating session surrounded by sunshine and ocean breezes on The Beach Green, with the added bonus of an unexpected beach volleyball tournament unfolding right in front of our eyes. So LA. After a stroll on the promenade it was time for a little fun, and what is a visit to Santa Monica without a visit to the iconic Santa Monica Pier? Spanning the sandy waterfront, this enduring symbol of nostalgia combines classic amusement park allure with modern entertainment. The iconic Ferris wheel, with its bright colours and panoramic views, is a sight that beckons visitors to hop aboard and enjoy a gentle spin over the ocean and the stunning views which stretch far beyond Santa Monica to nearby Malibu and Venice Beach. But the most famous icon on the pier is the antique carousel inside the Looff Hippodrome Building, and we were lucky to get a personalised tour with Jim Harris, Deputy Director of the Santa Monica Pier Corporation. Harris is the landmark attraction's official historian and has worked on the pier for years, with humble beginnings as a barman at the Big Dean's Ocean Front Café. The colourful carousel has 44 pristine prancing wooden horses, all which have had starring roles in blockbuster movies alongside Hollywood luminaries Dennis Hopper, Paul Newman and Sandra Bullock. But their most famous admirer was Marilyn Monroe. Harris recalls how the tragic starlet would often visit the landmark in disguise in a desperate effort to escape prying eyes and the hustle and bustle of the Hollywood grind she despised. He went on to share equally enchanting stories about the secret apartment complex situated above, where stars such as Joan Baez, Bob Dylan and Herb Alpert lived a Bohemian life, making art, music and smoking copious amounts of weed during the 50s and 60s. Our final stop during our Santa Monica sojourn was a meal at the beachside branch of one of LA most famous and photographed eateries - Ivy at the Shore. The Robertson Boulevard location has long been known for people-watching, with Hollywood film execs, studio owners and celebs often seen powwowing and power-lunching on the flower-filled patio. Inside Ivy at the Shore guests are greeted by a similar setting, adorned with floral arrangements, string lights, and a warm colour palette that complements the Pacific Ocean just a few blocks away. While we didn't spy a famous face, we did try some of the signature hits, including a hearty yet heathy turkey chilli, the refreshing spicy fresh corn chowder and succulent baby back ribs. Last but not least, one cannot visit Santa Monica without exploring its famed Third Street Promenade and we decided to do some last minute shopping before our 14-hour flight back to Sydney. This outdoor shopping district is a pedestrian paradise, with street performers, artists, and vendors adding to its lively ambiance. The Promenade also leads directly to the bustling Santa Monica Place Mall, offering a blend of high-end brands and waterfront views. After 72 hours in Santa Monica, our post-Coachella doom was only but a dream, and we may or may not have 'accidentally' missed our flight home.
Egypt Today
7 days ago
- General
- Egypt Today
Pre Eid Burnout: How to Combat Procrastination Before Eid
A few days separate us from Eid Al Adha holiday, and as much as people are excited to sit back, relax, or travel and have fun, all of us, including me, are staring blankly at the screen, having brain fog and cannot finish any task required of us, or we spent the day procrastinating and not making any efforts. So what can we do to fix that? How can we finish the delegated tasks at hand so we can enjoy Eid stress-free? Since I'm also in the same predicament as you, I will offer some relatable advice that works for me and hopefully will work for you too. LEAVE YOUR PHONE I cannot emphasize enough that it's very important to leave your phone and TikTok behind and focus on work. The doomscroll curse is real, and that 5-minute window where you just catch up with the news or see who got engaged, it ends up being an hour and even more. So leave your phone, it's not going anywhere, and do the pending tasks. Make a Good Playlist to Motivate You While Missy Elliot said that music makes you lose control, it also gives you a mood boost. With the right playlist, you can do everything you set your mind to. Choose songs that are guaranteed to make you feel pumped, whether you're going to play Seven Nation Army, Eye of the Tiger, or Work. Just put your headphones on, turn on the volume, and immerse yourself. Ask For Help Work is always difficult and plenty before the holidays that it becomes stressful, so to avoid feeling overwhelmed, ask for your coworker's help, even if it's for a small task that can be done in minutes. This is not the time for pride and not admitting that you need help. Finish up the tasks, see which coworker you can trust to ask for some assistance, and lift some weight off your shoulders. Take It One Step at A Time The key thing to remember is not to panic. I REPEAT, DO NOT PANIC. Those emails are not some scary monsters, and those clients are not vindictive. Just take a breath, focus, and make a to-do list, prioritizing which task is more important and which one can be done later, and do things one step at a time. Refresh, Restart, Repeat. Zoning out too much and feeling lazy, then it's time to leave your computer, go refresh, whether that's washing your face or having an iced coffee, your body is literally giving you signs to stop and restart the progress. Give yourself a proper break and then begin again. Time is of the essence, and we all want to enjoy Eid al-Adha without any stress or any work left behind. So hopefully, when you follow these steps, you will be ready to have the days off without worrying about emails, meetings, or tasks. You got it, champ.
