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Refinery29
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Refinery29
I'm in My Internet Angel Era. Here's How I Achieve the Look & Lifestyle
The Internet is a place where fools rush in and angels fear to tread. It's a place so infinite that darkness and apathy can often hide in the corners we turn to for comfort. That's why it's vital for an angel to be on the Internet, to illuminate it. I consider myself an angel undercover as a girl in the digital world, creating light for you to consume through my writing, podcast, and videos. I'm this ethereal entity going where I'm needed the most and where, in an almost open secret, I yearn to connect. Before I could spread light online, I had to learn from some of the angels on earth how to nurture it in myself. My parents, two young Puerto Ricans raising me in early 2000s Brooklyn, taught me to find joy in the smallest details of my femininity. Whether it was making sure I had my hair done and a cute outfit on to get groceries with them or supporting me in the moments I'd rather dress in costume gowns and plastic princess slippers than real clothes, I was always allowed to tap into a world of my own creation. ' "I consider myself an angel undercover as a girl in the digital world, creating light for you. ... I'm this ethereal entity going where I'm needed the most and where, in an almost open secret, I yearn to connect." raimi reyes ' My grandmother, one of the most fabulous women I've ever experienced in my life, taught me to tend to myself the way I would a budding flower. The other day, she harvested an aloe leaf from the garden, using its gel and a frozen leaf doubling as a guasha to heal my skin. And my cousin introduced me to the very place where I'd truly be able to offer the world my gifts: the Internet. Through her, I discovered MySpace and Tumblr and, eventually, through a lot of evolving, adapting, and shapeshifting, became the Internet angel I am today. An Internet angel is a transmitter of tenderness in a world that often confuses cruelty with coolness. We don't scroll; we witness. We don't post; we offer. We exist at the intersection of vulnerability and visibility, where a digital presence becomes a form of prayer and personal style an armor of expression. An angel's beauty doesn't just come in its face or form, but in how they curate the visual poetry of their life. Ribbons in our hair, pearls on our ears, gloss on our lips, and jewelry that sparkles when we type. Our outfits are love letters to our inner worlds: soft silks, vintage lace, or earthy knits — each piece chosen not just for fashion, but for feeling. ' "An Internet angel is a transmitter of tenderness in a world that often confuses cruelty with coolness. We don't scroll; we witness. We don't post; we offer. We exist at the intersection of vulnerability and visibility, where a digital presence becomes a form of prayer and personal style an armor of expression." raimi reyes ' I like to play pretend when I get dressed, like I'm a doll. How do I want to present today? Because who I am today is not who I was yesterday. I'm a mixture of all my thoughts and feelings, and my style is that brought to the surface. Every aspect of my life comes back to my emotions. My mother always said I was the most emotionally in-tune child. I guess some things angels are just born with. I'm weird on the inside and I want to show that on the outside. That's what inspires me and my style, not trends or labels, but the ever-changing force of feeling. But even angels aren't immune to darkness. There was a time when I found myself trapped in an abusive relationship, one that slowly took control of everything, even my sacred space online. He isolated me, cut me off from friends, from joy, and from connection. All I had left was YouTube. I turned the camera on and created a portal out of the pain. I'd sit in front of the lens and speak into the void. I told myself, I'm going to go find my friends. They're in the ether. That's when YouTube became my diary, a sanctuary and a stage where my vulnerability could breathe. There were times I stopped posting altogether. I let the illusions of social media convince me I wasn't beautiful enough, but over time, I've come to realize I come in seasons. Some seasons, I bear less fruit than others, but that doesn't make these moments any less special. These offerings, my vulnerability, my voice, my softness, have always been rooted in something deeper within me. Some days, I feel like a waterfall. Other days, a mountain. Sometimes, I'm a cherry blossom in bloom. Others, one wilting and returning to the soil. Every day, though, I'm an Internet angel. If you're tapping into your Internet angel era, these are five ways you can achieve the look and lifestyle. Kindly and bravely be yourself. The world can be mean; people are often judgmental. To be an Internet angel, you should lead with kindness and bravery. To get there, angels need to let go of baggage, set boundaries, and be kind to themselves in order to be kind to others. Stress, negativity, and emotional