Latest news with #NicolasVansteenberghe
Elle
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Elle
Why the Casa Amor Bombshells Could Change Everything on 'Love Island USA' Season 7
Love Island USA's seventh season needs a shake-up, and Casa Amor could be the spark that lights the fire. This week, the islanders were split into two villas and introduced to a fresh group of bombshells ready to mingle. While the women met six guys at Casa, the men at the main villa cozied up to five new love interests. The latest episode, which aired June 24, showed a dramatic recoupling at both villas, leaving Olandria Carthen and Nicolas Vansteenberghe single. Both were forced to say tearful goodbyes at their respective abodes, but a cliffhanger suggested they might not be gone for good. Casa Amor has always been a fan-favorite pressure cooker, but this time, it's more than that: It's a lifeline that could turn the season on its head. So far, viewers have watched some petty tiffs and full-blown crashouts unfold, most of which were centered on the former couple Jeremiah Brown, who was recently dumped, and Huda Mustafa. But holistically, the drama has been scant, and the romantic connections have been underwhelming. Love Island's allure stems from watching Instagram model archetypes vie for love and affection, even if it means being messy and treading moral ambiguity. But this season's islanders seem a little too strategic and cautious of how viewers might perceive them, especially considering the cast of the previous season was so widely beloved. In the early episodes, some shied away from getting to know potential matches to show a suspiciously strong sense of loyalty to their newly minted friendships. Others have point-blank accused their villa mates of 'scamming,' prioritizing gameplay over romance, and not exploring enough connections. This hyper-awareness serves neither the islanders nor the viewers who would rather be a fly on the wall than a bug in the ear. But the tides could turn. Love Island host Ariana Madix previously confirmed that everyone—the main contestants and the Casa additions—will return to the original villa. This could force the islanders to make decisions even the most calculated mind wouldn't anticipate. In turn, that could bring out the type of chaos and palpable chemistry that's been missing thus far. Read ahead to learn more about the Casa contestants who could charge up this season. Arenales (pictured right), 28, is a financial accountant, real estate agent, and bartender. The Boston native and marathon runner often shares training and workout videos on his Instagram. In his Love Island intro, he exuded confidence, saying, 'Just know if you're with me, you're taken care of. I'm always smiling. I'm the fucking vibe wherever the fuck I go. And if you hate me, that's a you problem.' Bibas (pictured right), originally from Toronto, lives in Miami and works as a tech consultant. The 24-year-old bombshell also appears to be a health and wellness enthusiast, frequently posting fitness and motivational videos. 'I am one of those people that has a lot of hobbies,' he said on the show. 'I love to travel, I run ultramarathons, I like to meditate, and I'm looking for a life partner.' Blackmore, 25, models for an energy drink company. The self-proclaimed 'Southern Belle' competed for Miss Virginia USA last year and made it to the top five. 'I got a little bit of attitude,' she said in her intro, adding, 'I love to play Blackjack. I'm a card shark, so I'm always beating them out.' Blackmore later shared that she recently moved to West Palm Beach, Florida. Carraway, 24, hails from Charlotte, North Carolina. She introduced herself as a 'peer mentor' and experienced cheerleader. 'I'd rate myself a 'broke my scale' out of 10 for obvious reasons,' she said. 'As far as kissing goes, I haven't gotten complaints in that department.' Carraway added that she's interested in getting to know 'a few of the guys' and plans on getting what she wants, 'like I always do.' Dodard (pictured right) is a 23-year-old athlete from Puerto Rico. 'I got a little island spice,' he said on the show. Heading into the villa, he wasn't shy about his expectations: 'Ladies love me,' he said. 'My coaches always told me, 'Let the game come to you.' When the girls see me, they're instantly going to go for me. I'm a magnet. My presence is a present.' Duggar, 25, is a Seattle-based corporate investigator and a Swiftie, per her Instagram. According to her intro, Duggar wasted no time doing her research on her fellow islanders. 'I do have the boys in the villa already background checked,' she said. 'I'm excited to go in there knowing too much already.' Einerson is a social media and brand ambassador from Salt Lake City, Utah. Based on her Instagram, the 21-year-old digital creator also appears to be an avid golfer. When describing her type on the show, Einerson listed one major qualification: 'I honestly just love a guy that's freaking obsessed with me.' Seeley (pictured right), 27, is a professional basketball player who joined the Rajawali Medan, a team in the Indonesian league, earlier this year. The 6'8' athlete is from Los Angeles and has seven sisters. Seeley said he's still single 'because I'm picky,' and he hasn't found 'the right woman' yet. But he's hopeful that Love Island will help him meet his match. Srakaew (pictured right), 29, is a full-time international model. The tatted contestant is originally from Thailand but grew up in Manchester, England. He entered the villa with clear intentions: 'I'm here to try and find my potential wife,' he said. He added that people often assume he's a bad boy, but deep down, 'I'm a bit of a softie.' Watson is a 24-year-old makeup artist, hairstylist, and model from Los Angeles. She made a sultry entrance on the show, saying, 'I'm serving looks, I'm serving personality' before declaring, 'the baddie is here.' Woodworth (pictured right), 26, lives in Scottsdale, Arizona. He didn't disclose his profession, but he has a strong presence on Instagram and TikTok where he shares snapshots of his life and travels. 'When I'm in a relationship, I'm locked in,' Woodworth said on Love Island, adding that he wants to find someone to 'take over the world with.'