BBC News
18-04-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
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Mark Savage Music Correspondent Coachella Festival Lisa Manobal made her solo debut at the festival, after headlining with Blackpink in 2019 The best thing about Coachella is that it happens twice - so if you missed the first weekend, don't worry! Lady Gaga, Travis Scott, Charli XCX and everyone else will return to the Colorado Desert on Friday for a second dose of musical mayhem, and punishing gusts of wind. Better yet, the opening weekend let us know who was worth watching (Lady Gaga), who we can safely avoid (Travis Scott) and who might be this year's breakout star (Benson Boone). With that in mind, here's a guide to this weekend's sets - and when you can watch them on Coachella's comprehensive YouTube livestream. 1) Lady Gaga confronts her inner demons Getty Images Lady Gaga's set was a masterclass in stage production Lady Gaga's elaborate stage performances have been known to collapse under the weight of their own ambition. Not this time. Her second visit to Coachella, after stepping in as a last-minute replacement for Beyoncé in 2017, was one of the greatest pop performances ever. Two hours full of energy and presence and pounding synth hooks. Staged in a crumbling gothic opera house, the two-hour show depicted the star's inner angels and demons wrestling for her soul. During Poker Face, the two sides faced off in a deadly game of chess; while Perfect Celebrity - a song about her tabloid commodification in the 2000s - saw her buried in a shallow grave, singing to a skeleton. It was bold and audacious and over the top, in all the best ways, with celebratory, nine-minute performance of Bad Romance to cap it all off. If you only watch one performance, make it this one. Watch on the Coachella Stage at 11:10pm on Friday (local time), or 7:10am on Saturday (UK time). 2) Missy Elliot makes up for lost time Coachella Festival Missy Elliot recreated the futuristic look of her groundbreaking videos Despite a career that's lasted three decades, Missy Elliot only staged her first ever tour last year. Luckily, tracks like Get Ur Freak On, Lose Control and Pass That Dutch still sound as fresh and futuristic now as they did first time around - and Missy's relative lack of stage experience was never apparent. She arrived onstage inside a giant car exo-skeleton, like a hip-hop Transformer, and sped through her set with pin-sharp choreography and boundless good humour. The only downside was that her set had to end after just 55 minutes. Watch on the Coachella Stage at 9:00pm on Friday (local time), or 5:00am on Saturday (UK time). 3) Lola Young fights the flu Getty Images Lola Young has had one of 2025's biggest-selling hits with her candid and vitriolic anthem, Messy "I'm either going to faint or throw up," declared Lola Young near the start of her set last weekend. "One of the two is about to happen". The British singer, whose song Messy has been embraced by fans worldwide, was battling sickness and heatstroke throughout her set. But she powered through, leading a mass singalong to Messy, and debuting a new single called Spiders. With her health back on track, her second weekend performance should erase any bad memories from her debut. Watch on the Mojave Stage at 4:50pm on Friday (local time), or 12:50am on Saturday (UK time). 4) Green Day are 'not part of the MAGA agenda' Getty Images Green Day headlined the main stage in what was their first ever appearance at Coachella Although Travis Scott closed the main stage on Saturday, Green Day were technically the headliners - and the California band delivered a thrilling, cathartic set worthy of their billing. They plunged head-first into a furious rendition of American Idiot, keeping up their recent tradition of changing the lyrics, so that frontman Billie Joe Armstrong sang: "I'm not part of the MAGA agenda". That aside, politics were kept to a minimum, as the group delivered a high-voltage blast of their greatest hits, from the bratty pop-punk of Basket Case to the more reflective Boulevard of Broken Dreams. Watch on the Coachella Stage at 9:05pm on Saturday (local time), or 5:05am on Sunday (UK time). 