suppression have real effects on our well-being. The best thing you can do is be kind and brave. Be kind to your body, as it is now. And be brave enough to wear what you want and act how you please, even around those who might not support your energy. Let go of ideas of what you're supposed to do and supposed to be. The most inspiring Internet angels I've come across have something so unique to them, something you can't quite put your finger on. That essence is simply the culmination of all their life experiences and a clear understanding of who they are. No occasion or detail is too small. I exude feminine energy in everything I do, especially how I dress. I always say, if a fairy and a princess had a baby and dropped her into modern life, that would be me. Maybe I can't wear a full-length gown to run errands, but I can capture its spirit in little ways. That's where lace, ruffles, and attention to detail come in. I love brands like My Mum Made It, Kitteny, Petit Moments, Santos by Monica, Aerie, and Motel Rocks, which incorporate these details beautifully. Look for mini skirts, mini and maxi dresses, crop tops, shorts (so you can freely move around in your mini pieces), and matching sets. In the spirit of collecting, I also love thrifting pieces when I'm traveling. It adds to the narrative of every outfit. I gravitate toward neutral tones, ones that mimic the earth, but each Internet angel will define the palette that speaks to their soul. Growing up in Brooklyn with a Puerto Rican mother, there was no such thing as being underdressed. While money was limited, the one thing we could control was how we looked. Whether it was finding cute clothes at the flea market or accessorizing with pieces from the bodega, we always made sure our hair was slicked back and our makeup was presentable. That hasn't changed. These days, I don't go anywhere without my Le ChouChou Lip Balm and Rhode Barrier Butter — for that natural angelic glow. My hair, whether styled in a high pony or worn with my curls down, stays nourished with Bread Beauty Supply's curl cream and hair oil. An Internet angel doesn't match everyone else's casualness. Trinket-ify your life. To embody the Internet angel aesthetic is to have something a little weird on you, or something that makes noise, at all times. Sound is such an underrated style detail. I love wearing bangles, gold and silver, that twinkle and rattle when I walk and talk. It's like musical frequencies signaling to other angels. I also add charms that jingle on my bags, belt loops, and keys. Keep a little trinket on you at all times, like your favorite stone or a strange accessory, that carries meaning you remember every time you hear it. I hang a ballerina slipper charm on my bag that feels so me. Ballerinas suffer so much inside these shoes, yet they remain graceful on the outside. Pearls are my favorite gems so I'll carry them with me, like on my conch piercing for example. They're like something you'd find in an oysters pocket. Bring the earth home with you. I'm inspired by the earth. My room is filled with bamboo and birch because I try to mimic the natural world. Angels need our nests, too. And like birds build their nests, I collect little pieces of the world to build mine: a pressed flower tucked into a vintage frame, vanilla-scented soy candles, an antique silver mirror, and angel wings above my bed. You can't just buy things off a list and expect them to feel right. You have to find them along your journey. I've stacked books along the side of my bed like bricks holding me up. I've chosen each one because I felt its knowledge needed to live inside me, cradling me as I sleep. I assign meaning to everything in my space. And if something loses its meaning, or gains too much, I let it go. I once held a ceremony to burn the dried flowers I'd kept from all my ex-boyfriends. I felt lighter afterward. You can't fly with wet wings. Come back to your body and your surroundings. The phone portal is powerful. It can sink its fingers into the folds of your brain without you even noticing. For sensitive souls like Internet angels, disconnection is a form of survival. Leave your phone behind when you walk, when you cook, and when you eat. If you're going to consume media, make sure it nourishes your soul. I love to watch old runways or black-and-white Betty Boop cartoons. Then go outside. Pack a bag with a blanket, a book, a snack, and headphones, and find a spot near water or trees. Read, write, people-watch, or simply sit there. Say "hello" to animals, trees, and the wind. Do it alone or bring another angel with you. I like to stretch my arms out, heart facing the sun, and ask her to charge me. Because at the end of the day, we're all just little plants who need light and movement to grow. When you make it back home, fill your home with tea candles and do your beauty rituals by their flow. Dance before you shower to release stuck energy from your hips. Come into alignment with yourself. The Internet will try to convince you of who you are, but your angelic truth lives in your body, in your breath, and in your rituals. Return there.
