Welcome to Hype Machine, our hit-list of the brands, products or services we think you need to know about now — from cult classics to much-hyped newbies. Do you ever get hyper-fixated on fashion pieces? It happens all the time for me but usually it’s a short-lived affair, over before […]
We’ve always been told that if we work hard and follow the rules, anything is possible. So why does everything — from home-ownership to the dream job — feel further and further out of reach? SCAMbition is an exploration of where we live right now; it’s the stark reality that […]
There are two types of people in this world: those who like gaming and those who like fashion. Or, at least there used to be. That’s how model, gamer and self-professed nerd Jasmine Asia remembers it. She started playing video games as a five-year-old and can remember a time when […]
Image via @louis.piercer/Instagram As a teenager, the coolest thing you could do was to get your belly button pierced. Unfortunately, with a strict Zambian mother, I was forced to skip that edgy phase, and more than a decade on, I find myself compensating for lost time. After making their mark […]
In October, my wife and I married on beautiful Gundungurra Country in the Megalong valley in Australia, surrounded by our family and friends. It was a big deal. Not only was this my wedding day, but it was also the first time meeting much of my extended family and friends […]
Festive fervour seems to have erupted overnight with holiday adverts dominating our screens, high street displays in full swing and Christmas trees popping up, too. Besides strategically planning our gifting lists ahead of Black Friday sales, we’re edging closer to 1st December when we can officially see what’s behind door […]
In March this year, 22-year-old PhD student Maalvika Bhat posted a TikTok video declaring the “death of the chill girl”. Encouraging her followers to shed any attempt at being coy or overly agreeable in dating, the now-viral video started a conversation online about the “chill girl” narrative being an outdated […]
In episode 3 of The White Lotus’ second season, Harper Spiller (Aubrey Plaza) realises she’s underestimated her travel buddy Daphne Sullivan (Meghann Fahy). The unlikely duo, who have found themselves thrown together on holiday in Sicily with their husbands (former college roommates), are on a day trip away from their […]
I have a theory that the best time to test a cult-favourite skincare product is right after an exhausting long-haul journey. Nothing dries out your skin faster than time spent in an aeroplane cabin. If you manage to look glowing and well-rested the morning after a long flight, whatever product […]
“I felt all grown up: I had this charming older boyfriend who wore winklepickers and paisley dressing gowns.” Kelly* was 21 when she met her 26-year-old boyfriend in a nightclub. He swept her up in a whirlwind romance and as she tells Refinery29, she was besotted. “He lived in his […]