5) Post Malone's good-time hoedown Getty Images Post Malone closed the festival on Sunday night, with a characteristically unpretentious set "Post-ee, Post-ee, Post-ee." It might have been the end of the weekend, but fans still had energy to spare for Post Malone's headline slot on Sunday night. He rewarded them with a laid-back set, that repurposed some of his earlier pop/rap hits with the "yee-haw" twang of his recent album F-1 Trillion. It all worked surprisingly well, although the eight-piece band occasionally overpowered his voice, and some fans were disappointed by the lack of hip-hop beats - saying the show would have been better suited to Coachella's sister festival Stagecoach (which is where Post launched his country phase last year). Surprisingly, the set was devoid of special guests, leading to speculation that the 29-year-old was holding fire for weekend two. As someone who's recently collaborated with Taylor Swift, Beyoncé and Dolly Parton, that could definitely be worth staying up for. Watch on the Coachella Stage at 10:25pm on Sunday (local time), or 6:25am on Monday (UK time). 6) Back to Black(pink) Getty Images Jennie's set largely stuck to songs from her debut solo album, Ruby In 2019, Blackpink made history by becoming the first Korean group to headline Coachella. This year, two of its members - Lisa and Jennie - were back with dazzling solo sets, before the band reconvenes for a stadium tour in the summer. Lisa was up first, on Friday night, with a slick, highly-choreographed set that combined hard-edged rap cuts like Money and Lifestyle, with the softer sounds of Moonlit Floor and Dream. After her appearance in the third series of The White Lotus, she clarified that music is, in fact, her main job. Backstage, she held a post-mortem on the performance with her bandmate Rosé (Conclusion: The desert wind makes it hard to sing). Jennie packed the Outdoor Theater on Sunday evening, for a set of clubby disco anthems that don't sound a million miles away from her friend and collaborator Dua Lipa. Highlights included the bombastic Like Jennie - produced by Diplo, and boasting it's own viral dance break - and the swoonsome pop of Love Hangover, which showcased her vocal abilities. The 29-year-old has never been the most precise performer, but it somehow works to her advantage - making her more "real" than the imperious perfection of her peers. Watch Lisa on the Sahara Stage at 7:45pm on Friday (local time), or 3:45am on Saturday (UK time). Jennie plays the Outdoor Theatre at 7:45pm on Sunday (local time), or 3:45am on Monday (UK time). 7) Brat Summer 2: Electric Boogaloo Instagram Charli XCX (second from the right) was joined by her Brat collaborators Troye Sivan, Lorde and Billie Eilish Charli XCX drew one of the weekend's biggest crowds, for a sleazy, hedonistic run-through of her sleazy, hedonistic breakout album, Brat. Performing entirely on her own, the star was in constant motion - a mesmerising blur of hip-rolls, hair tosses, stomach crunches and knee-drops, as she turned Coachella's main stage into sweat-drenched, laser-lit club night. Compared to the maximalism of other sets, it was a lesson in how one person can hold a stage on their own... Well, almost. At several points, she brought out her collaborators from Brat's companion album - Troye Sivan, Billie Eilish and Lorde. It was, one excitable fan commented, "like The Avengers for gay people". Whether the guest-list will be the same on Coachella's second weekend remains to be seen. But Charli is worth your time either way. Watch on the Coachella Stage at 7:15pm on Saturday (local time), or 3:15am on Sunday (UK time). 