Buzz Feed
3 days ago
- General
- Buzz Feed
38 Things You Wouldn't Understand Unless You Are A Millennial
As a millennial (I know, shocking,) here are the ones I found especially relatable in the replies: "Getting asked and asking A/S/L." "Calling the radio station to request a song in order to hear it." "Asking a gas station worker directions somewhere." "Literally calling 411 to 'look up' stuff." "Used to check out cinema listings in the newspaper." "Using Photobucket to store photos." "Use a phone on our kitchen wall with no privacy." "Recording a TV show with our VCR!" "Take MacBook photo booth pics with the filters and the rollercoaster backgrounds etc. before going out for the night." "Hang out at a mall." "Wait 3 hours to download one song on limewire just to find out it's a clip of crazy frog." "Waiting for your fav song to come on the radio to record it on your boom box." "Slamming a phone when hanging up." "'Burning' CDs." "Jean skirts and uggs lol." "Calling our parents jobs when we needed them, and asking another coworker if they were there." "Pay for ring back tones." "Rushing home to watch TRL." "Hitting a number key on a flip phone 3 times to get the letter you wanted to type in a text." "Tanning as a teenager literally every day after school, with a lil stick[er] on your hip to show the progress." "Call[ing] people after nine and talk on the phone the whole night." "TV guide channel and spacing out, forgetting to look at a certain channel, and having to rewatch it." "Carrying a digital camera around our wrist to the bar." "Having to wait for a certain day and time to watch your favorite show and its one episode per week. No binge-watching or anything." "Accidentally opening the browser on your cell phone." "Going to blockbuster and renting a movie/video game." "Wearing business casual to the club." "Leave the house without a phone." "We had to just sit and wait for our parents to pick us up, and hope they didn't forget us." "Memorize your friends' phone numbers .... their HOUSE phone." "Having to call a friend's house and talk to their parents first. It was awful." "Print off mapquest to know where to drive." Posting 40 pictures to Facebook from a single night out." "Waiting for your school to scroll across the bottom of the TV to see if you had a snow day or not." "Spend hours coding and creating the perfect MySpace profile." "Recording 20 seconds of a song for your voicemail." "Ranking our friends publicly LOL aka MySpace top 8." And lastly, "Made our own ankle socks by rolling over crew socks." Now that's a look.
Euronews
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Euronews
It's not a phase: How to celebrate World Goth Day in Europe
Five, six, grab your crucifix - and Robert Smith, because World Goth Day has arrived. First suggested on a MySpace blog in 2009 by a UK-based Goth DJ known as 'BatBoy Slim', Goth Day has since become a global annual celebration where "the Goth scene gets to celebrate it's own being." via GIPHY While most Goths prefer to stay out of the spotlight (unless carrying a black parasol), World Goth Day keeps things appropriately dark and inviting, with a range of community-hosted events that span the week. The 22 May date was originally chosen to highlight a special set of musical subculture-focused shows on BBC Radio 6, then stuck ever since. And why not? From dark wave DJ sets in Poland, to a gothic clothes swap in Dublin; Black pizza in London, and a trip back to the subculture's 80s, 90s and 00s origins at a club night in Madrid — there are plenty of opportunities knocking at your coffin. Plus, it's a great way to support your local Goth gang. Alternatively, you could just draw the curtains, blare some Bauhaus and be your usual black-hearted self with extra pride. After-all, some Goths have faced genuine persecution and violence just for daring to be different - one devastating example being the 2007 murder of Sophie Lancaster, a 20-year-old Goth from the UK. "There are quite a few Goths who have fought damn hard to retain their identity despite peer pressure, family pressure and indeed, any pressure to conform," the World Goth Day organisers state. "And if you've gone to all that trouble to preserve what you believe is the 'real you', don't you think you owe it