Cosmopolitan
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Cosmopolitan
Can We Stop Bringing Up Everyone On Love Island's Acne?
'His acne is his karma,' writes a Redditor about Nicolas Vansteenberghe, a contestant on season 7 of Peacock's Love Island USA. 'The whole time I was looking at that fuck ass pimple and just laughing at it,' another chimes in. On another thread, someone noted islander Taylor Williams was wearing a slew of pimple patches on his face. 'Lend one to your bro,' they said, referencing Nic's breakout. (And when he finally does stick on a pimple patch, people pointed that out too.) On TikTok, Facetune's editing out Nic's pimple with the caption, 'the nerve he had to dump Bella-A with this bombshell on his face…' People shared a gazillion videos highlighting islander Austin Shepard's breakouts. 'Anyone else wish they could pop these, or am I insane?' one person wrote. 'Nasty pimples,' another added. The presence of acne makes sense to me. The humid climate in Fiji, new products, sharing a bed with someone new, constant face-to-face action, heightened stress—all of the above are the perfect recipe for breakouts. But what doesn't make sense is why someone's zits are such a cause for ridicule and speculation at our big ages? It's uncharted territory seeing acne on TV when it's not a plot point. There aren't really any other reality shows without producer intervention (dabbing on some concealer or powder whenever a contestant has a zit or a lil excess shine). Over the years, we've gotten a few episodes of Summer House that showcased a few breakouts on Paige DeSorbo and Amanda Batula—both of which resulted in partnerships with acne-friendly skincare brand Face Reality. But on Love Is Blind, The Bachelor, The Ultimatum, Temptation Island, Are You The One—I've never seen a contestant with an angry zit on their face. Love Island is really in a league of its own, showing us very real and up-close shots of people without professionals glamming them up. Throwback to Ronnie Vint on the U.K. version last summer after he'd washed the Toppik fibers out of his scalp before bed, unveiling a hairline that was much farther back than we'd seen earlier in the episode. And even when the islanders do have makeup on, it's all done by themselves. We see women meticulously apply a face every morning that's intended to look "light and natural," before spending all day in the sun, followed by another full-beat routine before nighttime in the villa. Before bed, we watch our islanders indulge in their skincare routines: removing their makeup with cleansing wipes, shaving in the mirror, combing a spoolie through their eyelash extensions, and wrapping their hair up in a silk bonnet. I love seeing those moments because it's a reminder that these are all real people who've signed up to have their lives and emotions broadcast in 4K. Look, I get it: When you sign up for reality TV fame and the potential to win $100,000, you put yourself at risk for audience commentary. The contestants on season 7 are getting that criticism far more than any other season of the USA franchise, and even more than I've noticed in U.K. seasons past. But the incessant remarks about the islanders' skin this year prove that we still have a really narrow view of acne—one that believes it's embarrassing, something we can control, and, worst of all, makes a person gross and unattractive. It's frustrating, and something I thought, as a beauty editor with a face of acne as I'm typing this, we'd gotten past. Acne is, first and foremost, a hormonal bodily response. When your hormones fluctuate—like during puberty or on your period, or truly, at any given time, based on my personal experience—your sebaceous glands kick into overdrive, which mix with dead skin cells and bacteria and clog your pores. It's almost entirely out of your control and due to genetics. It's most definitely not a karmic response for breaking things off with a romantic interest. Sure, there are intervention tactics, like washing your face every night, exfoliating with a salicylic acid toner or serum, or seeing your dermatologist for prescription topicals and medications. However, there's no cure whatsoever, and a zit can pop up at any time—especially when you've suddenly found yourself in a love triangle in Fiji. No one's immune to breakouts. So why do we feel the need to point it out when we see one on Peacock? Maybe Nic and Austin aren't our favorite islanders, but who really cares if they've got acne on their faces? If we want to watch all the crash-outs and connections and drama, we've also gotta deal with the other very-human aspects of reality stars, including the potential zit on their face. Beth Gillette is the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan, where she covers skincare, makeup, hair, nails, and more across digital and print. She can generally be found in bright eyeshadow furiously typing her latest feature or hemming and hawing about a new product you "have to try." Prior to Cosmopolitan, she wrote and edited beauty content as an Editor at The Everygirl for four years. Follow her on Instagram for makeup selfies and a new hair 'do every few months.
USA Today
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Megan Thee Stallion hopped on the 'mamacita' Love Island meme perfectly
Megan Thee Stallion hopped on the 'mamacita' Love Island meme perfectly Love Island contestant Nicolas Vansteenberghe went viral a little over a week ago with his utterly hilarious reaction to finding out fellow Islander Huda Mustafa was a mother. Mustafa, who is the mother to a 4-year-old daughter, had kept that piece of information about herself secret from the rest of the cast before starting to tell them after a little time in the villa. Vansteenberghe clearly wasn't expecting that to be the direction of the conversation as his first response to "I'm a mommy" being "Mommy? Mamacita?" He then asked if she was a dog mom before finally realizing what he was being told. It has since become one of the funniest and most ridiculous moments of a wild season of television. Rapper Megan Thee Stallion joined the latest episode, popping into the villa Thursday night to referee a competition between the islanders. Megan is a bonafide super fan of the show, keeping up with all the drama and giving her opinions on the relationships. She also wasn't going to let a mamacita moment pass her by, recording a TikTok with show host Ariana Madix. Fantastic. No notes.