8) Benson Boone vs d4vd EPA Benson Boone's high-octane show earmarked him as one of the breakout stars of Coachella 2025 Anyone who's had the pleasure of watching Benson Boone over the last year will know he's fond of performing a front flip off his piano, the big show off. He didn't let us down at Coachella - bouncing around the stage like a Duracell Bunny attached to a car battery. To cap it all off, he brought out Brian May for a surprisingly successful version of Bohemian Rhapsody. Less fortunate, however, was Texan singer d4vd, whose attempt at a backflip went disastrously wrong. Thankfully, he recovered in time to pull off an energetic set that highlighted the life-affirming vibes of his bedroom pop hits Feel It and What Are You Waiting For. After the set, he swore to practice harder for this weekend's performance. "Imagine if I fall again," he cringed. Watch Benson Boone on the Coachella Stage at 7:05pm on Friday (local time), or 3:45 am on Saturday (UK Time). D4vd plays the Gobi Stage at 5:55pm on Friday (local time), or 1:55am on Saturday (UK time). 9) Gustavo Dudamel's genre-defying live mixtape Getty Images Gustavo Dudamel conducts the LA Philharmonic and LL Cool J in an unexpected mash-up of classical standards and rap hits Last Saturday, the entire LA Philharmonic Orchestra boarded a bus and set off for the desert to make their Coachella debut. Under the baton of Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel, they performed what was billed as "Gustavo's mixtape" - moving seamlessly between classical standards like Wagner's Ride of the Valkyries and Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, and modern pop hits. For the latter, they were joined on stage by a host of A-list stars, including indie titan Beck, Icelandic songstress Laufey, country singer Maren Morris and rap icon LL Cool J. "I told to the orchestra, 'I'm so happy conducting, but I wish I could be in the middle of the crowd and enjoy the moment,'" Dudamel told Variety magazine ahead of the show. Weekend two will feature an all-new array of guest stars, he promised, but details are being kept under wraps for now. The LA Philharmonic plays the Outdoor Theatre at 6:25pm on Saturday (local time), or 2:25am on Sunday (UK time). 10) T-Pain is the ultimate party starter Getty Images T-Pain dressed in a steampunk outfit and performed on a set that depicted a post-apocalyptic Earth. "It took me 20 years to get on this stage," said T-Pain towards the end of his set on Saturday, and he certainly made the most of his hour-long set. He covered Journey's Don't Stop Believin' and Chris Stapleton's country hit Tennessee Whiskey, while racing through early 2000s hits like Buy U A Drank and I'm In Luv, and revisiting his verses on Flo Rida's Low, and Kanye West's Good Life. For that, he received a hero's welcome, with the crowd treating his set as an excuse for some turn of the millennium escapism. By the time it ended, a campaign had started for T-Pain to play next year's Super Bowl half-time show. Watch on the Coachella Stage at 5:25pm on Saturday (local time), or 1:25am on Sunday (UK time). Other sets worth watching Getty Images South African star Tyla showed off the supple musical stylings of Amapiano and Popiano during her set. Luckily, you're not forced to stay up all night to watch the stars strut their stuff in California. Coachella's generous livestreams repeat throughout the day, and you can rewind several hours to find the performances you want. Other highlights from the first weekend included Megan Thee Stallion, whose star-studded set included appearances from Queen Latifah, Victoria Monét, and Ciara; and Kraftwerk, reminding everyone that they essentially invented electronic music. Belinda Carlisle reunited with her old band The Go-Gos for a dose of sun-kissed 1980s nostalgia, and the UK's Sam Fender tore through a blistering set that showcased the songwriting chops of his new album, People Watching. Among the newcomers with main stage aspirations were South Africa's hip-swivelling R&B star Tyla, and New York dance act Fcukers, whose breakout hit Bon Bon was one of the weekend's most inescapable tracks. You can see the full line-up for Coachella's second weekend on the festival's website.