to yourself to shine for a day?" Chipped nail polish, dancing skeletons, synth wave, hair spray, black cats, 'Bela Lugosi Is Dead'. Neon leg warmers, glow bands, pastel chokers, septum piercings, coffin-shaped cat trees, posters of Nick Cave and PJ Harvey. Goth is whatever you want it to be. There are no rules, baby! It's about breaking conventions and going against the bland, suffocating monotony of traditional societal expectations to spread your bat wings and express your truest, fang-bearing self. At its core, being Goth is about finding a curiosity and fondness for the things others find disturbing. From music to film to fashion to art, there's a focus on themes like melancholy, death, gore and rebellion, expressed through subversive aesthetics and lifestyle choices. The subculture's origins can be traced back to the UK's late 70s post-punk underground music scene, with record producer Martin Hannett notably describing the band Joy Division's music as 'Gothic' in 1979. It's a term that spread to encompass any bands with a certain melancholic sound. These included The Cure (even though Robert Smith would argue otherwise), Bauhaus, The Psychedelic Furs, Alien Sex Fiend and Siouxsie and the Banshees, to name but a few. Meanwhile, in America, deathrock emerged as a sort of sub-genre of Goth, similarly taking the anarchy ethos of punk music and immersing it in horror-inspired theatrics. While the 80s and 90s are still seen as Gothic hey days, it's a subculture that's managed to stick throughout the decades - albeit morphing into various subcategories such as 'Cybergoth' and 'Pastel Goth', which take inspiration from steam punk, BDSM, Lolita fashion etc to create new forms of contrasting expression within 'Trad Goth'. No longer a marker of only youth culture (although the #Goth has been used 4 million times on video sharing platform TikTok), many older adults that grew up being Goth are still putting on their studded leathers and setting their faces with white powder. Millennial Goths in particular have carved themselves a niche on YouTube, with 'Emily Boo' and 'Of Herbs and Altars' two of the most popular, sharing their looks and experiences within the scene and offering advice to "baby bats". While Mods and Rockers come and go, Goths are here to stay. And contrary to popular belief - they don't only wear black. via GIPHY You can celebrate wherever you want! Although official events are listed on the website for World Goth Day and are as follows: UK & Ireland 22 May: ACAB Celebrates World Goth Day - DJs, Alt Drag & Market (Dublin) 22 May: Cabinet Sinister Bite Me! At Lost Souls Pizza (London) 22 May: World Goth Day gig at O'Reilly's (Hull) 24 May: Goth Meet Up at The Ruin Bar and Kitchen (Birmingham) 25 May: Gothic Clothes Swap WGD at Pawn Shop (Dublin) Europe 23 May: Gothic ball at Klub UNDER (Belgrade, Serbia) 23 May: Bunkerleute Dark Underground Party at Waaiberg Event Hall (Leuven, Belgium) 23 May: World Goth Day celebrations at Emerald CLUB (Bucharest, Romania) 24 May: World Goth Day celebrations at the Undead Dark Club (Barcelona, Spain) 24 May: Spain Goth Day at Sala Pirandello I - II (Madrid, Spain) 24 May: Shadowplay Afterparty oficial IMAMX + WGD, at Paseo Del Pintor Rosales (Madrid, Spain) 24 May: Dark goth wave synth at Wydział Remontowy (Gdańsk, Poland) 24 May: (Un)Pure Session: World Goth Day Special at Vamptasia Club (Valencia, Spain) via GIPHY Well, if you insist. Here are some Gothic movie and music recommendations instead: 🖤📽️ Movies House of Usher (1960) — Dir. Roger Corman Eraserhead (1977) — Dir. David Lynch Hellraiser (1987) — Dir. Clive Barker Return of the Living Dead 3 (1993) — Dir. Brian Yuzna The Crow (1994) — Dir. Alex Proyas Suspiria (2018) — Dir. Luca Guadagnino 🖤🎶 Music Bauhaus: 'In the Flat Field' (1980) Joy Division: 'Closer' (1980) Siouxsie and the Banshees: 'Juju' (1981) The Cure: 'Pornography' (1982) — bonus shout-out to The Cure's 'Songs Of A Lost World', which made our best-of 2024 albums list) Cocteau Twins: 'Head Over Heels' (1983) Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds: 'Let Love In' (1994)
Scoop
22-05-2025
- General
- Scoop
Marlborough Youth Trust Farewells Their Calm ‘Anchor' Of 25 Years
Senior constable Russ Smith is stepping back from the vibrant centre and community he has helped build in Marlborough for the past 25 years. The Blenheim community constable has served as a chairman and trustee of the Marlborough Youth Trust for a quarter of a century, and was instrumental in creating the trust's MySpace youth centre. Smith was celebrated by supporters of the trust at a special farewell morning tea at MySpace on Wednesday. Sonitani Kula, youth worker for the Marlborough Pasifika Trust, which made use of the space, said there would be no Marlborough Youth Trust without Smith. 'Youth work has been a lifelong dream career of mine. 'To be able to enter it ... was only possible because there was a village that was willing to stand behind me that was led by Russ.' Members described Smith as the humble and calm 'anchor' of the trust, and a dedicated advocate for the youth of Marlborough. 'It's definitely not just me,' Smith said. 'I'm just one of the little cogs in a big, big machine. 'Without the support of our wonderful trustees, and all the work that goes into this organisation [...] it just wouldn't happen.' The MySpace centre opened in 2019 as a place for youth to meet and connect with each other. Smith, who was awarded the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2017 for his community work, described the opening of the centre as his most 'joyful' moment. 'We'd probably worked on that for at least 10 years, trying to convince [Marlborough District] Council and all the organisations that were invested in us that this was definitely something that was needed,' he said. Smith said the MySpace Youth Centre was one of the best youth spaces in the country. 'Our youth love it because it can go from a meeting space, to a play space, to a study space.' Smith planned to enjoy the 'sunset years' of his job as Community Constable, and would continue to support the trust as a friend and volunteer. The council owned the MySpace building on the corner of Kinross St and Redwood St and covered the cost of the lease for the youth trust. 'We pushed for this one for a long time, and if it wasn't for Russell it wouldn't have happened,' said former Marlborough District councillor Graeme Barsanti. 'I remember him coming to council,' Barsanti said. 'And we kind of stood around him. Two policemen and a couple of other policemen at the back were dragged in, and we made it work.'
Time of India
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
All about model Cassie Ventura, who is making news for testifying in Sean 'Diddy' Combs' trial
When Casandra 'Cassie' Ventura walked into a New York federal courtroom this week, eight‑and‑a‑half months pregnant, shoulders squared, hair in a neat chignon, the pop charts of 2006 felt very far away. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Nearly twenty years after her hypnotic debut single 'Me & U' turned the Connecticut teenager into an R&B darling, Ventura is headline news again, this time as the star witness in a sex‑trafficking and racketeering trial that could see her former partner and label boss Sean 'Diddy' Combs jailed for life. Her calm, methodical testimony is forcing the music industry and millions of nostalgic fans, to confront the darker power dynamics that underpinned the glossy MySpace era. From small‑town beginnings to fashion's front row Born on 26 August 1986 in the naval outpost of New London, Connecticut, Ventura is of African‑American, Mexican and Filipino heritage. She spent her teens copying Janet Jackson routines from MTV and, by fourteen, was catching dawn trains to Manhattan for catalogue shoots. Early campaigns for Delia's, Seventeen and Abercrombie & Fitch led to a Wilhelmina contract and, at nineteen, a coveted slot in Calvin Klein's CK One fragrance ads. The sleek mix of lip‑gloss, oversized denim and bare midriff she modelled became a Pinterest blueprint for effortless street‑glam. Break‑out success - music, modelling and a Hollywood swerve Producer Ryan Leslie discovered Ventura in late 2004, recording the demo that landed on Combs' desk. Bad Boy released 'Me & U' in 2006; the breathy ear‑worm soared to No 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, while her stripped‑back, self‑titled album debuted at No 4. Overnight she was closing Dior beauty launches, starring in GQ editorials and cameoing in Kanye West's 'Stronger' video. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Hollywood soon beckoned: she played Sophie Donovan in Step Up 2: The Streets (2008) and delivered the sultry ballad 'Is It You' for its soundtrack, proving she could dance as fluently as she modelled. A romance written in flashes Ventura and Combs began dating in 2007, appearing at the Met Gala in matching monochrome and holidaying on super‑yachts. The relationship, glamorous on social media, was reportedly volatile behind closed doors. Friends recall jealous rows; a 2016 hotel‑corridor CCTV clip - now prosecution evidence, appears to show Combs shoving Ventura. She later described her signature half‑shaved hairstyle, unveiled that same year, as 'taking back control' after repeated studio arguments about her image and autonomy. Lawsuit, settlement and criminal charges In November 2023 Ventura filed a 35‑page civil suit accusing Combs of rape, trafficking and prolonged physical abuse. He settled within twenty‑four hours, but federal investigators folded her allegations into a wider probe that produced a grand‑jury indictment in 2024. Cassie Ventura takes an oath before testifying in Manhattan federal court, Tuesday, May 13, 2025, in New York. (Elizabeth Williams via AP) The criminal trial opened on 12 May 2025; Ventura took the stand on Day 2 and has endured marathon cross‑examination ever since. What the jury has heard so far Ventura has testified about beatings, forced drug binges and 'freak‑offs' - drug‑fuelled group‑sessions she says Combs demanded as 'payment' for his patronage. Defence lawyers have projected explicit texts in which she appeared enthusiastic, suggesting she was a willing participant; Ventura counters that she often echoed whatever placated him, telling jurors, 'Consent wasn't really an option.' She also acknowledged that both partners were addicted to opiates at times, a point the defence uses to blur timelines. Prosecutors argue her first‑hand account anchors a pattern of coercion alleged by more than fifty civil plaintiffs and frames Combs as the architect of a criminal enterprise that exploited women for almost two decades. The fashion of resilience While the evidence is harrowing, Ventura's appearance is calculated serenity. Courtroom sketches show her in a pared‑back beige maternity sheath, pearl studs and low kitten‑heels - worlds away from the diamanté gowns she once wore beside Combs. Stylists read the look as deliberate reclamation: quiet luxury, no logos, absolute poise. Cassie Ventura 'Admits' Her 'Involvement' In Diddy's Freak-Off Mess, Jury Reacts It mirrors her post‑Diddy Instagram feed of roomy blazers and discreet jewellery, an aesthetic dubbed 'old‑money cool' that has sparked thousands of #CassieCore TikToks and nudged high‑street colour palettes towards sand, taupe and ivory. Life after Diddy Ventura ended the relationship in 2018 and soon began dating Alex Fine, a bull‑rider‑turned‑fitness‑trainer. They married on a Malibu bluff in September 2019. Daughters Frankie Stone (Dec 2019) and Sunny Cinco (Mar 2021) feature in minimalist linen co‑ords on Ventura's feed, and the couple are expecting a son this summer. Sean 'Diddy' Combs faces explosive allegations shaking the core of the music industry, shocking revelations emerge as the courtroom battle intensifies Alongside motherhood she has returned to modelling - fronting SKIMS, Savage x Fenty and, most recently, a Loewe eyewear campaign, while teasing independent R&B tracks on SoundCloud and quietly studying screenwriting. Cultural stakes For prosecutors, Ventura is both insider and survivor; for pop culture, she is a case study in how glamour can mask abuse. Speaking out risks her privacy and lucrative partnerships, yet it recasts her from perceived one‑hit wonder to catalyst for an industry‑wide reckoning with misogyny. Her beige courtroom uniform, once merely fashion, now reads as armour and a subtle rebuke to the maximalism that once surrounded her. What's next Ventura is expected to finish giving evidence today; Combs' lawyers will then present their defence. Whatever the verdict, 's narrative is no longer a footnote beneath Diddy's discography. Instead, she stands for agency, endurance and the power of telling one's own story.
